Now Is the Time to Start Your COVID-19 After Action Report and Improvement Planning

Risk management company Gate 15 has published an article encouraging organizations to begin their after action report processes now to make the most of the opportunity to grow and mature pandemic preparedness and business continuity capabilities. While it may seem counterintuitive to begin after action activities while the response is still ongoing, now really is the time to begin this process to ensure that it begins at all and that key information is captured as events are occurring. Conversely, if an organizations waits to start collecting information until afterwards, it will likely become frustrated as the details of events will have faded from memory. And as the article notes, some analysis can begin at this time too, perhaps performed by employees who may not be fully engaged by the organization as it has shifted to more remote and reduced work strategies. The article also observes that hazards are one type of hazard for which many organizations haven’t dedicated much preparedness planning, with other hazards like active shooter, cybersecurity, and hurricanes having demanded more attention in recent years due to their frequency. Therefore, as tragic as the current situation is, it provides an invaluable opportunity to be well-rounded in preparedness. Read the article at Gate 15.