In our ongoing commitment to fortify our institution’s resilience and preparedness, it is crucial for each department to develop comprehensive contact lists. In our last newsletter, we covered creating call trees. While these seem similar, contact lists and call trees serve different purposes in the context of Mission Continuity.
A Mission Continuity call tree is a specific communication strategy that utilizes a hierarchical structure. In a call tree, individuals are organized into a predetermined sequence, typically based on their roles and responsibilities within the department/unit. Whereas contact lists are vital for quickly reaching out to key personnel that may extend across the university or include external entities. In this newsletter, we aim to assist plan managers in navigating the various types of contact lists: internal department contacts, internal institutional contacts, and key external contacts.
Key Contacts
Internal Department Contacts
A well-organized internal department contact list is essential for streamlined communication within each unit. This list may contain a more robust account of the department’s contacts as well the ability to add context about their title/role to assist others who may be utilizing the department’s Mission Continuity plan. Plan managers are advised to:
- Identify key personnel.
- List individuals responsible for critical functions within the department.
- Include alternates or backups for key roles to ensure redundancy.
- Include Support Staff: Don’t forget administrative and support staff who play vital roles in daily operations.
Internal Institutional Contacts
Collaboration between departments is crucial for effective Mission Continuity. If your department/unit routinely completes unique tasks, there may be individuals from other departments that can facilitate restoring critical functions. In this instance plan managers should:
- Coordinate with other departments.
- Identify contact persons in other departments who may be crucial for collaboration during crises.
- Clearly define how communication will flow between departments during emergencies.
- Incorporate Leadership: Include key institutional leaders to ensure top-down communication is efficient.
Key External Contacts
Engaging with external partners is often pivotal for a seamless recovery process. Plan managers should evaluate their critical functions and determine if there are key aspects of their process that rely on external entities to resume activities.
- Identify critical external partners whose collaboration is crucial for critical functions.
- Document Communication Protocols: Define communication methods and channels with external partners in advance.
Resources for Plan Administrators
