Internet editorial

Benchmarking: An International Journal

ISSN: 1463-5771

Article publication date: 17 April 2007

52

Citation

McGaughey, R.E. (2007), "Internet editorial", Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 14 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/bij.2007.13114bag.001

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited


Internet editorial

The editorial staff of Benchmarking: An International Journal (BIJ) is committed to helping those working at a senior level in industry, the public sector, consultancy, or academic institutions, to stay current on developments in the areas of quality, technology, and benchmarking. The focus of the journal is on “topics that have substantial management content, rather than being primarily technical in nature.” The internet editorials will center on sites with a similar focus. I examine sites believed to be of interest to BIJ readers, and I attempt to be fair and objective in reviewing them. This editorial focuses on disaster recovery. I have identified sites to help BIJ readers learn more about this important topic. Catastrophic events in the early years of this still very young twenty-first century have catapulted disaster recovery into the headlines worldwide. Events like the World Trade Center Bombing in the USA, terrorists attacks in England, Spain and Israel, earthquakes in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Tsunami, civil unrest in Iraq, Germany and Paris, and Hurricane Katrina (also in the USA) have disrupted government and business operations and profoundly impacted the lives of millions of people. Disaster recovery planning and continuity planning are now receiving greater attention than they did in the previous century.

How does state/providential, national, or local government or a business recover and resume normal operations after a natural or “man-made” disaster? How do people recover and go on with their lives? How can we plan for such disasters to minimize their negative impact on public and private institutions, and private citizens? Global news agencies have highlighted both effective and ineffective response to recent disasters. With the tsunami, for instance, we witnessed in some cases a very rapid response in getting help to people directly affected by the event in the form of money, food, clothing, shelter, medical care and emotional support. On the other hand, there were those who could not be reached or helped for days, weeks and even months after the event. One would expect a better response in highly industrialized nations like the USA, yet hurricane Katrina clearly demonstrated that the US Federal Emergency Management Agency was more than a little inept and unprepared to cope with a large-scale natural disaster. French officials seemed far less prepared to deal with the civil unrest in Paris than the English were to deal with the bombings in London. What can be learned from the events and responses of the past to help bring about more effective and efficient response to future disasters? As surely as disasters occurred in the past, they will challenge our intellect, strength and resolve in the future. This is an area where learning from our past mistakes and successes is not only important, but also a moral imperative. This is an area where identifying best practice and developing effective benchmarking programs could make a critical difference for institutions and individuals and could literally make the difference between life and death. This editorial is dedicated to benchmarking and best practice in disaster recovery. My web searches demonstrated, not by what I found but rather by what I did not find, that insufficient attention has been given to developing formal benchmarking programs for disaster recovery or in identifying and publicizing best practice in this important area. Businesses have made some strides in this area, but government and global agencies responsible for helping with disaster recovery on a large and small scale seem only slightly better prepared for the next disaster. Perhaps, this editorial with generate more interest in improving disaster recovery performance. Few things have the potential to impact the lives of so many.

The searches

I used Google, my search engine of choice, and one other search engine to conduct the searches for this editorial. I used the following two search phrases for this editorial: “benchmarking disaster recovery,” and “disaster recovery best practice.” My Google searches produced 1,400,000 and 11,900,000 hits, respectively. I also used AlltheWeb.com, a search engine powered by Yahoo. AlltheWeb.com has a look and feel similar to Google (probably why I like it) and supports searches in 36 different languages. AlltheWeb has a news search feature (use the News Tab on the homepage) for those seeking news sources for a particular topic of interest. My searches of AlltheWeb employed the Web Tab rather than the News Tab, since news services were included in the hit lists of my Google searches. AlltheWeb.com was a runner-up for the coveted SearchEngineWatch best search engine award in 2002. Search results for AlltheWeb included 267,000 for benchmarking disaster recovery and 2,850,000 for disaster recovery best practice. Sites included herein were found with the aid of Google and/or AlltheWeb, or by exploring links on visited sites. These sites should be useful to BIJ readers wanting to learn more about disaster recovery. Inclusion of sites in this editorial should not be considered an endorsement of the goods or services of the entities that own or sponsor them.

