AN APPRAISAL OF BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN BY FACILITIES MANAGERS IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Happenings all over the world have shown that no business facility is devoid of disaster. It is in the light of the above that good facilities management practice, demands a proactive approach to such problems by preparing business continuity plan (BCP). This research project is undertaken to appraise the plans prepared by the facilities management firms in Nigeria as fall back measure in case of any disruption in organizations business procedures. Field survey was undertaken with structured questionnaire and oral interviews with stakeholders as the instruments of research. Purposive sampling was adopted in the interview. Seventy questionnaires were distributed out of which forty three were completed and returned, giving 61.4% response. Results showed that although facilities managers in Nigeria are well aware of the risk portfolio of their organizations, but adequate measures are not put in its proper place to prevent and prepare for any eventuality. For example, respondents opinion on how often BCP is being used in managing facilities shows that 65.1% do not use it often, 69.8% agreed that BCP is based on demand by client/organization. The outcome of the result of the study showed that even if BCP is in use, it is not proactive, also refusal of government and clients to request for BCP contributed to the lack of preparation of plan. It was recommended that government should make it mandatory for all organizations to request facilities managers to prepare BCP to guide and prepare for any eventuality in the form of disasters and their position as part of their financial statement. Professional bodies and associations affiliated to disaster management, should assist organizations by organizing workshops, trainings, awareness campaigns for personnel of such organizations.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page        –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           i

Declaration      –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           ii

Approval         –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           iii

Acknowledgement      –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           iv

Abstract          –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           v

Table of Contents       –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           vi

List of Tables  –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           viii

List of Figures –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           ix

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study       –           –           –           –           –           –           –           1

1.2       Problem Statement      –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           2

1.3       Justification of the Study       –           –           –           –           –           –           –           2

1.4       Aim and Objectives    –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           3

1.5       Methodology  –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           3

1.6       Scope And Limitations           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           4

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1       Overview of Business Continuity Plan           –           –           –           –           –           6

2.2       Business Continuity Impact Analysis –           –           –           –           –           –           15

2.3       The Key Players (Personnel) in charge of Implementing BCP           –           –           30

2.4       Business Continuity Planning Committee/Working Group    –           –           –           32

2.5       Areas and Organisations that Prepare and Implement BCP   –           –           –           33

2.6       Various Views, Definitions and Descriptions of BCP           –           –           –           34

2.7       Key Steps of Business Continuity Planning in Summary       –           –           –           49

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1       Preamble         –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           51

3.2       Sampling Size and Sampling Technique         –           –           –           –           –           51

3.3       Description of Data and Data Collection       –           –           –           –           –           52

3.4       Method of Data Presentation –           –           –           –           –           –           –           52

3.5       Method of Data Analysis       –           –           –           –           –           –           –           53

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

4.1       Preamble         –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           54

4.2       Data Presentation and Analysis          –           –           –           –           –           –           54

4.3       Discussion of Result   –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           36

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1       Summary         –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           69

5.1       Conclusion      –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           70

5.2       Recommendations      –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           71

References      –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           73

Appendix I (Letter of Introduction)- –           –           –           –           –           –           –           75

Appendix II (Questionnaire)  –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           76

Appendix III (List of Facilities Management Firms)             –           –           –           –           –           81

LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1:        Distribution of Questionnaires            –           –           –           –           –           54

Table 4.2:        Profession of Respondents     –           –           –           –           –           –           54

Table 4.3:        Distribution of Respondents based on experience     –           –           –           55

Table 4.4:        Educational Qualification of Respondents     –           –           –           –           55

Table 4.5:        Professional Qualification of Respondents    –           –           –           –           56

Table 4.6:        Designation of Respondents   –           –           –           –           –           –           56

Table 4.7:        Respondents’ Opinion of BCP           –           –           –           –           –           57

Table 4.8:        Response on areas where BCP is used in Managing Facilities           –           59

Table 4.9:        Respondent opinion on how often BCP is used in managing facilities          60

Table 4.10:      Respondent Opinion on the Problems militating against the effective use

of BCP in Managing Facilities            –           –           –           –           –           42

Table 4.11:      Respondent opinion on the impact of effective management of facilities     64

Table 4.12:      Respondents opinion on why BCP is prepared          –           –           –           64

Table 4.13:      Respondents’ opinion on the need for management of facilities in Nigeria   65

Table 4.14:      Respondents’ Perception on how BCP can promote

effective Management of Facilities in Nigeria            –           –           –           66

LIST OF FIGURES

Fig. 2.1:           Business Continuity Planning Lifecycle         –           –           –           –           29

Fig. 2.2:           Business Continuity Organisation      –           –           –           –           –           31

Fig. 2.3:           Business Continuity Organisation (Execution)           –           –           –           32