Improving Communications & Engagement with Business:The national view

Dan JonesStrategy & Communications, CCSCabinet Office

Business Advisory Group on Civil Protection 26 June 2006

Aims

• Agreed long term programme of work

…To improve two-way communications• Messages & guidance from Govt to business (cascading)• Gaining business view on civil protection issues

…To maintain frameworks for engagement• At all levels – national, regional & local

…To improve support for businesses• Risk information & planning assumptions• Business continuity guidance• Communication mechanisms for support

…To tackle specific issues• Issues where closer engagement between Govt & business would be valuable• Specific risks (e.g. flu pandemic)

Key Initiatives

• Business Advisory Group on Civil Protection

• Launched by Hazel Blears in March 2006….

– Preparing for Emergencies website

• What Businesses Can do

– MI5 – “Protecting Against Terrorism”

www.pfe.gov.uk

www.pfe.gov.uk

Meeting the need….

• What do businesses want?

– Chartered Management Institute Business Continuity Survey May 2006

• Locating information about BCM– “The internet was the most preferred delivery format, picked by

70% of respondents. Just over half (53%) preferred published material, 23% would look for published materials such as handbooks, 20% would want speaker events or seminars, while just 15% looked for benchmarking schemes.”

• What type of information?– “Asked what additional information on BCM would be useful,

half (50%) of respondents said that guidance on creating a BCP would be helpful. 42% said that case studies would be useful, while 37% would look for information on potential disruptions and 28% would like more information on the business case for BCM.”

What’s on there?

What can you do to help?

• Promoting PfE and Govt guidance for businesses

– Cascading within your organisations– Linking to PfE from your websites– Cascading/linking to key publications which promote

business continuity– E.g. Pandemic Influenza Checklist for Businesses

• Helping with content– Business Continuity Case Studies– Guidance for other businesses

Feedback

• What do you think of PfE?

• Is the content right?

• What further information/guidance would you and your members welcome?

Other sources of information for business

• PfE brings all relevant Govt materials together onto one website.

– You will see links to the following…..

www.ukresilience.info

www.londonprepared.gov.uk www.mi5.gov.uk

www.businesslink.gov.uk www.fsc.gov.uk

Links to local sources of support & guidance…..

Improving Communications & Engagement with Business:The local perspective

Dan GreavesHead of Civil Contingencies Act Implementation Team, CCSCabinet Office

Business Advisory Group on Civil Protection 26 June 2006

Civil Contingencies Act

• Modern framework for major emergency planning at the local level

• Focuses on preparedness of front-line responders:– Clear set of roles and responsibilities– Framework for multi-agency working– Sound basis for performance assessment

• “Community resilience” a key theme:– Raising public awareness– Promoting effective business continuity

management

BCM promotion: rationale

• Building “Community resilience”– Helping organisations to help themselves– Reduce economic impact of emergencies– Reduce reliance on public sector bodies

• Local engagement because:– Effective delivery of national policy via local partners– We plan for and respond to emergencies locally– Need to reflect local variations (e.g. risk profile,

emergency management arrangements) – Building stronger links with the business community

Scope of the duty: awareness raising

• Must provide generic advice and assistance to the business and voluntary sector communities at large– Light-touch awareness raising duty– Messages: (e.g.) risks, local civil protection

arrangements, steps businesses can take– Means of communication: websites, bulletins,

public meetings, forums

Scope of duty: specific advice

• May provide more detailed advice and assistance to individual organisations– Discretionary, not compulsory– Likely to involve: company specific presentations,

risk assessment, plan development, exercising, training

What does this mean in practice?

• Duty came into force on May 15 • Examples of work up and running:

– General advice and assistance (Leeds City Centre Network, Berkshire Regional Business Continuity Forum)

– Specific advice and assistance (Corporation of London, Norfolk Major Incident Team)

• Local authorities progressively rolling out new programmes:– London Prepared– West Yorkshire & North East

• Cabinet Office role:– Provided national framework and signposting local advice– Sharing good practice– Ensuring coherence of message and branding

We need your assistance

• Raising awareness:– Flag the issue up to your members– Draw attention to national and local sources of advice

• Engaging with those providing advice locally:– Advice on messages and how to deliver them– Access to networks – Ensuring that doors are open, not shut

• Providing feedback on forthcoming national material

Is this something you can help with? Would a briefing sheet be helpful?

Questions?