Benchmarking and best practice in disaster recovery

Emergency Lifeline Corporation (www.disaster-resource.com/)

DisasterResource.Com is the web site of the Emergency Lifeline Corporation (ELC), an organization with 20 years of experience in providing assistance with disaster recovery. ELC publishes the DISASTER RESOURCE GUIDE, or just the GUIDE, which ELC describes at “the most comprehensive source for crisis/emergency management and business continuity information.” The GUIDE is a planning resource published and distributed internationally to organizations and government agencies desiring to prepare for emergencies. The GUIDE contains articles and information produced by internationally recognized experts in their fields. The ELC web site is set up to help business owners and managers, government officials, and others find information, vendors, organizations and other resources to help them prepare for, or recover from any kind of disaster, natural or otherwise. ELC works with organizations in the USA, Canada, Mexico and elsewhere.

The DisasterResource homepage contains various useful features. Numerous articles related to disasters and disaster recovery can be accessed via links on the homepage. A short excerpt from each article can be examined prior to following links to the full article. Among the useful links found on the navigation bar are the “articles,” “products and services,” and “resources” links. The “articles” link (actually it activates a drop down list of links, one of which is an “articles” link) affords access to a page containing links to many reports, articles and guides on such topics as planning for disaster recovery, the “FEMA disaster,” anticipating and preparing for terror threats, and more. Many of the articles are from the DISASTER RECOVERY GUIDE and provide valuable insight into the disaster recovery planning process, including step-by-step instructions and practical advice. The “products and services” drop down list contains links to disaster planning and recovery products and services organized by category, vendor name, and geographic location. The last item on the P&S list, “reader response/request for information,” allows one to select a product or service and receive information from vendors and/or service providers. The “resources” drop down list has one, particularly, useful link entitled “biography of industry publications,” which accesses a page of links to a wealth of information about disaster recovery, from a variety of sources (they have done the research for you, and it is updated monthly). The “organizations” drop down list contains links to educational, government and non-profit institutions as well as a link to a web site directory containing many, many links to the web sites of organizations from around the globe. A search feature is available to search the site for targeted information. I found the search feature to be of some help in targeting information about best practice and benchmarking in disaster recovery. The ELC site contains a wealth of information to assist those charged with the responsibility for developing and implementing disaster recovery plans. It should be helpful to those interested specifically in benchmarking or best practice, since much of the site is devoted to “how to” recover from a disaster. The ELC site is well organized, well maintained, and a great resource for anyone interested in disaster recovery.

Contingency planning and disaster recovery (www.disasterplan.com/)

This site is a little difficult to describe, because there is little information on the site, the homepage or elsewhere, describing its sponsorship or purpose. What one can safely say about the site is that it has links to some potentially valuable resources on disaster recovery, and more specifically on disaster recovery planning. The “RiskINFO” logo on the bottom of the homepage leads me to believe the site might be sponsored by RiskINFO, a technology consulting firm. Regardless of sponsorship or ownership, the site houses useful links. There is a link entitled “Listing of Disaster Recovery publications and services,” which accesses a page explaining how one might purchase the “Yellow Pages” of such product and service providers (I did say that I thought the site was sponsored by a consulting firm). A link can be found on the homepage to a case study of internet use in disaster response. That case study, available in PDF format, was nominated for a Smithsonian award. One can view an example of a business contingency plan (see Sample Business Contingency Plan link), prepared at MIT, a “Crisis Communications Strategic Planning” guide, and a “Virtual Emergency Management Information System” prototype (see like-named links). Other than the links available on this site, it has little to offer. Be forewarned, I did encounter some broken links (linkrot) on the site – several links were outdated. Because of the linkrot, I concluded that the site is not well maintained. That said, the working links make it worth a look.

