The Disaster Recovery Checklist

I created the Disaster Recovery Checklist Template and Maturity Model with a specific purpose: to quickly and effectively evaluate disaster recovery plans and eliminate any gaps that could put businesses in unacceptable risk. This tool is a one-of-a kind holistic approach to identifying weaknesses and maximizing efficiencies of DR planning.

What Can the Checklist Help Determine About an Existing Plan?

  • compatibility with long terms business goals and evolving business priorities
  • completeness of functionality
  • accuracy (of original strategy)
  • currency with continuing IT operations
  • effectiveness of DR maintenance practices

How Does it Work?

Businesses run through the checklist and answer a series of questions, and record comments – as honestly as possible. The Maturity Model is used as a guide to benchmark “current” vs. “future” state.  While bias does creep in at times in self-assessments (with tougher or easier scoring practices), DR consultants familiar with the tool can assist in normalizing the score on behalf of clients, to create the most realistic picture that accurately reflects the direction of the present DR program.

Scoring, Benchmarking, Improving

With template in hand, the business self-evaluates the existing situation using the Maturity Model. Based on the recorded comments within the checklist, the business fills out a worksheet. It’s the information that goes into the worksheet that helps to generate a “score”.  Then it is completed a second time, where the desired, target state is chosen.  his serves to benchmark specific elements of the program (used to measure and track future progress), really highlighting overall effectiveness, how the program could be better aligned with present goals, and the necessary steps to move toward improvement and closing uncomfortable gaps.

The Disaster Recovery Checklist Template and Maturity Model, used together, provides value-added information to spot weaknesses and systematic issues, thus simplifying the process of analyzing and improving DR plans and programs.

Steve Tower

With many years of professional IT experience, and training as a Certified Management Consultant, a Project Management Professional, a Professional Engineer and a Member, Business Continuity Institute, Steve Tower has the skills and abilities required to assist with even the most complex disaster recovery planning initiatives. Below, Steve discusses the necessary tools involved in setting up a disaster recovery plan and program.