Carol L. Cwiak

North Dakota State University

Business Continuity & Crisis Management:Tips, Tools & Techniques for Teaching

Approach: Active Learning + Key Competencies

“Active learning requires more than memorizing course material or merely listening to lectures and taking notes. The most purposeful learning teaches us how to think both creatively and critically; how to find and use information; and how to express ideas effectively in writing and speech.”

• Verbal communication• Written communication• Critical thinking• Collaboration

Conceptual Groupings: Breaking Down the Process

• Laying the groundwork Selling planning; garnering the support of top executives; etc.

• Establishing a frame Creating the team; reviewing existing planning and protections in place; collecting data; completing BC oriented tasks: risk assessment, BIA, resumption timeline, T & E schedule; etc.

• Creating a culture of sensitivity Training; exercising; systems analysis; ownership of risk and accountability; etc.

• What must endure  Continuity as an ongoing process and way of doing business

 

Course Focus: Building Hard and Soft Skills

Success in BC lies in finding the balance between these two

types of skills.

 

Unfortunately, students

are typically not used to

thinking about and

working on soft skills.

Max Manufacturing

Titan Trucking

Hospitable Healthcare

Based on real North Dakota businesses Different issues & challenges Discuss and agree upon logical assumptions Provides continuity in discussion all semester Allows for a slow build with the materials

Utilizing In-Class Businesses: MM/TT/HH

Max Manufacturing Hospitable Healthcare Titan Trucking

Location Gwinner, ND Rugby, ND Mapleton, ND

Number of employees 1,000 total (Gwinner) - senior management on-site -8, middle management - 24, operations, etc. - 968

8 doctors site specific (6 generalists/fam prac, 1 ped, 1 OB/GYN), 3 specialists that come once a week, 1 pharmacist, 12 nursing staff, 25 support staff (receptionist, records, pharmacy, facility care, etc.)

35 company drivers; 60 owner/operators; 4 management; 27 support staff, garage, etc. at fixed location

Type of company Manufacturing Healthcare Trucking Company

Productor service

Heavy machinery Health maintenance, checkups, basic care, emergencies, etc.

Local (20%) & over-the-road trucking- serves entire U.S.

Facility One major complex 10 exam rooms, emergency room area, in-house pharmacy

Administrative facility, sleeping rooms for truckers, large garage for truck repair, large open space area for truck parking

Additional sites Yes, in Bismarck, but makes different items

No No

Important tidbits Some employees have a ninety minute (each way) commute; many do not live in Gwinner; MM is largest business and highest paying as well for miles around; employees support business infrastructure within the town – i.e., gas stations, restaurants, convenience stores, bars, etc.; operates three 8 hour shifts- 24/7 operation; strong, specific market base; order a number of critical parts from vendors on east coast that are trucked in; only maintain a ten day on-site supply of these parts; closes two weeks a year over the holidays in December for general maintenance; local and state government is invested in keeping this company in ND.

Only medical facilitywithin 100 miles; no surgery facilities; emergency room for basic emergencies; treat & send home; open 8 AM- 8 PM for walk-ins, appointments, and pharmacy, but on-call staff mans facility from 8 PM to 8 AM (on-call rotates between generalists & utilizes skeleton staff of 5); senior population in community (15% over 65, and of that half are over 75) heavily utilizes facility as do young families for kid illnesses and workers/kids for broken bones, etc.; nearest fully-equipped hospital is 100 miles away; operates on a shoestring budget; community is emotionally attached to this business and does not want to see it go away.

95% of non-driver employees live outside Mapleton, most in Fargo; drivers live all over the country; family-owned business-top management are parents/siblings/in-laws; company loses money when the trucks aren’t moving; works with many major food companies with perishable items; utilizes radio communications, cell phones to communicate with truckers; dispatchers (8) are area specific and only one mid-level supervisor is familiar with all areas; highway between Fargo and Mapleton is notoriously dangerous during winter weather; limited resources in the town – 1 restaurant/bar, convenience store, gas station; company cat lives in the administrative building 24/7.

Comm. Pop. 735 3,000 625

Types of Discussions and Activities

The basics ~ Varying orientations, varying exposure

~ Terminology issues~ Initial thoughts/pair & share/class discussion

~ Get to know students and let them get to know each other

Selling the value~ NDSU/BC planning – testify before the legislature

~ Business/corporation – CEO/Board pitch~ Teams of three/presentation to class

The planning process

~ Team creation~ Scope & assumptions~ What types of things may already exist

~ Critical functions ~ Risk assessment

~ BIA

~ Function recovery strategy/resumption timeline ~ Mitigation options

~ Training and exercise

• Lecture• Small group discuss• Share with class

Types of Discussions and Activities

Creating message protocols & templates~ Who speaks about what

~ Press release template Emerging incident scenarios ~ Media issues ~ Liability issues ~ Public relation considerations ~ Employee/client safety Sensitivity to initial conditions

~ What matters ~ What did you know, when did you know

it and what did you do about it?

Types of Discussions and Activities

MM/HH/TT Assignments

Risk assessment tool

BIA

Resumption timeline

T & E schedule

Real world assignments that are purposeful in

building and exercising skills.

Current Event Discussions

Opportunities for goodwill

Product recalls

Public relations issues

Liability exposure

Media strategies

PIO characteristics

High reliability organizations

Hands-on Application: Outside Businesses

Groups of 4-5 students

Assigned to local businesses

and organizations

Confidentiality agreements

Tasked with providing basic assessment & recommendations

Limited time with the business/organization

Professional expectationsProfessional expectations

Meet with instructor Meet with instructor throughout the processthroughout the process

Report criteria is fixedReport criteria is fixed

Submission to instructor Submission to instructor for comments and revisionsfor comments and revisions

Professional end productProfessional end product provided to business/orgprovided to business/org

Outside Businesses

Builds goodwill for the university Reports are often used to inform future expenditures or support grant applications

Builds student confidence

Course material is reinforced

And the winner is…

“It's not what is poured into a student that counts, but what is planted.”

~Linda Conway

Contact Information

Carol L. CwiakDept. of Emergency ManagementNorth Dakota State UniversityDept 2351, P.O. Box 6050Fargo, ND 58108-6050(701) 231-5847carol.cwiak@ndsu.edu