A recent study on the status and progress of government agencies for emergency preparedness and continuity of operations has identified telework as a critical piece of the puzzle. Many organizations are encouraging employees to work remotely now in preparation for any major work place disruptions because the experience could prove critical.

Juniper Networks conducted the survey of federal, state and local government agencies—both civilian and defense—in the third quarter of fiscal year 2007. Haywood Talcove, vice president, Public Sector Americas at Juniper, says one major point, or rock as he calls it, of the survey is the importance of telework to continuity of operations (COOP). According to Talcove, the first rock in the Juniper survey is unique because it links telework and COOP.
That connection has not been made in the past. “People really look at those as different things,” Talcove states.

However, the study results show that the government is using telework technologies as part of its COOP portfolio. Sixty-two percent of respondents believe that telework is a critical component of agency COOP, with 41 percent saying that all government personnel should telework occasionally as a part of COOP preparation.

Seventy-nine percent of respondents shared that their agency supported some form of telework, although only 28 percent characterized it as routine. Of the 79 percent who reported agency support of telework, 64 percent said that on average, personnel teleworked one day or less per week.

While the use of telework to continue operations in many emergency scenarios is important, it could be the key to maintaining operations during specific emergencies such as a pandemic flu. During this type of crisis, “social distancing” may be mandatory to limit the spread of the disease. Therefore, remote working capabilities are necessary across all levels of an agency. At a mandatory minimum, Talcove says he would want his leadership team and critical employees that are involved in delivering services to citizens to have remote working capabilities.

To prepare for telework during actual crises, agencies must learn what technology is needed and how to use it. Organizations cannot effectively respond to emergencies without being able to access information remotely. By offering the option of regular telework to employees, agencies can determine what technology and security they require, and personnel can become comfortable with the programs.

Tim LeMaster, director of systems engineering for Juniper, explains that if agencies use systems and capabilities regularly, then agencies know how to secure their connections, identifications and other tools they are required to use. Those same mechanisms would generally be used for telework during an emergency as well.

Agencies also can plan for emergency telework scenarios by implementing an In Case of Emergency (ICE) license. According to LeMaster, the license helps organizations to be more prepared for surges beyond the normal capacity of teleworkers. In an emergency, telework numbers could swell from a few hundred to several thousand. LeMaster explains that an ICE license enables agencies to increase what they can physically handle during an emergency. ICE is an only-as-needed solution that allows government agencies to manage sudden demand for remote connectivity by buying licenses that kick in and scale to meet user needs. With the license, agencies save the cost and commitment of a permanent license while remaining compliant with continuity of government requirements.

Also important to telework as part of COOP is practice. Despite government agencies’ belief in the importance of telework, only 40 percent have modified infrastructure to support remote working, and only 32 percent have dedicated resources to modifications. Less than 30 percent of survey respondents telework more than one day per week. Talcove illustrates the problems this deficiency could lead to by putting forth an analogy: What if military personnel are barred from the Pentagon? Thousands of personnel would need connections to telework and continue operations, but the capability would not be available. “We need to be in a position to ensure our government can deliver services to citizens when they’re needed the most,” Talcove states.

Practice assists the technology side as well. It ensures that during an emergency officials can just “flip a switch” so employees can resume operations. By having infrastructure in place and making sure people are training and budgeting for problems, agencies will be better prepared for actual emergencies.

Talcove emphasizes the importance of practice because agencies are better at handling the familiar. So the U.S. Defense Department is good at combating cyberattacks but not as proficient at handling pandemic flu or infrastructure failure. “We’re really good at what we deal with every day,” Talcove says. “We’re not so good at what we don’t deal with on a regular basis.”

The results of this study and other continuity of operations issues will be discussed during the SIGNAL webinar November 28 at noon. Register to participate today.