Activity 1: Appointing a COOP Coordinator
Responsibilities include:
Developing goals, both short and long-term, and identifying planning team members
Creating a framework for developing the COOP
Acting as a liaison between the planning team and agency leaders
Developing measurable criteria for measuring and evaluating performance
Identifying and resolving issues related to COOP plan development, activation, implementation, and reconstitution
Worksheet #1 will help in completing Activity 1.
Activity 2: Organization of a COOP Team
The COOP Coordinator and senior management should select the members of the COOP Planning Team. This support will ensure members realize the importance of their selection.
A team will consist of 8 to 10 members representing various parts of the agency. So who should be included in a COOP Team?
A good mix of organization professionals to include members from all levels of management, and
staff members from various divisions of the organization, including those not directly related to the mission, such as human resources, accounting, and information technology
Worksheet #2 will help in completing Activity 2.
Source: MEMA Preparing for an Emergency: Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning for Public Institutions
Activity 3: Initial Project Meeting
Discuss the following:
Team’s mission statement
Roles and responsibilities of each member and the team as a whole
Objectives and deliverables
Project milestones so as to track progress
Reporting process to senior staff
Review and approval process
Coordination with external response agencies
Worksheets 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 can help with completing Activity 3.
Other Considerations:
You may choose to identify costs associated with developing the COOP (utilize Worksheet 8 for this).
It may be necessary to prepare a list of documents and information required to be shared during the planning process (use Worksheet 9 for this).
Documents containing sensitive information should be given special care.
Copies may be better to use than originals.
