Monitor regional preparedness issues, including utilities. In fact, getting back on track needs to be part of any contingency plan. Meanwhile, we're 10 hours beyond when we said we'd invoke the plan. So whatever metric you decide on, it needs to be determined beforehand. At that breaking point, CIOs must coordinate efforts to find and fix problems.
Many observers recommend lining up extra technology staff now or even hiring an outside contractor.
Kansas, for example, has contracted with a disaster-recovery firm, SunGard Data Systems Inc., to help its state agencies and localities recuperate as quickly as possible. Among the benefits of such an arrangement is the ability to transfer, or piggyback, many IT functions to SunGard's data processing center in Philadelphia. However, to do that effectively, Heiman said, communities have to begin aligning their infrastructures with SunGard's now. The contingency plan still has relevance even beyond the date change. For example, it can and should act as a blueprint for the recovery effort of the systems that were identified in the plan as top priorities should be the first to be addressed in the event of a breakdown.