[BCM] [SHINE] [E3] [PD] [CBF] [11] Facilities, IT Systems & Service Infrastructure

CBF-11 Facilities, IT Systems & Service Infrastructure

 

CBF-11 – Facilities, IT Systems & Service Infrastructure – encompasses the physical, technological, and operational foundations that enable SHINE to deliver uninterrupted services to children, youth, and the community.

This function is essential because any disruption to facilities, IT systems, or communication channels can significantly affect service delivery, stakeholder trust, and organisational resilience.

The purpose of this chapter is to outline a structured recovery procedure to maintain, resume, and restore SHINE’s critical infrastructure during and after a disruption.

This ensures minimal operational downtime and safeguards both sensitive information and essential services.

 

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WHAT

Description

CBF-11 involves the management of SHINE’s facilities, IT systems,  telecommunications, data centres, and vendor-supported services.

It ensures the seamless functioning of operational systems and infrastructure critical to delivering services and supporting staff operations.

Importance

• Maintains continuity of core services.
• Protects sensitive client and organisational data.
• Supports operational efficiency and compliance.
• Enables rapid recovery from physical, technological, or network disruptions.

 

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Objective

Ensure that SHINE is fully prepared to prevent, mitigate, and respond effectively to any disruption affecting facilities, IT systems, telecommunications, and related infrastructure. Proactive readiness minimises downtime, protects staff and clients, and safeguards organisational assets.

HOW – Implementation Steps

1. Facility Management (CBF-11.1)

• Conduct regular facility inspections to identify structural issues, fire hazards, water leaks, and other safety concerns.
• Maintain preventive maintenance schedules for electrical systems, air-conditioning, plumbing, and mechanical equipment.
• Ensure emergency preparedness equipment is operational: fire alarms, sprinklers, fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, and backup generators.
• Establish clear evacuation procedures and conduct periodic drills for all staff.
• Maintain detailed facility documentation, including floor plans, critical infrastructure locations, utility connections, and security systems.
• Implement redundancy measures, such as alternate locations for critical operations in case of facility inaccessibility.

2. IT Systems Management (CBF-11.2)

• Implement regular data backup protocols, including daily incremental backups and weekly full backups.
• Maintain system security measures, including updated antivirus software, firewalls, patch management, and intrusion detection systems.
• Conduct periodic testing of disaster recovery systems, including failover servers and redundancy networks.
• Maintain inventory of hardware and software assets, with documentation of configuration, licensing, and critical applications.
• Establish access control policies and ensure secure authentication for all critical systems.
• Train IT staff on incident response procedures, including scenarios involving cyberattacks, hardware failures, or network outages.

3. Telecommunication Services (CBF-11.3)

• Maintain redundant communication channels, such as mobile phones, VOIP systems, and email platforms, to ensure connectivity during outages.
• Conduct regular tests to verify network reliability and alternative communication pathways.
• Maintain an updated contact list of all internal staff, key clients, external partners, and emergency service providers.
• Ensure off-site communication plans are in place if primary offices or communication systems are disrupted.

4. Data Centre Management (CBF-11.4)

• Implement off-site or cloud-based backups for critical databases and applications to ensure data preservation.
• Monitor environmental conditions in data centres, including temperature, humidity, and power supply.
• Implement physical security measures to control access to data centres and server rooms.
• Maintain redundant power and network connections to prevent downtime from single points of failure.
• Conduct periodic disaster recovery drills for the data centre infrastructure to validate response procedures.

5. Service Support and Vendor Management (CBF-11.5)

• Maintain formal service-level agreements (SLAs) with key vendors that outline expectations during disruptions.
• Establish vendor escalation and contact protocols for urgent support needs.
• Conduct periodic vendor audits to ensure readiness and compliance with business continuity expectations.
• Maintain an approved vendor list for critical services, including IT, facilities maintenance, and telecommunications.

6. Business Continuity Planning for IT Infrastructure (CBF-11.6)

• Maintain up-to-date business continuity documentation, including recovery strategies for each Sub-CBF.
• Define Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) for all critical systems and services.
• Conduct simulation exercises and staff training, including tabletop exercises and live system recovery drills.
• Regularly review and update BCP plans based on lessons learned, technology changes, and evolving organisational needs.
• Establish a crisis communication protocol that includes internal alerts, stakeholder notifications, and escalation paths.

By proactively preparing facilities, IT systems, telecommunications, data centres, and vendor support, SHINE ensures it is ready to respond swiftly and effectively to any disruption.

This structured pre-crisis preparation forms the foundation for rapid resumption and complete recovery.

 

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Objective

 Restore essential operations and services as quickly as possible within the first 24 hours after a disruption, minimising impact on staff, clients, and stakeholders.

HOW – Implementation Steps

1. Initial Assessment and Communication

• Activate the incident response team to lead resumption activities.
• Conduct a rapid assessment of the disruption to identify the affected facilities, IT systems, telecommunications, and vendor-dependent services.
• Classify the incident severity and determine which critical services require immediate resumption.
• Notify key internal stakeholders, including management, operational teams, and IT staff.
• Initiate communication with external partners and vendors to coordinate support and escalate urgent issues.
• Provide regular status updates to all staff and stakeholders to maintain situational awareness.

2. Facility Management (CBF-11.1)

• Assess the accessibility and safety of affected facilities before resuming operations.
• Implement temporary operational spaces if primary facilities are damaged or inaccessible.
• Restore essential utilities such as electricity, water, and HVAC to maintain safe working conditions.
• Deploy security personnel or systems to protect critical areas until normal operations resume.
• Track resource allocation to ensure sufficient equipment and personnel are available for resumption.

