Summarize that upon the creation of the DR team, the manager that is placed in charge of the group will begin the creation of the DR policy. Note that this document may have already been created by the CP team, or the DR policy will need to be created from scratch.
Outline the key elements that are included in the DR plan:
Purpose: The purpose of the DR program is to provide direction and guidance for all DR operations. In addition, the program provides for the development and support of the DR plan. In everyday practice, those responsible for the program must also work to emphasize the importance of creating and maintaining effective DR functions. As with any major enterprise-wide policy effort, it is important for the DR program to begin with a clear statement of executive vision.
Scope: This section of the policy identifies the organizational units and groups of employees to which the policy applies. This clarification is important if the organization is geographically dispersed or is creating different policies for different organizational units.
Roles and responsibilities: This section of the policy identifies the roles and responsibilities of the key players in the DR operation. It can include a delineation of the responsibilities of executive management down to individual employees. Some sections of the DR policy may be duplicated from the organization’s overall CP policy. In smaller organizations, this redundancy can be eliminated, as many of the functions are performed by the same group.
Resource requirements: An organization can allocate specific resources to the development of DR plans here. While this may include directives for individuals, it can be separated from the previous section for emphasis and clarity.
Training requirements: This section defines and highlights training requirements for units within the organization and the various categories of employees.
Exercise and testing schedules: This section stipulates the testing intervals of the DR plan as well as the type of testing and the individuals involved.
Plan maintenance schedule: This section states the required review and update intervals of the plan and identifies who is involved in the review. It is not necessary for the entire DR team to be involved, but the review can be combined with a periodic test of the DR plan as long as the resulting discussion includes areas for improving the plan.
Special considerations: This section includes such items as information storage and maintenance.