INTRODUCTION

For the vast majority of incidents, recovery will be effected by the response team as an integral part of responding to an incident. Only for more serious incidents will a dedicated recovery team be required. For the most serious incidents recovery may take several years and many millions of pounds to achieve.

CONSIDERATIONS
Recovery is the process to restore normal activity after a disruption of normal College activity. This requires the move from immediate response to the incident to the point where the agreed recovery point is achieved, which may be several years. This includes stabilising, continuing and resuming prioritised activities and may require activity relocation, resource relocation, alternate processes or temporary workarounds. A major disruption and/or loss may require consideration of and modification to the College’s strategic development plan.

Composition of the recovery team will be determined by the incident. Recovery will probably commence before response has completed and there may thus be a requirement to provide personnel to both teams.

The first requirement will be to establish the extent of the disruption and the recovery priorities. Initially, this is likely to focus on what needs to be done to expeditiously resume activities disrupted by the incident. Consideration of the information provided by Departments in their Activity Impact Analysis should assist in determining recovery priorities.

It is vital that there be effective communication of these priorities, why they were selected and likely timescales to staff, students and other stakeholders.

RECOVERY TEAM COMPOSITION
Composition of the recovery team will depend upon the areas and activities impacted by the incident. Typically, it will be led by a senior academic appointed by the Provost or Faculty Dean as appropriate to the incident.

It is for consideration that the recovery team should include senior representation from:

• Estates Facilities.
• ICT.
• Faculties & Departments.
• Communications and Public Affairs.
• Imperial College Union.
• Finance.
• Human resources.
• Registry.
• Campus Services:
  • Accommodation;
  • Catering;
  • Sport.
• Safety.
• Central Secretariat.
• External Resources:
  • Insurance;
  • Local Authority;
  • Neighbours;
  • Sub-contractors.

After a major incident it is probable the recovery team would meet several times a day to assess new information and monitor progress in the resumption of disrupted activities. This tempo of activity should reduce over time and the composition of the team may change. Each incident will be different and senior management will need to amend the recovery process and governance in the light of the incident, its impact, emerging information and other projects already underway or planned that are or will be affected by the incident.