Skip to content
BOL Conferences
Learn More - Click Here!

Thread Options
#1283693 - 11/09/09 08:37 PM Business Continuity Plan
berryelder Offline
New Poster
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 19
Does anyone have a Business Continuity Plan they would be willing to share. We currently have Emergency and Disaster Recovery Procedures, but I'd like to incorporate them into an enterprise-wide Business Continuity Plan which contains a business impact analysis. I realize each institution's procedures will be unique to their operations, but I'm struggling to get a starting format or outline. Any help would be appreciated.

Return to Top
Disaster Recovery
#1293843 - 11/25/09 07:03 PM Re: Business Continuity Plan berryelder
KATL Offline
Member
KATL
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 99
QUEENS, NY
We would be quite intererested in that also having the same issues. Small community bank and some of the things we have seen are too over reaching for us. Any help would be great. Thanks and everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Return to Top
#1339261 - 02/07/10 06:38 PM Re: Business Continuity Plan berryelder
smalone Offline
New Poster
smalone
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 10
Kentucky
Hi, was wondering if you ever got a response. November 2009 we had an exam and they HIGHLY recommended that we make changes to our Disaster & Recover to include the Business Contingency. We are a very small community bank and it is way over my head.
Thanks

Return to Top
#1339793 - 02/08/10 09:56 PM Re: Business Continuity Plan smalone
berryelder Offline
New Poster
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 19
No, I haven't received any response. I write lots of policies and was just needing a starting point on this one. We have always been in-house and recently out-sourced so I am struggling to switch gears. Sorry.

Return to Top
#1340712 - 02/10/10 01:02 AM Re: Business Continuity Plan berryelder
smalone Offline
New Poster
smalone
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 10
Kentucky
Thanks, I am still looking and if I find anything I will post
Good luck.

Return to Top
#1341381 - 02/10/10 08:28 PM Re: Business Continuity Plan smalone
ahkcompliance Offline
Diamond Poster
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,474
Midwest
We just had an FDIC exam and they didn't even look at our disaster recovery information.

Return to Top
#1367473 - 03/31/10 09:00 PM Re: Business Continuity Plan ahkcompliance
DCS Planning Offline
Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 74
OK
Advertising must be done through tobi@bankersonline.com.
Last edited by Andy Z; 04/29/10 03:13 PM.
_________________________
Eryn Tribble
(888) 297 - PLAN
Of course, there are some things you just can't ever see coming so always plan ahead!

Return to Top
#1367495 - 03/31/10 09:18 PM Re: Business Continuity Plan DCS Planning
DCS Planning Offline
Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 74
OK
It is very difficult to share Business Continuity plans - the information is only valid if it is specific to your organization and based on physical and business specifics. Even if you have two similar banks with loan departments, tellers, atms and no branches it doesn't make the core values or even the mission critical parts of the organization the same. That's what the BIA maps.

The most important part of the plan is going through the processes of doing the planning and you are right to know the greatest value is in the Business Impact Analysis. Unfortunately this is by far the most difficult part of Business Continuity. There are affordable options and assistance available. Having a qualified (certified) professional guiding you is valuable.
_________________________
Eryn Tribble
(888) 297 - PLAN
Of course, there are some things you just can't ever see coming so always plan ahead!

Return to Top
#1406806 - 06/22/10 07:19 PM Re: Business Continuity Plan DCS Planning
West Coast Comp Offline
Gold Star
West Coast Comp
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 350
Lost in the rain.
Check with your insurance company. They may have a ready to use format/book you can use. I have gotten them in the past but any good BCP is going to be too long to pass along in this venue.
_________________________
Where I go there I am. smile

Return to Top
#1513475 - 02/23/11 04:56 PM Re: Business Continuity Plan West Coast Comp
DCS Planning Offline
Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 74
OK
If you are looking for a quick template to get you moving in the right direction, Ready.gov has good emergency plans - go to the business section.
_________________________
Eryn Tribble
(888) 297 - PLAN
Of course, there are some things you just can't ever see coming so always plan ahead!

Return to Top
#1513476 - 02/23/11 04:57 PM Re: Business Continuity Plan DCS Planning
DCS Planning Offline
Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 74
OK
_________________________
Eryn Tribble
(888) 297 - PLAN
Of course, there are some things you just can't ever see coming so always plan ahead!

Return to Top
#1515736 - 03/01/11 12:42 PM Re: Business Continuity Plan DCS Planning
CEK Offline
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 34
GA
Hey Berryelder, the bible on BCP is here: http://ithandbook.ffiec.gov/it-booklets/business-continuity-planning.aspx

NIST is another great place to get guidance. If you need an overall policy send me a pm. I am sitting on the "Mother Load"!

I have a simple BIA and the whole BCP Framework. I would love to share. Just let me know!Policies, testing etc....
_________________________
FICSAS is a Sponsor of BOL

Contact me as follows:
Email: cknowles@ficsas.com
Phone: 770-403-3095

Return to Top
#1518014 - 03/04/11 10:28 PM Re: Business Continuity Plan CEK
BurntSienna Offline
Diamond Poster
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,407
Midwest
A cautionary tale: The worst thing my bank ever did was to try to turn another bank's BCP/Disaster Recovery Plan into our bank's own plan many years ago (long before I worked here). It never really worked, was cumbersome, and caused a couple of repeat violation/citations. That big ugly binder was an albatross hanging around my neck for years until I got the support from management to allow me to spend the time on a complete rewrite. Then I threw that thing out and rewrote ours from scratch. Now we have a MUCH better plan that 100% agrees with our bank's current procedures and practices.

We are a very small single-location community bank. I went to lots of (free) seminars and webinars and reached out to insurance companies, local government agencies, and colleagues at other banks for ideas on structure and what to include. One very kind BOL'er sent me her plan and risk analysis, and I read it in detail and compared and contrasted to other suggestions before deciding how to structure my own plan.

Be very careful about just taking someone else's and "massaging" it to make it work for your institution. There's no substitute for spending the time to do your own assessments, talk to your own departments, figure out your own challenges, and write your own plan (and test it). We started by doing a brainstorming "business threat assessment" series of meetings to definte what the threats to continuity are. We then started writing the plan, had more meetings, bounced ideas off each other, etc. It was a constant struggle to get people to buy into the idea that it was time well spent. It took well over 18 months, all told.

All that being said...

I now have a plan I'm proud of and I am willing to email the basic structure of it (e.g. chapter headings and format and layout) to anyone looking for a starting point or organizational style. Just personal message (pm) me with your name and bank email address. Good luck.
_________________________
"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." - Melody Beattie

Return to Top

Moderator:  Dana Turner