<H1>Got it right - almost</H1>

 

I'm currently looking for a new opportunity - have passport / will travel - so once again I'm lurking on the major job boards, e.g., Careerbuilder, Monster, DRII, and DRJ.

I found one this morning for a Business Continuity Manager that looked really good from an enterprise business continuity perspective. A lot of the "right" words.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Capitalize on business opportunities to refine and optimize business processes to mitigate exposure during disruptions of service, and, possibly, improve day-to-day operations.

I really like this. It shows someone understands that "process improvement" is an integral part of business continuity - IF the client allows the practitioner to consider, and recommend, possible improvements.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Establish business continuity and disaster recovery testing methodologies; assure recovery procedures are effective for the restoration of critical business processes and key personnel. Ensure all components of the Business Continuity Plan are successfully tested at least annually, or whenever significant changes are made to those components. Plan and coordinate at least one simulation exercise a year, involving all critical business units and functional areas.

Everything looked really good until the third bullet from the bottom (of the advertisement).

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• Working knowledge of data processing and telecommunications in order to assist in the preparation of recovery procedures in this area.

Why a "working knowledge of data processing and telecommunications?" Why not a "working knowledge of HR" or Facilities or Finance or Shipping or . . . ?

In this instance HR and Facilities probably are more important than data processing. Telecom for this advertiser is a toss-up.

Certainly data processing and telecom must be restored, but WHY only the requirement for these functions?

There was one bullet under the ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES heading that caught my eye. I have mixed emotions about it. The bulleted paragraph reads:

• Lead the development of Business Continuity Plan and procedures in a disaster situation; provide 7x24 on-call support for any emergency which may require activation of all or part of the Business Continuity Plans. In the event that activation is required, serve as liaison between the senior management and the Business Continuity Teams.

"Lead the development of Business Continuity Plan and procedures in a disaster situation" is a pretty broad statement. Besides, what if the practitioner is off in Timbuktu and can't return home until who-knows-when? That's why even the practitioner must have an alternate. Beyond that, developing a plan and procedures "in a disaster situation" is akin to closing the barn door after the livestock escaped.

The selected candidate also will "provide 7x24 on-call support for any emergency which may require activation of all or part of the Business Continuity Plans." That is broadly phrased so it can be read - as I would interrupt it - to mean either the practitioner or an alternate would be on call.

What I did like was the final sentence: "In the event that activation is required, serve as liaison between the senior management and the Business Continuity Teams." This sentence clearly defines the practitioners primary role: "serve as liaison between the senior management and the Business Continuity Teams." That statement, however, seems to contradict the requirement for the practitioner to have a "working knowledge of data processing and telecommunications."

I wonder if the job requisition/description wasn't cobbled together by a committee.

Obviously someone understands business continuity, and just as obviously, someone (else) thinks business continuity is just another name for IT disaster recovery.