BC/DRP Exercises and Simulations

The objectives of Business Continuity and/or Disaster Recovery Plan (BC/DRP) exercises or simulations are:

1.	To practice what would be done in a real disaster situation.

2.	To identify plan information that should be strengthened or updated based on lessons learned during the exercise.

BC/DRP exercises are conducted in two fashions, i.e., Tabletop Exercise and Physical Exercise.

A tabletop exercise is conducted in a conference room without the movement of physical resources. This exercise will test the plan's ability and to test a plan's ability to guide plan participants to recover and continue mission critical business and/or technical processes.

On the other hand, a physical exercise calls for plan participants to physically carry out their actions. This exercise will test the plan's ability and guide plan participants in the recovery and continuation mission critical business and/or technical processes. Physical exercises are generally used to test an IT or disaster recovery plan, as well as mature business continuity management programs.

In most instances, exercises are well planned before they are conducted. For planned tabletop exercises, TAMP consultants:

Use data from a risk/threat vulnerability assessment to develop a plausible disaster event scenario for the exercise

Develop and provide a Tabletop Exercise Plan document (see below)

Present the information in the Tabletop Exercise Plan to the exercise participants

Manage and facilitate the Tabletop Exercise

Conduct post Tabletop Exercise interviews with exercise participants to identify lessons learned and required BC/DR Plan documentation updates

Develop and provide a Tabletop Exercise Report, which documents the results of the exercise and identifies the information that needs to be updated in the BC/DR Plan documentation

Whether the exercise or simulation is planned or not, TAMP recommends the creation of a Tabletop Exercise Plan document, which may contain:

An exercise plan summary, schedule, assumptions, scenario and objectives

Identification of vital records or any other dependency resources required during the exercise

Participants to be involved, as well as their involvement

Planned preparatory exercise activities, as well as planned post exercise activities

Exercise tools, such as an event log, problem log, BC/DR Plan documentation update record, etc.

TAMP Systems has more than 25 years of business continuity and disaster recovery planning expertise and know-how; and has earned and maintains a CBCV certification from DRII, which is the world-wide leader in more than 90 countries for education and certifications in business continuity management. You can be rest assured that Exercise and Simulation Services performed by TAMP will produce extremely valuable results for your organization.