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Disaster Contingency Provisions within UK Local Authorities that have Downsized their Computer Facilities:
Introduction
Why Downsize?
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The word ‘downsize' is a recently coined term with two distinct meanings.
In general business usage, it describes the process of streamlining a company by shedding resources,
often in the form of staff redundancies. Within the field of information technology (IT), the term relates to the transition of systems from large to smaller computers. Three distinct forms of downsizing have been identified depending upon the type of final hardware used. It is this second meaning of the term which is used throughout this report. A related term, ‘rightsize' is now gaining popularity. This term relates to the process of changing a computer application from one size of computer to another more appropriate to its requirements. |
Why Disaster Contingency Planning?
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Within the field of IT, disaster contingency planning
(DCP)
has been concerned with ensuring that vital corporate systems are able
to continue to function even after a disaster. These corporate systems have, in the past, been located on central mainframe computers run by professional computer specialists. With the move of systems away from a centrally provided service, DCP is a topic likely to be overlooked by users whose prime concern is a system's functionality. |
What is an IT Disaster?
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When the word ‘disaster' is used, the image that usually springs to mind is of a traumatic event such as a fire or explosion.
These are the type of rare event which typically ‘happen to someone else'. Within IT, disasters are usually far less spectacular, are far more common but are just as damaging. An event which prevents the use of an IT system for longer than an acceptable length of time can be classed as an IT disaster. The length of time when the loss of a system becomes a disaster is when a user of that system can no longer tolerate its unavailability. Disasters can be classified into three basic types: human error, intentional and natural. Of these three types, Owen (1993) believes that 95% of IT disasters are caused by human error, a fact confirmed by McFarling (1994). The report's survey checked respondent's attitudes to this observation, the actual causes of system down-time and what length of down-time constitutes an IT disaster. |
The Problem Domain
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With the introduction of downsizing, there is often an associated change in culture.
This change in culture relates to both the perceived and the actual change of ownership
of the IT and the systems running upon it. This cultural change can result in both the organization and running of facilities moving away from the control and supervision of professional IT specialists. It is this part of the downsizing trend where potential dangers can occur, particularly in the specialist area of DCP. This is the problem when technology is introduced without complete consideration of the full implication. It is what Warman (1993) calls ‘the technology trap'. |
The Study Objectives
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A principle objective of the study was to examine the cultural changes associated with downsizing. These cultural changes relate to how system ownership can shift when downsizing moves away from central IT control. This change of ownership could seriously affect how or whether DCP is implemented or even considered. |
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| last amendment 11 June 1999 |