I think monthly or quarterly mock drill would be a good idea to let all users about disaster and consequences. Planning is a documentation work but actual scenario is most important activities followed by a proper user training. A full and differential backup of critical systems and proper testing with documentation would be required for any organisation. Backups should be stored in 2-3 different location hence, Disaster Recovery can be done without fail. Each drive and its location should be mapped with a backup software .

One thing that is helpful is to have a preliminary meeting with all the section heads in your organization. During the meeting you let them know about the activity. Make sure that everything is documented ahead of time. After the management buy in, start a series of communication through whatever medium is most effective to bring awareness to the users. A reminder is to be sent on the week of the activity and a day before the activity. Communication is the key, if you have communicated the disaster recovery activity to everyone, there is a great chance that it will execute successfully.

In my experience any large scale organizational change is a Systems Engineering exercise. Also, large scale projects require Senior Executive endorsement and enforcement if necessary. Any large scale activity requires an Executive Champion, and a very clear communication to every employee that it is a business emperative. This is the first step toward success.

Begin by conducting comprehensive training sessions that elucidate the importance of disaster recovery and their roles within it. Utilize surveys and feedback mechanisms to gather user insights, fostering a sense of ownership and accountability. Implement user-friendly documentation and accessible resources to facilitate understanding and compliance. Regularly simulate disaster scenarios to familiarize users with protocols, enhancing their preparedness. By prioritizing user involvement, organizations can cultivate a culture of resilience, significantly improving recovery outcomes and operational continuity. This proactive engagement will undoubtedly lead to superior disaster recovery efficacy.

After many years in BCS has learn me this. Disaster recovery planing started that "you" prepare the system to handle disaster. The best is 3 sites where 2 sites whit identical setup and the data is "Shadowed" from site 1 primary to site 2 secondary. Every month do a easy disaster test to switch primary to 2 and site 1 to secondary. Site 3 is backup site where you stora all backups. Every week random test files from backup site to verift that all is ok. I have being involved in situation that backup couldent be read...not funny! Disaster happens: 1:Disaster war room where people can connect for information and status. 2:Disaster plan for people to follow: Group of people that test and verify before you start business again. Regards, Kjel