Question

Who is ultimately responsible for an organization's contingency planning and execution? Senior leadership, project management team(s), Chief Information Officer, or Chief Security Officer? Why do you think so?

Answer 1

In Organization’s contingency planning and execution, all the aforesaid parties have a significant and distinct role to play to ensure the Organization does not collapse at the time of business exigencies or any other contingencies. However, the role of Senior leadership is very important in the sense that it helps in shaping the profile of all other parties pertinent to the contingency planning and execution. There needs to be ultimately at least one party assuming the responsibilities of any issue going wrong in the Organization. Such responsibilities make the Planning and execution part more definite. In this regard, the Senior leadership has the scope of influencing the Project Management team, Chief Information Officer or Chief Security Officer to undertake the activity in a more serious and committed way. A strong leadership keeps all the parties highly motivated and dedicated towards the contingency planning and execution. Hence Senior leadership is ultimately responsible for an Organization’s contingency planning and execution.