Workshops
The ASA Institute for Risk and Innovation offers small, interactive workshops several times each month.
Workshops do not require participants to divulge any information at all on their respective companies. Where appropriate, hypothetical companies and scenarios will be utlized.
Limited to four participants and held in ASA's North Seattle office, the workshops are suitable for professionals in the fields of operational risk, business continuity, emergency management, as well as corporate and information security. Workshop participants will return to their organizations with specific action items to implement and a new perspective on their responsibilities.
2011 Workshop Opportunities
Earthquake Preparedness -- What Should Businesses Do?
We are offering a business resilience workshop for business owners to create solid and sensible plans to manage earthquakes and other emergencies on Friday, April 29th from 1pm to 5pm.
“We are still seeing the terrible aftermath of the Honshu earthquake and tsunami in Japan, along with radiation sickness. Seattle sits on the Cascadia fault, and a similar magnitude earthquake with tsunami here would have devastating consequences because of the density of our population,” Searle noted. She indicates that over 80% of private sector firms are small businesses, without plans for high impact events like earthquakes, fires, or power outages.
The workshop will utilize templates from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program called “ReadyBusiness” as well as some materials from Searle’s new book. According to FEMA, 25% of small businesses never re-open after a major disruption like an earthquake because they weren’t prepared. Participants will leave with a workbook, templates and checklists.
“Though CEOs will be able to fill in some of the templates during the workshop, we will spend most of the time identifying practical steps that can be taken around key risks. What participants learn about earthquakes can also be applied to other high impact events,” says Searle. The workshop is suitable for either CEOs or their designees.
Cost for the four-hour session is $150, which includes materials. Registration and additional details are provided upon request to info@anniesearle.com.
For the workshop, Searle will draw upon her own experience in creating plans. As chair of the Crisis Management Team at Washington Mutual Bank for seven years, she handled earthquakes, winter storms, California wildfires, security breaches, Southeast hurricanes and Southwest power failures. She’s dealt with large and small businesses, as well as nonprofit organizations. In addition to her leadership of ASA Risk Consultants, Searle is co-founder of the international Coalition for Organizational Resilience; and author of a forthcoming book on personal safety, titled Safer, Not Sorry: Taking Reasonable Precautions.
Date: April 29th, 2011
Time: 1PM to 5PM
Fee: $150, including materials and refreshments.
To register: Email info@anniesearle.com.
Protect Your Dream -- Make a Business Resilience Plan in 4 Hours
ASA is offering a four hour workshop that aims to help business owners create solid and sensible plans to manage high impact events and emergencies on Saturday, March 19th from 1pm to 5pm. The workshop will be taught by ASA principal Annie Searle, and will help address questions such as "Do you know who would be in charge if the CEO had a heart attack? Has your firm identified an alternate site from which your team could work if your worksite was not available?". Over 80% of private sector firms are small businesses, often with fewer than 25 employees and without pre-planned responses to random occurrences like fires, storms or power outages. These plans increase a company's longevity and operational strength.
For the workshop, Searle will draw upon her own 25+ years of experience in creating plans. She's dealt with large and small businesses, as well as nonprofit organizations. In addition to her leadership of ASA Risk Consultants, Searle is co-founder of the international Coalition for Organizational Resilience; and author of a forthcoming book on personal safety, titled "Safer, Not Sorry: Taking Reasonable Precautions."
The workshop will utilize the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program called "ReadyBusiness" as well as some materials from Searle's new book. Participants will leave with a workbook, templates and checklists. "Though CEOs will be able to fill in some of the templates during the workshop, we will spend most of the time identifying key risks and understanding how other businesses have created plans to manage around and through high impact events," says Searle.
Date: March 19th, 2011
Time: 1PM to 5PM
Fee: $200, including materials and refreshments.
To register: Email info@anniesearle.com.
Previous Workshops - Samples from 2010
Make a Simple Plan
ASA salutes National Preparedness Month by offering a three hour workshop called “Make a Simple Plan.” More than a presentation about fire alarms, smoke detectors, security systems or an emergency kit, the workshop is designed specifically for small businesses who do not know how to create a business interruption plan. It will look at questions like
If the CEO is run over by a bus, who is in charge?
If the Internet is down, how will you run your business?
“It’s pretty clear that business owners have had economic matters to worry about these past several years,” said Searle. “Our workshop offers them an opportunity to look at a wide variety hazards that might cause downtime, resulting in a loss of revenue, customers, or reputation. Using simple templates and checklists, it’s possible for small businesses to put together action plans that will allow them to better manage the unexpected.”
This workshop is designed specifically for small businesses who do not know how to create a plan. The fee includes the workshop, a box lunch and a reference volume that includes the FEMA publication called " Ready Business: Working with Small Businesses to Prepare for Emergencies," which contains sample checklists and a sample emergency plan template.
Preparing for PS-PREP
DHS will roll out the voluntary certification program called PS-Prep this month. Our six-hour workshop discusses in detail each of the three standards from which companies can choose to start down a path toward certification. The workshop will focus in particular on the American National Standard for Security, ASIS SPC1-2009, which offers “a comprehensive [risk] management systems approach for security, preparedness, response, mitigation, business/operational continuity, and recovery for disruptive incidents resulting in an emergency, crisis or disaster;” and on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard. Each of the three standards will be thoroughly reviewed for fit and appropriateness for companies of various types and sizes. Workshop participants will learn whether or not they wish to pursue certification, and how to architect a path to compliance and/or certification. Participants also leave the workshop with a reference volume of the material covered, including information on a special path to certification for small businesses.
Workshop content will be updated as DHS continues to finalize the program and its rollout.