Transcript of Essential Functions.mov

      Welcome to your continuity connection. The first step in developing  continuity capabilities is often identifying the essential functions that a department  or agency must continue. What we're looking for are things that provide vital services to the public, maintain order and civil authority, sustain the economic and  industrial base.  When you talk at the state and local level you might think for local public safety, the fire, police, 911 center. States have  prisons, they all have court houses, city halls. Other kinds of federal programs you might think of Social Security benefits, the US Postal Service, of...the US Coast Guard Search and Rescue operations. Things like that are vital to the American public, and we need to make sure that they continue. Just like daily normal operations you need resources to perform  these essential functions. You have to make sure you have the  appropriate staff, they need to be trained You have to have an alternate facility, usually, to perform those functions. They need the appropriate resources, the vital records, files, databases, and all kinds of  just the normal everyday office supplies, to perform those functions.  It's likely availability of these   resources, whether they're supplies, information and staff, will be limited during a continuity event. After all, a continuity event may also impact the private sector, which may supply your department or agency. If that's the case, how can you do your job? How does leadership decide what gets done with limited resources?  But so much of what the federal departments and agencies do rely on functioning state and local governments, to carry out and implement the federal programs. So there is an intergovernment relationship there. Now as far as the private sector goes, we all know that the government, for the most part, doesn't produce products. The government offices where there be state, local, federal are reliant upon private sector. Communications companies, supplies, vendors, contractors. All of those have to also be functioning and available so that the federal government, state local governments can perform their functions.  Ensuring your department or agency identifies the essential functions to be performed is crucial to developing a continuity program. Difficult decisions must be made in times of crisis, with potentially scarce resources. Not all functions are likely to be essential. It's a team effort. Leadership, staff, all levels of government, and the private sector, all have to be ready and willing to work together to ensure your department or agency makes the continuity connection.