Teaching Teaching Business Continuity Business Continuity

& & Crisis Management:Crisis Management:

The Role of The Role of Active LearningActive Learning

Carol L. CwiakCarol L. CwiakNorth Dakota State UniversityNorth Dakota State University

Learning expectationLearning expectation

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

Key competenciesKey competencies

Verbal communicationVerbal communication

Written communicationWritten communication

Critical thinkingCritical thinking

Collaboration Collaboration

Materials used:Materials used: BartonBarton

ArticlesArticles

WebsitesWebsites

Current eventsCurrent events

Course materialsCourse materials

Introductory discussionsIntroductory discussions

The basics The basics ~ Varying orientations, varying exposure

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

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

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

Resources available for novice plannersResources available for novice planners

Review/compare/contrastReview/compare/contrast

~ Ready Business DHS – Ready.gov Campaign http://www.ready.gov/business/index.html

~ Open for Business Institute for Business & Home Safety http://www.disastersafety.org/resource/resmgr/pdfs/OpenForBusiness_new.pdf

Review/compare/contrastReview/compare/contrast

Site Assessment Criteria:

In-text resources (types, quantity, quality, complete)

Outside support materials (types, quantity, quality, complete)

Breadth of application (sizes, types, locations, etc. of businesses)

Readability (1-10 scale), support selection

Usability (1-10 scale), support selection

Quality of information (1-10 scale), support selection

Program’s goal is…

Likelihood of goal being accomplished with casual business user

Effectiveness of motivating planning efforts ( 1-10 scale) , support selection

Other comments

Review/compare/contrastReview/compare/contrast

Compare and Contrast:

Does the program reach its target market, visibility of program, easy to

read, ease of use, instructions specific enough to help user create results,

etc.?

What are the strengths, weaknesses and general utility of program?

If you could only use one as a new BC Planner which would you use?

In-class businessesIn-class businesses

Based on real North Dakota businessesBased on real North Dakota businesses

Different issues & challengesDifferent issues & challenges

Discuss and agree upon logical assumptionsDiscuss and agree upon logical assumptions

Provides continuity in the discussion Provides continuity in the discussion throughout the semesterthroughout the semester

Allows for a slow build with the materialsAllows for a slow build with the materials

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

The planning process – MM/HH/TTThe planning process – MM/HH/TT

Create a BC TeamCreate a BC Team

Scope & assumptionsScope & assumptions

Assess current plans, Assess current plans, policies & protocols;policies & protocols; insurance review; datainsurance review; data collection -employees, collection -employees, customers, creditors, customers, creditors, suppliers, etc.suppliers, etc.

Critical functions Critical functions

~Lecture~Small group discuss~Share with class

The planning process – MM/HH/TTThe planning process – MM/HH/TT

Risk assessmentRisk assessment

BIABIA

Function recovery Function recovery strategy/resumption strategy/resumption timelinetimeline Mitigation optionsMitigation options

Communication issuesCommunication issues

Training & exerciseTraining & exercise

~Lecture~Small group discuss~Share with class

MM/HH/TT activitiesMM/HH/TT activities Emerging incident scenariosEmerging incident scenarios ~ Media issues ~ Liability issues ~ Public relation considerations ~ Employee/client safety Creating message protocols & templatesCreating message protocols & templates

~ Who speaks about what ~ Press release template Sensitivity to initial conditionsSensitivity to initial conditions

~ What matters ~ When did you know it

MM/HH/TT assignmentsMM/HH/TT assignments

Risk assessment toolRisk assessment tool

BIABIA

Resumption timelineResumption timeline

T & E scheduleT & E schedule

Real world assignments that are purposeful in building

and exercising skills.

Current event discussionsCurrent event discussions

Opportunities for goodwillOpportunities for goodwill

Product recallsProduct recalls

Public relations issuesPublic relations issues

Liability exposureLiability exposure

Media strategiesMedia strategies

PIO characteristicsPIO characteristics

High reliability organizationsHigh reliability organizations

Group projectGroup project

Groups of 5-6 studentsGroups of 5-6 students

Assigned to local business/orgAssigned to local business/org

Confidentiality agreementsConfidentiality agreements

Tasked with providing Tasked with providing basic assessment & basic assessment & recommendationsrecommendations

Limited time with the Limited time with the business/orgbusiness/org

Group projectGroup project

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

Group ProjectGroup Project Builds goodwill for theBuilds goodwill for the universityuniversity Reports are often used toReports are often used to inform future expenditures inform future expenditures or support grant applicationsor support grant applications

Builds student Builds student confidenceconfidence Course material is Course material is reinforced by thereinforced by the hands-on opportunityhands-on opportunity

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

is planted.”

~Linda Conway

Contact InformationContact Information

Carol L. CwiakCarol L. CwiakEmergency Management ProgramEmergency Management ProgramDept. of Sociology, Anthropology, Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology, and Emergency Managementand Emergency ManagementNorth Dakota State UniversityNorth Dakota State UniversityDept 2350Dept 2350P.O. Box 6050P.O. Box 6050Fargo, ND 58108-6050Fargo, ND 58108-6050(701) 231-5847(701) 231-5847carol.cwiak@ndsu.educarol.cwiak@ndsu.eduwww.ndsu.edu/ndsu/emwww.ndsu.edu/ndsu/em