Program Management in NFPA 1600

Requirements of at least four program management elements within chapter 4 of the NFPA 1600. Disasters and emergencies are bound to occur any moment. As a way of preventing the occurrence and consequences of disasters, businesses and non-profit organizations have embraced the use of various programs. One major program in which organizations have used is the NFPA 1600 program that is aimed at ensuring business do not suffer much losses in cases emergencies and disasters strike (Clas, 2008). The NFPA 1600 is composed of various sections and chapters; the following report will provide a brief summary of chapter four of the NFPA 1600. The paper will highlight some of the key elements in chapter four, which generally deals in program management.

Leadership and Commitment

Leadership and commitment is the first key element under program management. For the program to become a success, there is a need to have an effective leadership. The leaders must show a high level of commitment towards the implementation of the program. There are certain roles and responsibilities in which leaders must execute in the implementation of the NFPA program. The leaders should show their commitment towards preventing and mitigating the consequences of a disaster. They should be ready to provide response in case any disaster strikes. It is the role of the leaders to maintain the continuity of a business or the organization in general before, during and after an emergency or disaster (National Fire Protection Association, 2007). Leaders are also charged with the role of ensuring the business recovers from a disaster. In general, leaders must be committed in carrying four major responsibilities in managing the NFPA 1600 program. They should begin by showing support for the development, execution and also the maintenance of the program. Secondly, the leaders must show great commitment in the provision of all resources in which the company may need so as to fully provide support for the program. The leadership must also be committed to ensure the NFPA program is constantly evaluated and reviewed. This is important in making sure the possible deficiencies have been addressed. Lastly, the leaders must be committed to provide support to all the corrective actions to be undertaken in ensuring the NFPA 1600 program is improved from time to time.

Program Committee

Program committee is the second major element under chapter four of NFPA 1600. The element requires the creation of a special committee that should be tasked with the role of implementing the program. An organizational must thus develop this special committee to ensure matters relating to emergencies and disasters are particularly handled by the committee. In general, the committee must include the program coordinator and a number of experts. There different experts within the disaster management field who can be included within the committee team. Each of them is expected to provide certain knowledge, skills and experience towards the success of the NFPA 1600 program. The committee members will be expected to have the capability to identify resources that will be required to effectively execute the program (National Fire Protection Association, 2010).

Program Administration

Program administration is third major element under program management. This is a document in which an organization must possess and it carries seven major factors. First is the executive policy, which includes the mission statement and vision statement. It also defines enabling authority, roles and responsibilities for the various operations within the NFPA 1600 program. Secondly, the document must highlight the scope of the program; this is the extent of the program. In addition to scope, it must define the objectives, goals and performance of the program. It should also include the performance metrics needed to benchmark the various activities while they will be taking place during the implementation process. The document should show the applicable authorities required for the success of the program. All legislations, regulations as well as industrial codes associated with the program must be documented. Under this element also, the program budget must be outlined. A schedule which shows when and who is responsible for the implementation of the different operations within the program should be outlined (Shaw, 2005). Key milestones should be recorded as well; milestones are important in making a shift from one activity to the other. It also acts as a motivation for all the persons involved in the implementation of the program. Program plans which must include the expected cost, resources required and priority of activities must also be documented. Records management and change management plans should be documented. All these play a significant role in ensuring the implementation process of program is effective.

Finance and Administration

Other than leadership, the success of NFPA 1600 program is also mostly dependent on financial resources. There should be adequate finances to carry out all the program activities. This makes it mandatory for organizations and businesses to have a finance and administration sector to carry out all the financial needs of the program. The finance program must be developed to include before, during and after a disaster or emergency has occurred. Finances must be flexible enough to cater for the unforeseen expenses.

References

Clas, E. (2008). Business continuity plans. Professional Safety, 53(9), 45.

National Fire Protection Association. (2007). NFPA 1600: Standard on disaster/emergency management and business continuity programs. In NFPA 1600: Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs. NFPA.

National Fire Protection Association. (2010). Standard on disaster/emergency management and business continuity programs (NFPA 1600). Quincy, MA: Author.

Shaw, G. L. (2005). Business crisis and continuity management.