77. Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Plan
77.1. This plan ensures that Architecture North Ltd can continue to operate effectively in the event of an unexpected disruption, incident, or disaster.
77.1.1. It provides employees with clear guidance on roles, responsibilities, and procedures to minimise risks and restore normal operations as quickly as possible.
77.2. This plan applies to all employees and contractors.
77.3. The Objectives of this plan are to:
77.3.1. Protect the safety and wellbeing of employees.
77.3.2. Minimise disruption to clients and projects.
77.3.3. Safeguard company data, assets, and reputation.
77.3.4. Establish a structured recovery process.
77.3.5. Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations.
77.4. Potential Risks Covered are:
77.4.1. IT & Cyber Risks: System failures, data breaches, cyber-attacks.
77.4.2. Physical Risks: Fire, flood, power outages, theft, vandalism.
77.4.3. Operational Risks: Staff illness, transport strikes, supply chain issues.
77.4.4. External Risks: Pandemics, extreme weather, government restrictions.
77.5. All Employees must:
77.5.1. Follow instructions from management in the event of disruption.
77.5.2. Report incidents immediately to their line manager.
77.5.3. Adhere to evacuation, safety, and IT protocols.
77.5.4. Secure, back up, and restore company data.
77.5.5. Manage temporary IT solutions (cloud access, remote working).
77.6. Management should:
77.6.1. Activate the Business Continuity Plan when needed.
77.6.2. Communicate with employees and clients.
77.6.3. Make decisions regarding service continuation and recovery.
77.6.4. Ensure employee safety procedures are followed.
77.6.5. Liaise with emergency services if required.
77.7. Communication Channels in a Crisis are:
77.7.1. Primary channel: Company group chat/email
77.7.2. Secondary channel: Phone call or text from managers
77.7.3. Emergency updates: Company website/client email alerts
77.7.4. Lone working employees must confirm safety with management.
77.8. Business Continuity Procedures
77.8.1. IT Systems Failure / Cyber Attack
77.8.1.1. Switch to backup servers/cloud systems.
77.8.1.2. Follow IT recovery protocol.
77.8.1.3. Change all access passwords immediately if breach suspected.
77.8.2. Office Inaccessibility (Fire, Flood, Power Loss)
77.8.2.1. Evacuate safely (fire exits and muster points).
77.8.2.2. Work from home or alternate site if required.
77.8.3. Staff Shortages / Illness
77.8.3.1. Reallocate project tasks.
77.8.3.2. Utilise remote working where possible.
77.8.3.3. Prioritise critical client deadlines.
77.8.4. Project Continuity
77.8.4.1. Maintain secure cloud backups of all project files.
77.8.4.2. Assign deputy project leads for key projects.
77.8.4.3. Update clients promptly on any expected delays.
77.9. Disaster Recovery Procedures
77.9.1. Critical Data – Daily automated cloud backups; restore within 24 hours.
77.9.2. Laptops/IT Hardware – Replacement equipment available within 48 hours.
77.9.3. Physical Records – Store key contracts digitally.
77.9.4. Utilities Failure – Relocate staff to alternate location or remote work.

Employee

Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Plan