Pandemic Influenza Preparation and Response Plan

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Pandemic Influenza Preparation and Response Plan
Telework Exercise
Briefing for Senior Managers
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Pandemic Influenza Threat

• Experts at World Health Organization and
  elsewhere believe that the world is now closer to
  another influenza pandemic than at any time since
  1968, when the last of the previous century's
  three pandemics occurred.
• WHO uses a series of six phases of pandemic
  alert as a system for informing the world of the
  seriousness of the threat and of the need to
  launch progressively more intense preparedness
  activities.

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Pandemic Influenza Threat (cont.)

http//www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/ph
ase/en/index.html
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Pandemic The US Impact

• 50 or more ill people will seek medical care
  and
• may overwhelm our medical system
• of hospitalizations / deaths depends on
  virulence
• (capacity to cause severe illness) of the
  pandemic virus

http//www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/pandplan.html
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National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza

• Federal departments and agencies are responsible
  for developing and exercising preparedness and
  response plans that take into account the
  potential impact of a pandemic on the federal
  workforce, and ensuring that they are configured
  to support state, local and private sector
  efforts as appropriate.

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Planning Assumptions

• A 40 absenteeism rate for two weeks or more has
  been used for planning purposes
• Lower levels of staff may be absent for up to a
  few weeks on either side of the peak wave
• High rate of absenteeism could continue for
  extended period
• Mission essential functions must be continued

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DOL Pandemic Impact

• High absenteeism rate
• Childcare / Family care issues
• Difficulty getting to and from work
• Significant psychological impact on workforce

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DOL PI Preparedness and Response Plan

• Signed by Secretary Chao, dated June 5, 2006
• Addresses 4 goals
• Protecting employees during a pandemic
• Sustaining essential functions during times of
  significant absenteeism
• Supporting overall federal response during a
  pandemic
• Communicating guidance to DOL stakeholders during
  a pandemic
• Each agency submits progress reports
• OASAM oversees agency progress
• Testing of telework capacity begins September 1

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PI Plan Test and Exercise Goal

• Conduct incremental agency-wide telework
  exercises, with 40 random staff unavailable,
  leading up to Department-wide telework exercise
  where the Departments essential missions are
  sustainable.

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PI Plan Test and Exercise Strategy

• By September 1, begin exercises to test internal
  telework preparations and continue exercises on a
  periodic basis to ensure ongoing readiness
• Assess results and address deficiencies
• At date TBD, conduct expanded Department-wide
  telework exercise

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PI Telework Exercise Objectives

• Ensure agency is prepared to sustain mission
  functions
• Test the capabilities of the agency to conduct
  essential functions using telework
• Adequately equip personnel so they can perform
  mission functions via telework
• Stress the agency IT system

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Toolbox Components

• All-purpose exercise design guidance document
  with templates
• 2-hour exercise design workshop for planners
  August 2
• Telework checklist template
• Format for recording results of tests or
  exercises
• Corrective Action Process guidance document

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Exercise Process

• Assess telework needs
• Assign exercise responsibilities
• Identify Agency POC and other reps
• Develop strategy for incremental testing
• Prepare employees for the exercise
• Complete required forms, checklists
• Agencies conduct telework exercise

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Exercise Process (cont.)

• Consolidate and report results
• Address identified problems
• Begin process again with larger / different /
  more random sample of employees

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DOL Resources

• Intranet site
• http//labornet.dol.gov/html/pandemic-flu-info-gui
  dance.htm
• DOL Pandemic Influenza Plan
• Agency Tracking Tool
• IT Guidance
• Telework Resources
• Web Sites of Interest

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Questions??
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Agency Telework Exercise POCName______________
Tel________________
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End Game
The functions of our government continue without
interruption. President George W. Bush, Address
to the Nation September 11, 2001