Purpose statement
The Corporation of the Town of Oakville (town) is committed to Business Continuity Management (BCM) to ensure that critical services and functions are maintained in the event of an interruption or emergency. The town will prepare, exercise and maintain plans to facilitate the continuity of critical services and functions so far as is reasonably practical when faced with an interruption or emergency.
Scope
This procedure applies to all town staff and all aspects of business conducted by the town.
Procedure
BCM will enable the timely and orderly continuation or resumption of critical services and functions within the town if impacted by an incident. BCM and its plans identifying key required resources, information and interdependencies, will create resiliency within the town such that critical services and functions will continue in a manner that does not cause significant financial, operational, legal or regulatory impact to the town.
All departments will complete the Town of Oakville Business Impact Analysis Survey in order to facilitate the development of business continuity procedures and plans that will ensure, to the greatest degree possible, the provision of critical services and functions in the event of an interruption or emergency. All departments will conduct an annual review their business continuity plans and procedures and make revisions as necessary.
All staff will give consideration to the town’s business continuity objectives, stated below, when developing business continuity procedures and plans:
- Identify business processes within each business unit;
- Determine the financial, customer, operational, legal and/or regulatory impacts of each process;
- Establish the time frames in which business processes must be recovered/sustained;
- Define the key internal and external relationships and dependencies of each process;
- Identify the resources necessary to sustain/recovery of each process;
- Develop plans and procedures to support the continuity and recovery of critical services and functions;
- Continually maintain and evaluate continuity and recovery plans;
- Educate and obtain participation from individuals who play a critical part in the continuity and recovery of critical services and functions; and
- Raise awareness throughout the town of the need for Business Continuity Management.
Definitions
Business Continuity Management (BCM): a town initiative that facilitates the identification and management of risks and threats faced by the town, due to disruption and interruption; taking steps to control and reduce the risks; assessing the impact on the town if the risks should materialize; and providing plans to be followed to ensure that the activities of the town continue.
Business Process: the daily activities and tasks that are completed to produce a final product.
Critical Services and Functions: services and functions which if disrupted, will cause a significant financial, operational, legal or regulatory impact to the town.
Emergency: a situation or an impending situation that constitutes a danger of major proportions that could result in serious harm to persons or substantial damage to property and that is caused by the forces of nature, a disease or other health risk, an accident or an act whether intentional or otherwise.
Interruption: any incident that threatens personnel, buildings or the operational procedures of the town because of the unavailability of human, physical and information resources and which requires special measure(s) to be taken to restore normal functions.
Responsibilities
All town departments are responsible for conducting a business impact analysis and developing business continuity procedures to ensure the provision of critical services and functions in the event of an interruption or emergency. Each department will undertake an annual review of their business continuity procedures and participate in initiatives that ensure the continuation or resumption of services and functions which, if disrupted, will cause a significant financial, operation, legal or regulatory impact to the town.
The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer is responsible for coordinating the business continuity analysis with all town Departments and for ensuring compliance with this procedure.