Businesses and organizations are encouraged to develop, test and maintain their business continuity programs next week during Business Continuity Awareness Week, says Minister of Justice and Public Safety Doug Currie.

March 21 - 25, 2011 is Business Continuity Awareness Week, a global educational event designed to help businesses and organizations understand more about business continuity management, its applications and benefits.

“Governments and organizations today face a wide range of threats. We can’t always predict when disaster will strike, or prevent the full impact of a crisis, but we can take steps now to build resilience and ensure that essential public services will not be unduly affected in an emergency,” said Mr Currie.

Through a business continuity management process, an organization will identify potential threats and how those threats, if realized, might impact the business. The process provides a framework for building organizational resilience and preparing an effective response. This may include taking steps to develop instructions regarding work area recovery (relocation), outlining IT expectations, or updating staff contact lists, which will enable a company to adapt to change, and pursue new opportunities with the security that consequences have been considered.

“Business continuity management is an essential part of ensuring service and product availability in a crisis,” said Mr. Currie. “During Business Continuity Awareness Week, take time to review and reissue fire and emergency procedures, rehearse crisis plans, and update or implement the organization’s Business Continuity Program.”

The Office of Public Safety is coordinating business continuity planning across departments of the provincial government.

“Government departments are working to ensure that essential services will not be disrupted for an extended period of time in an emergency,” said the minister. “Together we can secure the present and protect the future for our One Island Community. ”

More information on business continuity management is available at www.bcicanada.org