Continuity Assessment Tool CAT Federal Emergency Management Agency

Continuity Assessment Tool (CAT) Federal Emergency Management Agency February 2018

What is the CAT? • The Continuity Assessment Tool (CAT) is a resource for organizations and jurisdictions to assess their continuity plan and program against the requirements for a viable continuity program and plan as outlined in the Continuity Guidance Circular (CGC). • The CAT assists organizations and communities in identifying areas of strength, areas for improvement, best practices, and lessons learned. • Entities should use this Tool on a regular basis as a method for determining whether gaps exist in an organization's continuity plan and program, allowing the opportunity to better prioritize and resource continuity needs and gaps. • The CAT replaces the Continuity Assistance Tool, dated September 2013. Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 2

Using the CAT • The CAT is intended to be completed on a regular basis by the continuity planning team and other partners who many have an important part in the success of the program. • There are three sections for evaluation, corresponding to the three chapters of the CGC: Getting Started, Building a Capability, and Maintaining a Capability. • Each section of the CAT includes continuity activities and supporting tasks critical to the corresponding chapter of the CGC. • Supporting tasks are further divided according to the five solution areas found within the State Preparedness Report: planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercise (POETE). • The CAT uses a 10 -point scoring system to determine the progress against each continuity activity or supporting task identified in the Tool. Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 3

Scoring System • The CAT’s progressive scoring system is intended to provide a collection of metrics for an organization to track progress from one assessment to the next. o Scores ranging from 0 to 3 indicate little or no progress in achieving the objective described. o Scores ranging from 4 to 7 indicate moderate progress in achieving the objective, however gaps remain. o Scores ranging from 8 to 10 indicate substantial progress in achieving the objective or the objective has been met and is currently being maintained. Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 4

How to Complete the CAT 1. Review the Continuity Capability Objectives (Column C). 2. Select the scoring value on the scale (Columns D through N) that best represents how much progress the organization has made with regard to the objective or criterion described by the statement (Column C). • NOTE: The description of progression for each task from 0 to 10 is not meant to be prescriptive; an organization should discuss and determine its score against each task using the descriptions as a guide. Step 1 Step 2 Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 5

How to Complete the CAT cont. 3. Using the drop down menu located in the “Score” column (Column O), select the numerical value that best represents the organization's score for each task. Once a score is selected, the cell will automatically populate the appropriate color (green, yellow, or red) corresponding to the scale. Step 3 4. Complete these steps for all of the Continuity Capability Objectives on each of the three worksheets. 5. The scores will automatically populate on the “Summary” worksheet. Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 6

The CAT Summary Worksheet • As an organization completes the CAT, the comprehensive scores will automatically populate in the Summary worksheet. • The summary breaks down scoring by: o POETE elements; o Initiating, Building, and Maintaining a continuity capability; and o A comprehensive continuity capability score. • Those scores designated as red or yellow should be considered capability gaps and prioritized as areas requiring improvement. • Ideally, scores in the planning, organization, and equipment elements should be higher than those in the training and exercise elements, to indicate that the proper planning activities have been completed first. • This worksheet is formatted to serve as a one-page snapshot of an organization’s continuity capability as it relates to the elements outlined in the CGC. Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 7

Questions? FEMA-CGC@fema. dhs. gov www. fema. gov/continuity-guidancecircular Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 8