Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning for Pandemic Flu

1
Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning for
Pandemic Flu

• NOAA Homeland Security Program Office
• www.homelandsecurity.noaa.gov

2

• Q. How does pandemic planning differ from
  traditional continuity of operations planning?
• A. Basic Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)
  concepts are applicable BUT traditional COOP
  plans (relocating personnel or function) may not
  work

3
Pandemic Influenza is NO ORDINARY FLU

• Pandemic flu is virulent human flu that causes a
  global outbreak, or pandemic, of serious illness.
  Because there is little natural immunity, the
  disease can spread easily from person to person.

4
When it comes to COOP, the difference between
planning for a general disaster and for an
influenza pandemic is

• General Disaster
• limited geographically
• limited in duration
• clearly visible destruction requiring repair
• local economic impact

• Pandemic Influenza
• geographically widespread
• occurs in 6 to 8 week waves for over a year
• extended, severely reduced workforce (may cause
  widespread economic effect)
• no visible property damage

5
Review COOP Plans

• All NOAA organizations are encouraged to
  establish an annex to their Continuity plans to
  ensure that additional considerations for
  pandemic flu are addressed
• Absenteeism may run as high as 40
• Interruption of utilities, deliveries, supplies
• Long term months vs. 30 days
• Medical response capabilities overwhelmed
• Protect employees from disease

6
Essential Functions

• How will your organization sustain its essential
  functions during an influenza pandemic?
• Have you identified and prioritized your
  essential services?
• Have you determined
• How the pandemic influenza might impact delivery
  of these essential services?
• Which of your services will be most needed, and
  can you estimate the increased demand for them
  during an influenza pandemic?
• What functions and services can you suspend
  during an influenza pandemic?
• How will pandemic influenza affect your mutual
  aid and assistance agreements?

7
Orders of Succession

• Ensure orders of succession are three-deep and
  account for the expected rate of absenteeism
• Geographical dispersion is encouraged

8
Delegations of Authority

• Document in advance the legal authority for
  officials to make key policy decisions during a
  continuity situation
• Delegate the authority to make policy decisions
• Ensure delegations of authority are three-deep
  and account for the expected rate of absenteeism

9
Personnel Policies and Procedures

• Review personnel policies including
• Leave to support ill workers and their ill family
  members
• Assistance for those without leave
• Fitness-for-duty certification to return to work
• Work- and nonwork-related travel to infected
  areas
• Quarantine personnel after returning from
  infected areas
• Sending ill employees home who pose a direct
  threat in the workplace
• Consult with bargaining unit representatives if
  applicable

10
Strategies for Workforce Protections

• Practice social distancing procedures
• Consider closing non-critical common areas
• Establish plan for notifying personnel in the
  event of an outbreak
• Keep personnel informed and educated
• Promote safe hygienic practices
• Establish worksite cleaning procedures
• Determine types of personal protective equipment
  and infection control measures most appropriate
  for your workers

11
Communications Needs

• Review your communications plan to determine if
• Employees will be able to communicate effectively
  with other NOAA personnel and with external
  customers even if they are dispersed to different
  locations
• Contingency plans have been developed in case
  communications fail and vendor support is
  unavailable
• Consider the additional need for laptops,
  high-speed telecommunications, networks, and
  Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) that may
  enable employees to perform essential functions
• Consider the need for extra tech support to meet
  the needs of remote access

12
Testing, Training, and Exercises (TTE)

• Pandemic plans must be tested, trained, and
  exercised to ensure that strategies work as
  developed
• Test IT systems to ensure that they support
  large-scale telework
• Employees designated to work from home during an
  emergency event should telework frequently enough
  to ensure all systems are working smoothly
• Verify that essential personnel know who to
  contact if other personnel become ill
• Verify that pandemic plans will work for periods
  of 12 weeks or longer

13
Vital Records Management

• Test, review, and update vital records,
  databases, and systems, in particular those that
  will need to be accessed electronically from
  employees teleworking and located at sites

14
Devolution

• Consider full or partial devolution in the event
  pandemic renders leadership and essential staff
  incapable of performing essential functions
• Develop detailed guidance for possible full or
  partial devolution of command and control
  responsibilities
• Devolve or shift operational control of essential
  functions to another geographically separated
  office

15
Pandemic Planning Resources

• FEMA guidance documents and continuity pandemic
  template www.fema.gov/government/coop/index.shtm
  
• Flu.gov is an excellent source for updated
  information and additional planning guidance
  www.flu.gov
• NOAA Homeland Security Program Office
  http//www.homelandsecurity.noaa.gov/influenza.htm
  l
• NOAA Workforce Management Office
  http//www.wfm.noaa.gov/pandemic_information.html