Service Continuity Management is a process that may evolve over time. Its
implementation is not necessarily an end-to-end task that must be finished to have
any value. It is something that can be developed over time. It is better to have a
vague outline of what to do in the event of a disaster than to have no idea at all.
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Know what your services and assets are. Assets are the main components of
services.
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Service
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Assets
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Printing
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Printer
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Word
processing
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Computer, software
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Internet
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Computer, software, LAN/WAN,
communications link, contract with internet
service provider (ISP)
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Shared data
storage
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File server, hard disk, software, LAN/WAN
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Technical
support
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Procedures, staff, third-party maintenance
contract
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Most of this information is gathered in other FITS processes.
- Implement FITS Service Level Management to understand what your services
are and what the order of criticality is.
- Implement FITS Configuration Management to get a picture of what your main
assets are.
Service continuity also encompasses the human element of ICT by taking into
account the continuity of skills, so you will need to add to the above some
understanding of the contribution that ICT and user staff make to the success of ICT
services. A Becta project called 'ICT Technical Support Training and Accreditation'
aims to help schools to assess and develop their technical skills and
competencies. Watch the Becta website for new developments and launch details.
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Before you can know what the risks and threats are to your ICT services and
assets, you must first identify services and assets. When you have done this, you
must consider what might happen to them (risks) and what could cause them to
happen (threats). Here is a core list, but you may want to add to it.
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Risks
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Threats
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Loss of internal ICT services
and/or assets
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Fire, flood, vandalism, weather
damage, power failure, power surge,
virus, accidental damage,
environmental damage
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Loss of external ICT services
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All of the above, overload of external
communications links, bankruptcy of
service provider?
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Loss of data
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Technical failure, virus, accidental
damage, human error
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Unavailability of key technical and
support staff
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Sickness/injury, transport problems,
resignation, denial of access to
premises
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Failure of service providers
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Bankruptcy, unavailability of key staff,
failure to meet contractual service
levels, loss of service provider's own
systems or data
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Contingency plans are like insurance policies. They can be simple and cheap but
cover you for minimal risk, or they can be complex and expensive and cover you for
more risk. As with insurance policies, it all comes down to the level of risk you are
taking and the threat of that risk actually happening. It is a judgement decision that
you make based on what you know.
If you think it is necessary and worth the expenditure, your contingency plan can be
all encompassing and very fast to invoke and implement. For example, you might
have a spare set of all hardware, software and back-up data in a workable space
offsite, set up and ready to use, or you might buy into a commercial scheme that
provides this. Obviously this would not be cheap. Whether you choose to do it or
not depends on the potential cost of the loss in the long term and whether or not you
think it is worth the risk.
At this stage, you should be starting to think about contingency plans. To help you,
we have compiled a list of suggestions for contingency plans that
cost little, if any,
money. Remember that something is better than nothing, however small.
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Prioritise
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Now that you know what your ICT services are and
what the order of criticality is, draw up a 'pecking
order' of which services to restore first. This will
help you prioritise your efforts and make best use of
limited contingency facilities.
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Reciprocal
arrangements
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Work with another school or schools to agree a
mutual plan to use each other's equipment and
premises in the event of a major failure or disaster
that prevents access to your own premises.
You won't be able simply to transfer everyone from
your school to another school, because there won't
be enough space, so you will need to scope your
requirements and agree what can be done. Use
your 'pecking order' of priorities to decide what is
essential to start with.
When you have done this, you will need to document
the plan and make sure that key staff in both schools
are aware of it.
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Store back-up tapes off
site
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Agree a mutual arrangement with another school or
your LEA to store regular back-up tapes on their
premises so that you can access them if your on-
site store is damaged.
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Share spares
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Purchase a spare file server jointly with other
schools in your area. This would need careful
consideration to make sure that the server was
suitable for all schools in the syndicate. You would
also need to arrange for it to be stored by a third
party (perhaps the supplier).
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Store copies of key
documentation off site
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Make sure that you can access procedures, copies
of software licences and key contact information
(teachers, suppliers and so on). Make a couple of
folders and store them separately. Keep one at
home (if this is appropriate) or make a mutual
arrangement with another school or a supplier, or
give one to a colleague to store off site.
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Document manual
systems
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If you can resort to the manual methods you used
before ICT, make sure instructions are documented
for quick implementation. This may include use of
fax machines instead of email or making sure that
learning materials are also available in printed form
(and stored off site).
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We don't expect you to suddenly produce a sophisticated contingency and recovery
plan. However, you might be starting to consider who the key people are and what
services you would want to recover first, or be in a position to open discussions
with another school about reciprocal arrangements. Don't put off documenting your
thoughts until you have time to prepare your plan all at once: write things down as
you go along. In an emergency even just a list of key contacts and telephone
numbers would be better than nothing.
Circulate your draft plan to key staff and keep them updated with changes as it
develops. You should at least include the headteacher in this. A copy should also
be given to anyone on the recovery team. Of course, it is vital that a copy of this
document is stored offsite so that you can access it even if you cannot get into the
school building.
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