Recommended elements in a strategy to promote business resilience

Use existing networks

Local authorities are involved in many different networks through which they communicate with outside agencies and conduct their business. They should make full use of these to raise issues of Business Resilience and to communicate key messages in ways that are appropriate to the context.

For some departments and services this might consist simply of making reference to resilience issues in some of the information they provide or as links on websites. For others, where advice is being given about ongoing projects or activities, or where services are being subcontracted, more specific advice or discussions are recommended.

To assist with this, simple arrangements should be put in place to help staff throughout the local authority consider how resilience messages could be incorporated in communications, or resilience items added to agendas. This approach should include:

• briefing staff in different areas and departments about Business Resilience (stressing its relevance to their concerns and considering their comments)
• identifying key, generic Business Resilience messages
• encouraging resilience to be considered when reviewing communications and project plans and adding relevant items
• ensuring links to more detailed follow-up information are readily available
• providing advice and support to non-resilience specialists
• reporting on usage and follow-up

Get support from senior staff

As with internal Business Resilience, promoting external Business Resilience requires the awareness and support of staff across the local authority. This is unlikely to be achieved without the visible support of executive level staff.

One of the first priorities therefore should be:

• to demonstrate to senior staff the direct benefit of promoting Business Resilience to issues that concern them

This should include demonstrating the likely cost-effectiveness of the proposed programme and securing their support. This should be followed up with regular reports of progress and selected opportunities to become directly involved.

Involve staff from all areas

Efforts should be made to actively engage staff across the local authority with the programme of Business Resilience promotion. This should follow the pattern of engagement with external organisations, i.e.:

• starting with the priorities of those being approached
• demonstrating the relevance of Business Resilience to their work
• explaining that a small effort in this area may have significant benefit for them and for the organisations with which they work
• demystifying the subject – keeping messages simple and dispelling myths
• following up with support and advice

Subcontracting and joint working

Local authorities can have a significant influence on the resilience of other organisations when awarding contracts or carrying out joint work with external partners. This includes agreements from the relatively small, such as letting of individual properties and local maintenance or supplies contracts, to large-scale infrastructure work.

Granting contracts or engaging in joint work with organisations without having confidence in their resilience is a risk that local authorities should work to avoid. For critical services this would be likely to constitute a failure to observe statutory duties, and in other areas, this could potentially endanger service users or result in financial and reputational losses.

It is recommended that local authorities have processes in place which ensure that they consider the resilience of organisations with which they do business. The degree of scrutiny should be proportionate to the potential impacts of disruption to service provision or contractual failure.

Developing and implementing these procedures will require the combined efforts of resilience and procurement staff, with the support of service managers. They should take into account how potentially difficult choices between more reliable and less expensive service providers would be made and authorised. For work with smaller firms or voluntary organisations, these processes should be linked to the provision of advice about Business Resilience to enable the firm to fulfil the requirements of the local authority.

Resilience-specific events and groups

Interest groups can be a valuable addition to planning and promoting Business Resilience. As well as having groups within the local authority to take forward the programme of Business Resilience promotion, local authorities should consider establishing a group for external stakeholders including representatives of:

• local business organisations from different sectors
• chambers of commerce
• voluntary sector representatives
• local authority business liaison staff
• local authority Business Resilience leads – including representatives from neighbouring local authorities
• local authority communications team

The remit of this group could include:

• raising awareness of Business Resilience
• identifying, accessing, and publicising specialist advice
• providing critical feedback on local authority Business Resilience initiatives
• identifying opportunities to promote Business Resilience (e.g. through local events and seasonal initiatives)
• events planning, including training events

The specific format, scope, and work programme should be developed according to local circumstances and should benefit external members as well as support the local authority’s Business Resilience aims.