Business Recovery Managers Association (www.brma.com/)

The Business Recovery Managers Association is Northern California's largest business recovery association. The purpose of the BRMA site is largely the support of its members. A non-profit association founded in 1993, BRMA is “devoted to the advancement of the theory and practice of business recovery, disaster recovery, contingency and continuity planning, and emergency response management.” BRMA is comprised of members from the public and private sectors. Membership is open to individuals interested in the fields of business recovery, disaster recovery, contingency and continuity planning, and emergency response management. BRMA attempts to keep members informed of the latest trends and technologies available in the industry and facilitate the ongoing educational and professional development of its members. The stated mission of BRMA is as follows:

  • support outstanding leadership in the business continuity profession and industry;

  • provide an environment that facilitates information exchange among business continuity professionals and related disciplines;

  • provide educational opportunities to members;

  • promoting awareness and development; and

  • provide information related to industry products and associated services.

The BRMA site is, as noted, designed primarily for members. Links of interest to potential members include “who we are,” “membership,” “code of ethics,” and “benefits” (these and most other links take the form of tabs at the top of the BRMA homepage). By following these links, one can learn more about the organization, the potential benefits of membership, as well as expectations of members. As already noted, this site is primarily for members, so visitors will not find much “free” information on the site; however, for those interested in disaster recovery and searching for related information, the “Links” Tab is the one to examine. The Links page, accessed via the like-named tab, contains a wealth of interesting and useful links grouped into the following categories: user groups, continuity planning, information about disasters and emergency preparedness, government organizations, hazard information, publications, academic programs for business contingency and emergency management, internet viruses, hoaxes and urban legends, recovery products and services, and other interesting links. The links alone make the site worth the visit. I examined many of the links and found only a few broken links. With so many links, some linkrot is not unusual. My overall assessment is that the site is well-maintained. It is certainly well organized and easy to navigate. Whether you are interested in membership, or just looking for information on disaster recovery, you will have to examine the site. The links page is certainly worth a look!

The Business Continuity Institute (www.thebci.org/)

The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) is a UK-based organization established in 1994, for the purpose (this is its mission) of “promoting the art and science of business continuity management.” BCI enables members to share their collective experience and knowledge for the benefit of all. The BCI Certification Scheme provides internationally recognized status to its members, who number some 2,000, from more than 50 countries.

Additionally, BCI attempts to “promote the highest standards of professional competence and commercial ethics in the provision and maintenance of business continuity planning and services.”

As one would expect from such a site, one can find information about membership in BCI (see under heading of “For you:” on homepage). If one follows the “Join BCI” link, one will find a summary of benefits, and details on the prices of various membership categories (student, fellow, associate, member, corporate partner, etc.). While memberships are not particularly pricey, the membership application forms are long and quite detailed in order to collect complete information on prospective members. The benefits of membership seem significant, particularly for professionals involved directly in business contingency planning. Aside from membership information, the BCI site has many resources available for members and non-members alike. While the site contains far too many resources to describe in detail, I will comment on some of those of possible value to readers interested in disaster recovery generally, and benchmarking and best practice specifically. Under the category of “My Profession,” one will find links labeled “BCI Certification Standards,” “Good Practice Guidelines,” and “Guides for BC Practitioners.” There are others, but these are of particular interest. The BCI Certification Standards page contains a brief description of the standards and a link to a PDF file explaining each in greater detail. The Good Practice Guidelines page contains a brief description of the purpose and basis for the guidelines, a link to a summary of the guidelines, and another link to the complete guidelines in PDF format. On the page accessed via the “Guides for BC Practitioners,” one will find a link to a PDF file containing an overview of the various guidelines for BC practitioners. Some might find the “Glossary” link (on navigation bar at bottom of homepage) useful, as it accesses a PDF file containing definitions of many BC related terms. It is downloadable and printable. While there are many more links on the page one might wish to examine, the last I will mention is the “Links” hyperlink, also on the navigation bar at the bottom of the home page. The Links page contains many potentially valuable links organized under the following headings: Gold Sponsors, Bronze Sponsors, (all members of course,) and Other Useful Links. I found no linkrot in examining the links, an indication that the site is kept current. The BCI site contains valuable resources for researchers and practitioners interested in disaster recovery and more specifically in business contingency planning. It is worthy of a visit, particularly for those located in the UK.

