The Tripartite annual market wide business continuity exercise for 2006 will assess how the Authorities and the financial services sector are prepared to manage a flu pandemic. Over 60 organisations from the sector have been invited to participate in the exercise which will run from 13 October to 24 November.
The overall objective for the Authorities is to improve its own and the sector's preparedness by providing an opportunity to review, test and update plans for managing a pandemic threat. The exercise will require participants to review the continuity of their own business operations as a result of substantially reduced staffing levels. Participants will also have to think about the impact on them of disruption to key dependencies such as transport, power, telecoms etc.
Rather than simulating a "live fire" event, the aim is to create over an extended time-frame, a rolling exchange of information, decisions and responses against an evolving scenario. This should contribute significantly to the Authorities' and the sector's understanding of the nature of issues that might arise during a pandemic.
During the exercise participants will receive regular information regarding the severity of the pandemic, its effect on them and on the wider economy. Participants will have an opportunity to review and assess the impact of the information before communicating decisions to the Authorities, and ask questions. Where appropriate the scenario will evolve in line with participant responses. Each participating organisation will determine how it will manage its involvement in the exercise over the six week period.
The Authorities will not provide public updates on the progress of the exercise but it is anticipated that a report will be published once the exercise has concluded and the findings have been digested.
