BKMGTCPD.RVW   20021012

"Manager's Guide to Contingency Planning for Disasters", Kenneth N.
Myers, 1999, 0-471-35838-X, U$55.00
%A   Kenneth N. Myers
%C   5353 Dundas Street West, 4th Floor, Etobicoke, ON   M9B 6H8
%D   1999
%G   0-471-35838-X
%I   John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
%O   U$55.00 416-236-4433 fax: 416-236-4448
%P   234 p.
%T   "Manager's Guide to Contingency Planning for Disasters"

The preface clearly states that this book promotes a "what if," worst
case scenario approach to contingency planning.  It presents the
development of detailed business continuity procedures as a waste of
time, and assumes that minor mishaps can be handled within the limits
of the methods meant to deal with the worst case.  Although this flies
in the face of conventional BCP (Business Continuity Planning) wisdom,
in all but the last item Myers makes a convincing case.  The emphasis
is on avoiding the "how long can you do without" type questions so
common in BCP, and more directed towards "what alternatives can we use
when we have to do without" answers.

Chapter one is an introduction, and this is obviously not your average
DRP (Disaster Recovery Planning)/BCP book, since it includes items
such as a "disaster life cycle."  "Defining The Problem" doesn't
really happen in chapter two, although one could say that the problem
is clarified to a certain extent.  The text is a bit repetitive,
reiterating several times that too many companies concentrate on
recovering the technology before the business.  There is  more
traditional look at BCP in chapter three, since it concentrates on
awareness and education, and provides a good, basic overview of
selling the contingency planning idea to management.  Chapter four
reviews project planning, although primarily from an outsider
perspective, like that of a consultant.  From this viewpoint, it
offers very practical, helpful advice.  Business impact analysis is
presented in chapter five, although, again, the text retails content
already stated elsewhere.  The implementation strategy, in chapter
six, primarily covers dealing with various layers of management.  The
Myers process of plan development is presented in a structured form in
chapter seven, although most points have been made already.  Chapter
eight again presents a more traditional, and very short, view, this
time of plan maintenance, education, and testing.  The guidelines for
internal consultants and consulting firms, in chapter nine, form a
nice checklist.

There are a number of appendices, of which B (with a sample
contingency plan and examples of alternative methods is particularly
useful.  A broader list of alternative methods is suggested in
Appendix C.

While some may dismiss it as a kind of cost/benefit reductio ad
absurdum, Myers' method does raise issues that need to be considered. 
This contrarian view should be more widely considered by the BCP
community.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 2002   BKMGTCPD.RVW   20021012