Community contingency planning -Atlanta
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 10:26:31 -0800
From: Karen Nyhus <knyhus@igc.org>
Subject: [Fwd: y2k community contingency planning]
I am enclosing a small exchange I have started with a y2k prep
person in Atlanta. I 'met' Bud through one of the y2k lists I'm on. Here
are
his thoughts on contingency planning (a focus of mine):
___________________________
bud hamilton wrote:
> At 06:13 PM 10/28/98 -0800, you wrote:
> >Howdy.
> >
> >Read your post to (I think) the CPSR y2k list in early September.
> >
> >I am a member of a task force for the SF bay area which is planning
a y2k
> >*community* (not corporate) conference (more community prep and
> >contingency planning than compliance) in February.
>
> This is tricky right now.
>
> There are at least three levels of contingency planning IMO. One is
large
> corporate, another is governmental and SME/community, another is
> personal/community. While all overlap to some extent there are somewhat
> different goals and tactics required.
>
> I am finding right now much more interest in community preparedness
at the
> personal level, and not much at the governmental level, and near zero
at
> the SME (small and medium sized enterprise level).
>
> This is the cart before the horse IMO. Thus I think right now you need
to
> get the Chamber of Commerce and other key local businesses to push
for
> everyone to check their own systems and stakeholders.
>
> I am much less worried about the Iron Triangle (power, communications,
> banking) than I was three months ago, and much *more* worried about
local
> government and SMEs, many of which appear to be asleep.
>
> Paraphrasing one of our elected officials: "It's the supply chain,
stupid"
>
> >Do you have any concrete suggestions re: contingency planning which
> >"ordinary citizens" can either engage in as individuals
or through our
> >civilian institutions (churches, nonprofits, professional associations,
> >etc.)
>
> I am involved to some extent with some local church organizations'
> preparations. I am a Christian and am familiar with a lot of other
stuff
> going on in this area, particularly the Joseph Project. However, I
should
> say I am not personally affiliated with Joseph or other organizations
(as
> they say, your mileage may vary), some of these I would not personally
> support.
>
> I think these efforts should be at an organizational level at this
time.
> The SME push should be underway *now*.
>
> >or lobby our local/regional elected officials to engage in?
>
> Now that's a really fine idea!!! Only you can get your own local officials
> to squeal. I am involved with a group which is contacting some agencies
in
> Atlanta metro, and I have been involved with the one of the candidates
for
> mayor here in Athens (a distant Atlanta suburb) trying to prep her.
My
> actions locally have hit some paydirt as the city's y2k prep, and lack
of
> contingency planning has become an issue in the campaign.
>
> But as I have told a number of groups in Georgia, only you locally
can deal
> with your own local officials.
>
> >Examples would be making sure the local utility knows how to "island"
> >itself from the power grid if the grid goes down.
>
> You will be swimming upstream with this, I'd guess. If the utility
knows,
> I'm not sure it would be willing to share. A few have, though, so it
is
> worth a try.
>
> > You are an expert in
> >banking: any recommendations besides individualistic responses
such as
> >withdrawing cash now?
>
> Sigh. Even though I am pretty knowledgeable about the banking industry,
> it's been like the Sphinx recently. I don't think there is much a
> community group can do about this. I'm not even sure if many banks
would
> know if they were compliant anyway. Sigh.
>
> Feel free to call if you have further questions. I'm usually in my
office
> from 4-5 and 7-8 PM EST Monday and Wednesday.
>
> Bud Hamilton, Ph.D.
> Assistant Professor of Management
> Georgia State University
> Member, Atlanta Year 2000 Users Group
> Speaker on Contingency Planning for the Year 2000
> budham@negia.net
> (404) 651-0765
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 01:06:47 -0500
To: knyhus <knyhus@igc.apc.org>
From: bud hamilton <budham@oak.negia.net>
Subject: Re: y2k community contingency planning
In-Reply-To: <3637CF2F.7E4F@igc.apc.org>
At 06:13 PM 10/28/98 -0800, you wrote:
>Howdy.
>
>Read your post to (I think) the CPSR y2k list in early September.
>
>I am a member of a task force for the SF bay area which is planning
a y2k
>*community* (not corporate) conference (more community prep and
>contingency planning than compliance) in February.
This is tricky right now.
There are at least three levels of contingency planning IMO. One is large
corporate, another is governmental and SME/community, another is
personal/community. While all overlap to some extent there are somewhat
different goals and tactics required.
I am finding right now much more interest in community preparedness at the
personal level, and not much at the governmental level, and near zero at
the SME (small and medium sized enterprise level).
This is the cart before the horse IMO. Thus I think right now you need to
get the Chamber of Commerce and other key local businesses to push for
everyone to check their own systems and stakeholders.
I am much less worried about the Iron Triangle (power, communications,
banking) than I was three months ago, and much *more* worried about local
government and SMEs, many of which appear to be asleep.
Paraphrasing one of our elected officials: "It's the supply chain,
stupid"
>Do you have any concrete suggestions re: contingency planning which
>"ordinary citizens" can either engage in as individuals or
through our
>civilian institutions (churches, nonprofits, professional associations,
>etc.)
I am involved to some extent with some local church organizations'
preparations. I am a Christian and am familiar with a lot of other stuff
going on in this area, particularly the Joseph Project. However, I should
say I am not personally affiliated with Joseph or other organizations (as
they say, your mileage may vary), some of these I would not personally
support.
I think these efforts should be at an organizational level at this time.
The SME push should be underway *now*.
>or lobby our local/regional elected officials to engage in?
Now that's a really fine idea!!! Only you can get your own local officials
to squeal. I am involved with a group which is contacting some agencies
in
Atlanta metro, and I have been involved with the one of the candidates for
mayor here in Athens (a distant Atlanta suburb) trying to prep her. My
actions locally have hit some paydirt as the city's y2k prep, and lack of
contingency planning has become an issue in the campaign.
But as I have told a number of groups in Georgia, only you locally can deal
with your own local officials.
>Examples would be making sure the local utility knows how to "island"
>itself from the power grid if the grid goes down.
You will be swimming upstream with this, I'd guess. If the utility knows,
I'm not sure it would be willing to share. A few have, though, so it is
worth a try.
> You are an expert in
>banking: any recommendations besides individualistic responses such
as
>withdrawing cash now?
Sigh. Even though I am pretty knowledgeable about the banking industry,
it's been like the Sphinx recently. I don't think there is much a
community group can do about this. I'm not even sure if many banks would
know if they were compliant anyway. Sigh.
Feel free to call if you have further questions. I'm usually in my office
from 4-5 and 7-8 PM EST Monday and Wednesday.
Bud Hamilton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Management
Georgia State University
Member, Atlanta Year 2000 Users Group
Speaker on Contingency Planning for the Year 2000
budham@negia.net
(404) 651-0765