By the end of the course, you will have the tools, knowledge, and understanding to benchmark, assess, and improve your business continuity, disaster recovery, and crisis management program. This includes the course manual (print and/or e-files), templates, and current articles. You will gain valuable contacts, have plenty of networking opportunities, and acquire insights for immediate

By the end of this course delegates will be able to:

• Presentations by and discussions with industry and government leaders/subject matter experts
• Current status of issues that affect you and your organization
• Interactions with peers from academia, industry, and government
• Lessons learned from multiple case studies
• Benchmark your BCP/DRP/CM program
• Course manual – printed and/or e-files
• Various templates for your immediate use
• Current articles by industry authors
• The book The Power of Resilience: How the Best Companies Manage the Unexpected by MIT Professor and course lecturer Dr. Yossi Sheffi
• Complimentary after-class networking activities
• MIT Professional Education Certificate of Completion

This course is for the Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, Emergency Management, and Crisis Management practitioner or responder as well as for the executive who oversees these disciplines. Other staff who would benefit from this course include corporate executives, directors, and staff from IT/MIS, Environment Health & Safety, Risk Management, Public Relations, Human Resources, and Security. This course is also suited for federal, state, and local government officials and Emergency Managers.

Both novices and experienced personnel will benefit greatly from this course. If you cannot go, tell your director/executive so he/she can attend to better understand your complex profession

This course offers an effective combination of lecture, case studies, and class participation activities conducted by knowledgeable and experienced instructor who is leader in his field. Many case studies of actual crisis situations are used to emphasize and enhance the concepts. Several interactive class activities provide additional hands-on experience. Participants will also practice what is learned: the course concludes with a crisis simulation in which participants take active roles in a simulated disaster, including a realistic news media briefing.

Day One

Welcome and Introduction

• The Basic Course Information and Outline
• The Basics of Crisis Management and Business Continuity
• The Practice of BCP
• Case Study: From aircraft incidents to operations disruptions
• Pandemic Update: Issues, response, and case studies
• Your Boston Survival Guide: How to speak, eat, and drive like a Bostonian

Day Two

• Current Issues
• IT and Disaster Recovery: Trends and Technology
• Cyber Security and Data Breach Update
• Supply Chain Management: Before, during, and after a crisis
• Emergency Preparedness & the Dimensions of Meta-Leadership

Day Three

• Government Agency Response
• Local and Hazmat Emergency Planning and Response
• State Emergency Planning and Response
• Federal Emergency Planning and Response
• Working with the FBI on Terrorism and Data Breaches
• Topic TBD

Day Four

• The Media, the Internet, and Your Crisis
• The news media: what we are going to do to you. Individual presentations by newspaper, radio, and TV news reporters/editors; each will also address the implications of social media
• Newspapers/Websites
• Radio/Internet
• Television/Visual Media
• News Media Panel Session
• Case Studies
• Case study: Social media issues and crisis response
• Case study: BCP/DRP/CM for a small regional company
• Case study: BCP/DRP/CM for a large multi-national corporation
• Open class discussion: current issues

Day Five

• Insights for Your Program and Your Career
• BCM Trends: Inpact on your program and your career
• Leadership insights for the BCP Manager
• Course Wrap-up; Certificates of Completion Awarded

CDGA attendance certificate will be issued to all attendees completing minimum of 75% of the total course duration.