Disaster Recovery World (www.disasterrecoveryworld.com/)

Disaster Recovery World (DRW) is the property of Business Continuity & Risk Management, Ltd, a UK-based consultancy. The site is designed to assist in developing a disaster recovery plan, and to address issues like risks, support infrastructure, and service needs. The site also catalogs some of the most highly acclaimed products and services (proprietary interest). On the DRW site, one can find software to assist with business impact analysis and risk analysis, as well as links to tools/services to help one create, maintain and audit the disaster recovery plan. The site is for those wanting to learn more about business continuity and disaster recovery planning and for those developing such plans or looking to improve existing plans.

As one would expect, the site owners would like visitors to buy their products, but aside from that, the site has useful primers on various aspects of disaster recovery planning. Links, in the navigation bar at the top of the page, entitled “Creating a Plan” “Risk Analysis,” “Continuity Audit Checklists,” and “Service Level Agreements,” access pages with primers and explanatory materials useful in understanding “how to” approach these tasks. Not surprisingly, one will find links on those pages to products one can purchase to assist with the activities/processes. The same pages can be accessed by clicking the main categories (headings) used to organize materials on the home page. One, particularly, useful feature of the site is the library of samples and resources. One can find a link to the library under the heading of “DR Services and Resources” located on the lower right hand corner of the homepage. The samples and articles are probably the most valuable “free” resources available on the site, aside form the planning primers. One can find articles pertaining to disaster recovery, guidelines for testing plans and samples thereof, real disaster recovery stories, an introduction to business continuity and disaster recovery, FEMA mitigation advice, and more. A “Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Service and Solution Providers Directory” is under construction. That resource could prove to be a useful to those developing disaster recovery plans, or exploring best practice in disaster recovery. The main value of this site to those interested in disaster recovery benchmarking and best practice is the educational materials and perhaps the products. I do not review the products, so cannot and would not comment on their value. The site is tastefully designed and easy to navigate. It takes little time to examine the DRW site contents because it is compact, and there are few “off-site” links to follow.

Disaster Recovery Information Exchange (www.drie.org/)

The Disaster Recovery Information Exchange (DRIE) site is a somewhat novel site in organization and content. DRIE is an organization comprised of many chapters, all of which are accessible via the DRIE homepage, but that is about all one will find on the homepage. When one visits the homepage, one will find only a dropdown list of links to DRIE chapter sites, a “Go” button (to activate dropdown list link), and a very simple explanation of DRIE – “an organization dedicated to the exchange of ideas within the business continuity and disaster recovery industry.” This is not a site one visits for links or direct access to information, but rather for the purpose networking with others interested in disaster recovery, be it for the purpose of disaster recovery benchmarking, exploring best practice, or simply sharing ideas with and learning from other practitioners and researchers. DRIE helps its member network, exchange ideas, and develop their professional expertise through DRIE sponsored conferences and through DRIE education and training programs. Membership fees are quite reasonable, and compared to member benefits (benefits accessible through like-named button on each chapter site), membership seems to be a real bargain. There is little more to say about this site other than that it seems to be a site worth the visit for disaster recovery professionals, and perhaps for researchers interested in disaster recovery. Membership would likely present opportunities to explore best practice in disaster recovery and to develop joint benchmarking programs.

