I came across these fantastic images used by the Red Cross to promote their work. Apparently these were used in key locations within San Francisco.
These genius mobile billboards are an excellent idea to promote and "make the case" for security and resilience.
Imagine having a smaller version tailored to your business premises/location? Interested? So are we, and we are looking at how we can use this similar concept to support training and promotion.
Make a comment below or drop us a line with any feedback
Red Cross Advert 1
Red Cross Advert 2
Having worked with a number of organisations it is still surprising to find that many do not have a clear understanding of what information they need during a disruptive event, in order to best support their decision making.
Most organisations have very comprehensive plans and procedures, which have been proven over time. What they don't seem to have done is to "map" the information they will need in order to meet the objectives of the plans and therefore support the key decisions which will need to be made.
If the organisation can map the information requirements as a component of their plans and procedures, this will ensure that the right information is captured which supports the decisions which need to be made in order to achieve the strategic intent/objectives for the organisation. Of course this also develops a common situational picture which I will discuss in more detail later.
Understanding how information supports your Recovery Objectives
We have developed a very simple process for helping organisations to understand their Information Requirements (IR).
Attached is a PDF template which you can download to help you capture the key information you need to support your decision making and overall strategic objectives.
Download the PDF below.
IR Table
Let's start with an overview of what information is and why we need it. This does not go into high level theory. It's a "5 minute read", just a practical guide and a useful reminder of the basics.
What is Information?
The Oxford English Dictionary defines information as:
1. Facts or knowledge provided or learned.
2. What is conveyed or represented by a particular sequence of symbols, impulses, etc.
Simply put, information can be any stimulus, be it what we see, hear, smell or touch.
In order to be "usable", information should fulfil the following three basic elements:
* Timeliness.
* Relevance.
* Accuracy.
The definition of what is timely, relevant and accurate will be dependent on the individual standpoint of the consumer, ie how quickly, specific and detailed you need the information to be in order to support your decision making process. Regardless of your information requirements, there are three generic points to keep in mind:
* Timeliness - Information is only required at the time a decision has to be made.
* Relevance - Information is only needed if it will be used to support a decision.
* Accuracy - Information only needs to be sufficiently accurate to make the decision.
What is a Decision?
A decision can be simply defined as the choice of one among a number of alternatives. It should however contain an action who's outcome will influence the speed and/or the direction of events.
What is Decision Support?
Decision support is a broad practice area which cuts across many disciplines.
In the context of these articles it is used to describe the activity of providing as much information (which is - timely, accurate, relevant) to the decision maker as possible, in order in order to support them in making the right choices based on the information available.
Why is it important?
Collecting, understanding and interpreting information is an essential part of building an effective resilience strategy. If an organisation does not understand what information it needs, how to get it and what it means, then the best plans and procedures in the world won't help.
Effective information management has a dramatic impact on the speed of response during a crisis/disruptive event. Done right, it will deliver timely, accurate and relevant information to ensure a faster more informed decision making process for your team.
With existing plans and procedures in place to support the actioning of decisions, effective information management will reduce business impact and create significant competitive advantage.
Shortly I will upload a simple one page form which will help you identify and understand your information requirements. Please sign up on the left if you want to receive email updates for new posts to this blog. I look forward to your feedback and comments.
Over the last few years we have been doing a lot of work around managing information to support security and business continuity procedures within the wider context of organisational resilience.
I wanted to share some of the practical methods we have employed to help organisations understand:
1. What their information requirements are?
2. The current information management process's they use
3. How to improve their existing process to get the most from their teams
There are some inexpensive and simple ways to better understand how you can improve decision support for you, your team and the strategic decision making process. I will be writing a number of articles and eBooks which you can easily subscribe to if you find them useful. I look forward to your feedback.