Rothstein Associates Inc.

DISASTER PLANNING & RECOVERY:
A GUIDE FOR FACILITY PROFESSIONALS
by Alan M. Levitt.

“Earthquakes, floods, fires, tornadoes..... there isn't much you can do to stop them from
happening, but there are steps you can take to prevent natural and man-made disasters from
turning into business dis­asters. And that is what this book is all about: minimizing the
damage done to your business by cataclysmic external events.

“The only complete, practical guide of its kind, Disaster Planning and Recovery shows facility
professionals how to prepare for, cope with, and rebound from a disaster. Alan Levitt clearly
demonstrates that the first major step toward minimizing risk and optimizing recovery time
following an emergency is to formulate a compre­hensive disaster plan. Drawing upon his
years of experience as a business conti­nuity expert - and using fascinating and instructive
vignettes and case studies (many of them previously unpublished) to illus­trate his points - he
shows you how to develop the most cost-effective plan possible.

“Rather than offer a set of one-size-fits-all checklists and procedures, Levitt supplies a
rational framework and proven strate­gies for formulating a plan tailored to your business. He
shows you how to set rea­sonable goals that will allow you to react more quickly and
effectively without los­ing sight of business outcomes. And he provides the means for
researching and conducting the five phases of a compre­hensive disaster/recovery plan:
identify­ing potential disasters; quantifying the risk of occurrence; establishing parameters
for reducing that risk; forecasting the poten­tial impact a disaster can have on person­nel,
plant, and business processes; and establishing systems for counterbalancing those
impacts.

Throughout Disaster Planning and Recov­ery, the emphasis is on human factors'. Levitt
describes techniques for efficiently mobilizing staff in an emergency, work­ing effectively with
key departments, such as IT, and most importantly, easing the stress that disasters can
impose on staff members. Disaster Planning and Recovery is an indispensable resource for
facility professionals, human resources managers, building owners and managers,
architects, designers, and planners.

- - - - - - - -
-

CONTENTS

PREFACE
INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: THE FACILITY PROFESSIONAL
The Profession and the Individual: Their Roles and Obligations in Disaster Planning and
Recovery
The People, The Place, The Processes
The Disaster Planning and Recovery Strategy
Disaster Defined

CHAPTER 2: WHY A DISASTER PLANNING AND RECOVERY STRATEGY?
The Steps in Planning
Management Support
The Planning Process: Before, During, and After
The "Safety Case" Approach
Safety and Security

CHAPTER 3: PROBLEMS AND PERFORMANCE
Problems
Performance
Performance
Problems . . . Impacts . . . Consequences
Examples of Actual Out-of-Course Events That Should Have Been Recognized as Problems

CHAPTER 4: PRESCRIPTIVES

CHAPTER 5: RISK MANAGEMENT
Measuring Risk
Modeling and Simulation
Risk Reduction
Fault Management

CHAPTER 6: MANAGING RISKS: REDUCING THE PROBABILITY OF PROBLEMS,
IMPACTS, AND CONSEQUENCES
Determining Consequences and Their Affects
Compensating for Consequences

CHAPTER 7: THE VULNERABILITY SEARCH, VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS, AND
VULNERABILITY RECTIFICATION
How Is a "Vulnerability" Identified?
The Vulnerability Search Process
Searching for the "Seeds of Disaster"
The Bottom Line
Some Real-Life Examples
CHAPTER 8: CONTINGENCY MANAGEMENT
Recovery and Restoration Strategies

CHAPTER 9: “. . . BUT THE PROCESS IS TEDIOUS”

CHAPTER 10: COMMUNICATION
Communication of the Plan
The Plan and Its Plan Manual and Primer for Survival

CHAPTER 11: MYTHS AND SOME PRECARIOUS PERCEPTIONS
The Myths

APPENDIX I: BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER
Before
During
After

APPENDIX II: THE VULNERABILITY SEARCH: A MODEL VULNERABILITY SEARCH
CHECKLIST
The Vulnerability Search
Preparing Your Own Vulnerability Search Checklist
A Search Methodology
Item-Specific Checklists

GLOSSARY
INDEX

- - - - - - - -
-

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ALAN M. LEVITT is principal and Man­aging Director of Levitt, Conford & Asso­ciates, a
firm specializing in business continuity consulting. LCA provides client organizations of all
sizes with a wide range of planning services, including computer-aided risk analysis
modeling, goal setting, and creating, testing, and installing con­tingency plans. Mr. Levitt
has
lectured internationally on disaster planning and recovery, and his articles have appeared in
a number of professional journals.

- - - - - - - -
-
1997, 417 pages. Order #DR271
- - - - - - - -
-

4 Arapaho Rd.

Brookfield, CT 06804-3104

1-888-ROTHSTEin

Telephone: 203.740.7444; 888.768.4783

Fax: 203.740.7401

All bookstore enquiries should be sent to Rothstein Associates at the above address.

Looking for Practical Knowledge?