Ongoing National Threats Demand Leadership & Focus on Mission-Critical Operations

McLean, VA, May 10, 2004 — A survey of government risk managers, conducted by Booz Allen Hamilton, found a majority believe that not prioritizing mission-critical processes threatens the overall sustainability of their organizations during a crisis event.

Booz Allen surveyed 45 risk managers at the recent Mission Assurance Summit hosted by the firm in Washington, D.C. The majority of respondents felt that the overall sustainability of government organizations and their ability to perform critical missions could be threatened if this prioritization did not occur.

More than 80 percent acknowledged the need for top-level leadership, and said that most agencies lack the required policy to drive awareness and focus on this key issue. Only 18 percent of government risk management officials attending the summit said that their agencies or departments have a policy already in place to identify mission-critical processes that must continue in the event of disruptions-such as another terrorist attack.

Mission Assurance Summit II, conducted in late April, is the second in a series of four summits to address the increasing array of risk management responsibilities facing the federal government.

"There is a broad community of practitioners forming within government who recognize that this issue is bubbling to the surface and are taking steps to drive their traditional security and continuity practices to the next level of operational performance," said Booz Allen Vice President Chris Kelly.

"Mission Assurance is an emerging trend that is being adopted to define this next level of performance. Mission Assurance Summits are about federal leaders taking proactive steps to integrate their efforts and develop best practices that will minimize a spectrum of crisis events, whether it is a cyber attack, electrical blackout, or some other threat," said Kelly.

Security and risk management officials attending the April Summit identified key steps in mission assurance implementation, including establishing criteria for agencies to identify critical processes, including personnel safety, customer service, information technology, and asset protection. The use of current policy directives to build support for mission assurance within an agency was also examined.

Attendees also worked to develop a peer-approved set of priority actions so that mission assurance capabilities can be adopted across government agencies. This includes risk matrices, war games, and exercises to help test agency readiness.

"Mission Assurance provides an integrated approach for agencies to address risks in a uniform and systematic manner," said Curtis Bartell, Director, Emergency Management Center, Department of Labor, and a Summit speaker.

"With the new operating reality that faces us, we must come together as a community with a common vision and a common purpose to best serve the nation," said Summit speaker Bill Bryan, Director, Critical Infrastructure Protection, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense.

Mission Assurance Summit III will meet in late October, in Washington, and again be sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton. Mission Assurance is part of Booz Allen's overall focus on resilience for both commercial and government markets.