Getting late for pandemic preparedness – might be time for plan B recipe

Enterprises were told on and on about preparation for pandemic flu. It is getting late to finalize a pandemic preparedness plan. Is there B Plan to ensure that the organization makes it through the H1N1 outbreak? There is no longer any time to bring about a consensus. The workaround is to apply a recipe without questioning or looking for other possibilities.

In an August 2009 national survey of businesses, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers looked at their preparation for a possible widespread H1N1 outbreak. They found that 84% neither created nor revised any HR policies regarding employee absenteeism and 55% of businesses said they would have severe operational problems with 30% of workforce absent for 2 weeks.

It has become difficult to finalize a plan whilst facing a second wave of H1N1 outbreak. Management must try to mitigate the threat by slowing the spread of the disease and minimize fear and prepare response plans to staff most critical business functions with key employees and their substitutes. In order to complete these planning, enterprises may use their Business Continuity Plans if they do exist.

Since most enterprises will need to start from scratch, they need to use an existing recipe and apply it blindfolded in order to meet the deadlines. Chef or CEO may decide to slightly modify the ingredients but they cannot linger and look for consensus. They may ask their Deputy Chef to undertake some preparation for the implementation.

What is the recipe?

At first, Chef must gather ingredients:

1) Deputy chefs;

2) key human resources;

3) key clients;

4) key suppliers and partners;

5) vital and critical process infrastructure;

6) IT and telecommunication infrastructure;

7) And the spices: get H1N1 vaccine.

Then Chef prepares the meal:

1) Identification of an alternate head chef (succession planning);

2) Review human resource policies (absenteeism, worksites or home, hygiene and protection, travel, transportation and cross-training);

3) Identification of alternate and additional resources required;

4) Identification of client relationship strategies;

5) Identification of alternate and additional suppliers and partners required;

6) Identification of communication plan and coordinator;

7) Review IT and telecommunication infrastructure and their backup capabilities including alternate workplace and @home capabilities;

8) identification of pandemic flu assumptions;

9) identification of vital and critical elements of business;

10) identification of the impact on critical and vital elements;

11) definition of crisis and incident management and decision making with existing processes;

12) definition of methods and strategies to limit impact on vital and critical elements;

13) identify and prioritize strategies and escalation plan;

14) implementation of awareness and training programs.

Hopefully, applying this recipe will pull your organisation through the H1N1 outbreak and afterwards, pandemic plans may be refined and adapted to your organization’s culture.

As an expert in pandemic planning, security and risk management, I got vaccinated and suggest to my friends that they do same ASAP since I do not want to loose them. By the way, I no longer shake hands and forget about kissing . . . non vaccinated folks.

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