Few organizations have effective continuity plans.

• Author: Swartz, Nikki
• Position: Up front: news, trends & analysis

According to Meta Group research, only 20 percent of Global 2000 organizations have business continuity plans effective enough to ensure a strong likelihood that they will survive a disaster without long-lasting adverse effects.

Business continuity extends far beyond information technology (IT) disaster recovery, according to Meta's analysis. An organization's business continuity planning committee must include human resources and facilities management, as well as line-of-business executives and the chief information officer. For large organizations, executing the plan requires a team of experts from across the organization and an adequate budget.

Meta says disaster recovery should be managed as a subset of the overall business continuity program. Business continuity plans must be formulated to ensure the viability of every type of resource that the organization will need to survive a disaster, including adequate facilities, the safety and accessibility of staff members, and IT systems. Meta suggests that leaders itemize the importance of business processes and analyze: What processes must continue uninterrupted for...