Disaster Recovery Community Planning Forum (www.disasterrecoveryforum.com/)

The Disaster Recovery Community Planning Forum (DRF) is intended to assist those with the responsibility for business continuity and disaster recovery planning, by providing access to online information and a forum for information sharing. The forum is set up to address all aspects of disaster recovery from management and planning to data recovery and emergency response issues. This interactive portal is relatively new, and still under development. As the site/forum evolves and participation increases, it should become a valuable resource for disaster recovery professionals and researchers. A key aspect of the site is the support of a “true `peer to peer' experience.” Forum

As noted the DRF is relatively new, so what visitors will find on the site at present is largely the infrastructure to support information exchange, rather than a lot of ongoing information exchange. Forums like this one, take time and participation to evolve and reach their potential. Some of the features that should become useful as they evolve/expand are the forums, downloads, statistics, surveys, reviews, and stories. A link for each of these appears in the left navigation bar/list. At the time of my visit, there was/were only one download (a disaster planning template), one active author, 326 registered users, two stories published, and only three active topics. While DRF offers little at present, this site has great potential for practitioners and researchers interested in disaster recovery, for it offers an opportunity to share information and learn from other like-minded professionals with similar interests and concerns. I recommend this site and hope interested readers will join the forum and help it reach its potential – the more participants, the greater the value to all who visit the site and participate in the forums.

International Association of Emergency Managers (www.iaem.com/)

The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) is a “non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting the goals of saving lives and protecting property during emergencies and disasters.” Two tiers of membership are available, one at $50 US and another at $165 US. To examine the privileges afforded to the members of each tier, one can select “About” from the left navigation bar and then “Membership” from the dropdown list. Membership is open to emergency management professionals in the public or private sector desiring up-to-date information and guidance to assist them in their jobs.

The IAEM site is geared toward helping with CEM certification (Certified Emergency Manager). Application forms are available along with guidance for interested parties, study guides, and a “CEM corner” (see like-named link) which allows members to express their own views in a short editorial format. Links to these items as well as others pertaining to certification can be accessed by clicking the “Certification” link in the left navigation bar. A “Publications and News” link, also in the left navigation bar, reveals links to “News Reports” and the “IAEM Bulletin.” The News and Reports page has links to news items from various sources pertaining to disasters, disaster management, government regulations, and it contains IAEM news items. The IAEM Bulletin is published monthly and distributed to over 3,000 emergency management professionals in the USA and abroad. Members can contribute to the bulletin, which facilitates the sharing of ideas and perspectives about emergency management and related topics and issues. The News items and the IAEM Bulletin seem likely sources for information about best practice in disaster recovery. An e-mail discussion group allows members to share information and explore relevant issues via e-mail. To learn more about the discussion groups, including guidelines for use, who can participate, and more, one need only click the “Discussion Groups” link on the navigation bar and follow the named links. The discussion groups seem to be a good vehicle for sharing/acquiring information about disaster recovery best practice and benchmarking. Many potentially valuable links to other relevant sites can be found by selecting “Resources” from the left navigation bar, then “Links” from the dropdown list. The long list of links includes links to organizations involved in emergency management, disaster recovery, preventing/responding to terrorism, and more. Emergency management is closely related to disaster recovery. That is why the IAEM site was included in this editorial. The IAEM site was very pleasing to the eye, well organized, easy to navigate and most important, it houses resources of potential value to researchers and practitioners interested in disaster recovery benchmarking and best practice.

Contingency Planning Magazine (www.contingencyplanning.com/)

