What is a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)?
A Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) is a comprehensive, executable roadmap that ensures an organization can sustain or rapidly resume critical functions during disruptions. This includes negative effects from a pandemic, cyberattack, natural disaster, or other crisis.
Practically speaking, a COOP integrates elements of Incident Response (IR), Disaster Recovery (DR) and Business Continuity (BC) planning into a singular playbook to harmonize operations that can keep an organization in business.
Key aspects include:
- Program-level documentation providing directives on how to activate emergency protocols, roles, communication channels and response actions.
- Procedural plans that outline tactical steps, from BIA (Business Impact Analysis) outcomes to system restoration procedures.
- Ongoing maintenance, after-action reviews and continuous improvement loops post-events.
COOPs are often required by strategic partners or regulators and they enhance as operational evidence during audits. ComplianceForge’s COOP template emphasizes seamless integration between IRPs, DRPs and BCPs, helping organizations create efficient, cohesive emergency management capabilities.