3. IT Systems Management (CBF-11.2)

• Activate backup servers or cloud systems to restore critical IT services.
• Restore essential applications and databases, prioritising systems critical for service delivery.
• Monitor system performance and security during the resumption phase to prevent further disruptions.
• Ensure staff have access credentials to temporary systems or failover platforms.
• Maintain a log of recovery actions for post-incident evaluation and reporting.

4. Telecommunication Services (CBF-11.3)

• Activate alternate communication channels, such as mobile networks, VOIP lines, or email platforms.
• Ensure all critical staff and departments are reachable to coordinate operations.
• Provide instructions for temporary communication protocols to maintain messaging continuity.
• Monitor communication systems for latency or connectivity issues, and escalate to vendors as needed.

5. Data Centre Management (CBF-11.4)

• Switch to redundant or off-site data centres to resume core services.
• Restore critical datasets and applications from backup systems.
• Verify data integrity to ensure no corruption occurred during the disruption.
• Implement temporary monitoring procedures to track server performance, network traffic, and environmental conditions.

6. Service Support and Vendor Management (CBF-11.5)

• Engage vendors immediately to replace failed equipment, provide technical assistance, or restore service.
• Prioritise service restoration by criticality, focusing on systems that impact clients and frontline operations.
• Track vendor response and delivery times against SLAs to ensure accountability.
• Coordinate with external service providers for transport, repair, or specialised recovery support if needed.

7. Business Continuity Coordination (CBF-11.6)

• Maintain a centralised coordination hub to track all resumption activities, status updates, and responsibilities.
• Ensure all staff are briefed on their roles and responsibilities during resumption.
• Record lessons learned and identify immediate gaps in preparedness for review after the incident.
• Begin planning for full recovery, including timelines, resource needs, and post-resumption validation steps.

 

Within the first 24 hours, SHINE’s facilities, IT systems, telecommunications, and critical vendor-supported services are restored to operational status.

Essential services continue, staff are informed and coordinated, and the foundation for full recovery is established.

 

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Objective

Fully restore SHINE’s facilities, IT systems, telecommunications, data centres, and vendor-supported services to standard operational capacity, ensuring all services are stable, secure, and sustainable after the initial disruption.

HOW – Implementation Steps

1. Facilities Management (CBF-11.1)

• Conduct comprehensive repairs on damaged facilities, including structural, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems.
• Restore permanent operational spaces for all affected staff and services.
• Perform post-incident safety inspections to ensure compliance with workplace health and safety standards.
• Replace or replenish emergency equipment and supplies used during the resumption phase.
• Review and update facility risk assessments and preventive maintenance schedules based on lessons learned.

2. IT Systems Management (CBF-11.2)

• Restore all IT applications and databases, including non-critical systems that were deferred during the initial resumption.
• Conduct system integrity checks to ensure data accuracy, consistency, and completeness.
• Reinstate normal user access rights and remove temporary accounts or permissions granted during the resumption phase.
• Implement cybersecurity audits to detect vulnerabilities or attempted breaches during the disruption.
• Document lessons learned and update IT disaster recovery procedures to improve response for future incidents.

3. Telecommunication Services (CBF-11.3)

• Restore full communication capabilities, including landlines, VOIP, email systems, and mobile platforms.
• Test and validate all internal and external communication channels to ensure reliable connectivity.
• Update contact lists to include temporary or backup numbers used during resumption.
• Provide staff training refreshers if new communication procedures were implemented during the disruption.

4. Data Centre Management (CBF-11.4)

• Complete full recovery of all servers, storage devices, and network infrastructure.
• Validate data integrity across primary and backup systems to ensure consistency.
• Conduct a post-incident audit of data centre operations and implement improvements where necessary.
• Reinstate regular monitoring protocols and environmental controls for temperature, humidity, and power.
• Review offsite or cloud backup procedures and update recovery plans as needed.

5. Service Support and Vendor Management (CBF-11.5)

• Conduct post-incident reviews with vendors to assess response performance and identify areas for improvement.
• Update service contracts and SLAs based on lessons learned from the disruption.
• Replenish or replace vendor-supplied resources used during resumption.
• Ensure vendor readiness for future incidents through drills, training, and updated contingency plans.

6. Business Continuity Evaluation (CBF-11.6)

• Conduct a post-incident debrief with all key stakeholders, including internal teams and external vendors.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the resumption and recovery actions, identifying gaps, delays, or failures.
• Update CBF-11 business continuity plans based on findings and incorporate new best practices.
• Document final recovery status, including timelines, resource utilisation, and key decisions made.
• Plan long-term mitigation strategies, such as additional redundancies, improved infrastructure, or enhanced training.

By completing the recovery steps after T+24 hours, SHINE ensures that all facilities, IT systems, telecommunications, and vendor-supported services are fully operational and secure.

Lessons learned are captured to strengthen resilience, improve future response times, and safeguard the organisation’s mission-critical functions.

 

The CBF-11 recovery procedure ensures that SHINE Children and Youth Services can maintain, resume, and fully restore its critical facilities and IT infrastructure in the event of a disruption.

By implementing proactive readiness measures, immediate resumption actions, and comprehensive recovery steps, SHINE strengthens operational resilience and safeguards its ability to continue serving children and youth effectively.