Is your company ready to face the COVID 19 Crisis?

Is your company ready to face the COVID 19 Crisis? (Spanish only)

Context:

According to the ILO/UN, SMEs and their employees are an essential part of the economic and social fabric of daily life throughout the world. Today, this crucial role is threatened by the unprecedented consequences of COVID-19. In order to face this crisis, governments, companies, trade unions and business associations should implement measures aimed at reducing its adverse effects, through the planning of "hot" actions, i.e. in crisis, moving from intervention plans to intelligent recovery plans. 

This is how the creation of business resilience today not only becomes more relevant but also vital to adequately manage the crisis and to initiate a process of planning/action that allows for more agile responses to current conditions. Under this scenario, it is essential to control the pandemic, maintain workers' income and minimize the costs of affectation and reduce the possibility of business failure.  

Today, more than ever, it is necessary for governments, communities and the business sector to be more innovative and proactive than in the past, in order to creatively resolve the adverse situations that the COVID19 has brought about. It is imperative to intelligently address the disruption of business activities in order to contain the spread of the virus. This implies absorbing the crisis adequately, adapting positively, as well as changing business habits to promote the reactivation of the same, when the spread of the virus is low. 

Taking into account the above and in order to strengthen the business sector in the region, responding to the situation generated by the COVID19, the Central American Integration System SICA, the Coordination Centre for the Prevention of Disasters in Central America and the Dominican Republic CEPREDENAC and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - UNDRR/UN, have decided to offer a Webinar for businesses called IS YOUR COMPANY READY TO FACE THE COVID19 CRISIS? Is your business ready for the Covid crisis? "19 "Tools for Business Response and Recovery Planning.

This joint action between SICA, CEPREDENAC and UNDRR, is being developed within the framework of the Declaration: "Central America United against Coronavirus" and the "Regional Contingency Plan aimed at complementing national efforts for the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19 and other diseases of rapid spread", as a response to the measures adopted in the face of the pandemic.

In view of the above, the UNDRR has made available a planning tool for making businesses resilient to COVID-19. It consists of 10 essential aspects, such as keeping informed, identifying the main products and services, the importance of effective communication with employees and customers, establishing policies for distancing and disinfecting workplaces, protecting employee health, planning operations in the absence of employees, preparing the supply chain, planning changes in customer service, requests for assistance in crises and the importance of testing the COVID plan19.

On the other hand, the International Labour Organisation - ILO/UN, has made available another tool, designed to help companies through the crisis caused by COVID-19. Basically, it serves to design a "business continuity plan", carrying out only six key steps, which is adaptable to any company. Basically, it serves to design a "business continuity plan", carrying out only six key steps, which can be adapted to any company. With this plan, you can evaluate the level of risk and vulnerability of your company, as well as develop an effective risk and contingency system for the company.

Both planning tools complement each other. The first, the UNDDR/UN tool, allows you to establish a first analysis of the needs and capacities of the enterprises to plan the strengthening of resilience, on 10 essential aspects; and the second, the ILO/UN tool, in addition to establishing a risk profile of the enterprises, through a self-assessment of 60 questions, defines six simple steps for the formulation of a Continuity of Operations Plan. 

Panelists:

- Randall Arias: Senior Specialist in Activities with Employers (ACTEMP)

- Henry Peralta: CEO Soluciones Resilientes

Moderator: Olinda Salguero - Head of Cabinet of the Secretary-General of SICA