Contingency Planning Magazine (CPM) is an online magazine dedicated to contingency planning, so the most important resource available from this site is information. Information is available in the form or articles, advertisements, events, and directories. Articles can be found on the home page (current articles), and by following the “Articles Archives” link and the “Industry News” link. One must register to see more than the summaries of articles, and while there is no charge, the registration process takes several minutes. The fastest way to find information in the form of articles is to use the search feature on the homepage. The search feature makes it easy to search for information by topic. I conducted searchers on “benchmarking” and on “best practice” and each search produced a list of links to numerous relevant articles (13 for benchmarking and 100 for best practice). If one follows the “Resources” link on the top navigation bar, one will find a link to a business contingency planning handbook (see like-named link), a link entitled “Resource Center” that accesses a page with links to various resources one can purchase, a “Hall of Fame” link that accesses a page that honors accomplishments in the area of contingency planning (likely place to look for guidance on best practice), and a link entitled “InfoLinks” that accesses a page with links to similar organizations' web sites and CPM media partner sites. One should be aware that registration is required before accessing not only the articles, but also most other resources on the site, so if one hopes to really examine the CPM site, one should register. An “Online Buyers Guide” is accessible via the “Vendor Directory” link, which could be of interest to those interested in products that assist in contingency planning and disaster recovery. CPM, like many other e-zine sites, is loaded with information. The homepage is a bit cluttered, but not nearly so much as some other e-zines I have visited. The navigation bar at the top of the homepage makes navigation easy. The site is well maintained and seems like a potentially valuable source of information for those interested in disaster recovery benchmarking and best practice. The only real negative aspect of the site was the requirement of registration prior to the access of most useful site resources.

The United Nations Disaster Management Training Programme (www.undmtp.org/)

The United Nations Disaster Management Training Programme (DMTP) is an educational program of the UN, designed to help public and private sector managers' better address crises, emergencies and disasters. Launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Co-ordinator in co-operation with UN Agencies in 1990, the program was endorsed by the Resolution of the General Assembly 46/182 at its 78th Plenary Meeting on December 19, 1991. DMTP has raised awareness of the need for more effective crisis and disaster management to reduce risks and vulnerabilities. DMTP's long-term development objective is: “To reduce incidence and impact of crisis and disaster occurrences in programme countries; and elimination of risks and vulnerability to such events; promote effective national and regional strategies in crisis and disaster prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery, and encourage efficient co-ordination and collaboration at all phases of crisis and disaster management, between and among national and international partners.” The focus of DMTP is on “promoting co-operation and co-ordination among the UN Agencies, national counterparts, NGOs and donor governments.”

Among the most valuable resources available on the DMTP site are the training resources. A “Training Modules” link found in the main navigation bar accesses a variety of training modules published in a different of languages. Modules are organized under the categories of “General Disaster Management,” “Disaster Preparedness,” “Disaster Response,” “Disaster Risk Reduction,” and “Conflict Mitigation.” Numerous modules, available in PDF format for easy downloading and printing, appear under each of these headings. I examined some of these documents and they are quite detailed, some are quite long, and they appear to be quite professionally done. Another link, one entitled “Training Inventory,” accesses a training database with information on disaster-related programs from around the globe, complete with contact information for persons involved with the programs. Training materials and information on disaster recovery are available as part of many of these programs. This is certainly a potentially valuable resource for identification of best practice in disaster recovery. The “News” link affords access to a page with news items about disaster recovery efforts, new tools to assist in disaster recovery and disaster recovery management, learning strategies, workshops and program missions, and more. Here too, one can find information that would be helpful in benchmarking and identification of best practice in disaster recovery. The “Links” link and the “Partners” link are useful in finding other sites where one might find information about disaster recovery. The Links page, in particular, contains many, many links to disaster recovery related sites from around the globe, and they are listed in alphabetical order, with a brief description next to each. To make finding information easier, there is a site map and a search feature. I employed the Search feature to look for materials related to best practice and benchmarking and found a total of 20 documents ranging from training materials to news items. The site map might make navigation of the site a bit easier, but because the site is well organized and clean (not-cluttered), navigation is easy enough without it. This UN-sponsored site is one that anyone interested in disaster recovery would want to add to their favorites list. The site is well organized and maintained, easy to navigate, and loaded with useful information about disaster recovery management.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (www.fema.gov/)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA was an independent US Government Agency until March 2003, when it became part of the new Department of Homeland Security. FEMA is responsible for responding to, planning for, recovering from, and mitigating against disasters. FEMA's stated mission is “to lead America to prepare for, prevent, respond to and recover from disasters with a vision of `A Nation Prepared.'” After September 11, preparing to deal with the results of terrorism became an important part of FEMA's mission, so a “Nation Prepared” is one ready to deal with the aftermath of a terror attack, not just a natural disaster.

The FEMA site is loaded with so many resources, in fact, that would be impossible to mention them all. Some of the more noteworthy resources/features are described next. FEMA provides many programs, courses and materials to support disaster planning and recovery for businesses, government agencies (all levels), and the general public. Many of those resources can be accessed via the “Education and Training” link on the top navigation bar. That link accesses a page with education and training resources organized under the following headings: “Information & Courses for Emergency Personnel,” “Resources for Teachers and Parents,” “Information for Kids,” and “Curriculum for Community-based Pre-Disaster Mitigation.” Many, many education and training related materials are available under each of these headings in the form of PDF files, links to other sites, and more. A “News Media” link (see top navigation bar) accesses a page containing background information on FEMA (see “Facts abut FEMA”), facts about disasters, speeches, and information about hazards. One can, likewise, access news items and information via the “FEMA News Desk” (see box labeled FEMAlert:News Source at top of the News Media page). The “Facts about Disasters” section contains links to things like the “American Red Cross Disaster Relief History,” “Major Disaster Declaration Totals by State,” information on saferooms (see same-named link) and statistics. A “FEMA in the News” link accessible via the “News Media” link (see link bar displayed beneath main navigation bar) allows one to access news items about FEMA and related topics. Given the FEMA response to Katrina, this may be a good source of information on how not to respond to a disaster. One would hope that FEMA will learn from its mistakes – perhaps, they should be developing benchmarks for themselves, since they seem to be evaluating their performance by how many US taxpayer dollars they have given away (see “Statistics” box at top right of the page), rather than how effectively and efficiently those dollars were used. An “Emergency Personnel” link on the homepage top navigation bar allows one to access situation reports, training materials/programs, publications, and information on community emergency response teams (CERT). The FEMA site has a search feature to assist one in one's search for specific information. I used the search terms “Benchmarking” and “Best Practice” and produced hit lists with 16 and 743 items, respectively. For site visitors looking for information on disaster recovery benchmarking and best practice, this might be a good place to start examining the FEMA site. There are many more resources available and much more to see on the FEMA site. It is must to see site for anyone interested in any aspect of disaster recovery. While the site is a bit busy (cluttered), the navigation bars make navigation fairly easy. The various pages are fairly well organized, but as already noted the search feature can make one's quest for information much more efficient.

Conclusion

The focus of BIJ is on “topics that have substantial management content, rather than being primarily technical in nature.” The content of this internet editorial is consistent with that focus. Disaster Recovery is a topic important to all institutions, public and private, and to individuals. Natural disasters and terror attacks have dominated the news in recent years, as have recovery efforts. Of late, the Tsunami in Asia and hurricane Katrina in the USA, have dominated headlines around the globe. Without question, how we prepare for disasters and how we respond to disasters is important and we should/could do better. Benchmarking is about evaluating performance against standards (benchmarks) and striving to bring about improved performance in the future. It is important to identify best practice in order to use the “best” as the standard for evaluating performance. Identification of best practice in disaster planning and recovery, and developing benchmarking programs to assess the performance of companies, government agencies, and other institutions seems warranted. I found many sites dedicated to disaster planning and recovery, but none devoted exclusively to assessing performance in this very important area. Perhaps, this editorial will motivate some organization(s) or individual(s) to develop a site focusing on disaster recovery performance. Such a site might facilitate identification and documentation of best practice in disaster recovery and encourage/support disaster recovery benchmarking in public and private organizations. It would be a service to countries, institutions, and citizens around the globe.

I strive to prepare editorials that best meet the needs of BIJ readers. Your views are important to me and will influence the format and content of future editorials. Any assistance you can provide to help me achieve that goal is appreciated. If you have a site or know of a site that you would like to see featured in future editorials, please e-mail me your suggestions. Send your comments and suggestions to Ronald McGaughey at: ronmc@uca.edu.

Ronald E. McGaugheyInternet Editor, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas, USA

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