This year, for the World Micro-, Small and Medium-Enterprise (MSME) Day on June 27, the United Nations set the theme of “Galvanizing MSMEs worldwide by supporting women and youth entrepreneurship and resilient supply chains”.
At CBi, we work year-round with our partners to support MSMEs and ensure they prepare as well as they can for extreme weather events and other challenges. We refer to that as “business continuity planning”.
But what does that really mean?
Business continuity planning is the process of developing documented procedures that guide organizations to respond to, recover from, resume and restore operations following disruptions that may be caused by disasters. The goal is to help a company continue operating or resume its operations as quickly as is safely possible, protecting personnel, assets and other company resources.
Business continuity planning is a key element in building resilience among MSMEs, contributing to the resilience of the community and the economy. That is why it is a common theme across many CBi Member Networks, regardless of their location, culture, or risk profile.
Business continuity planning across different contexts
In Viet Nam, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) developed guidelines for business continuity planning as part of a project to promote the role of the private sector in climate change response, and disaster and disease-related risks. As part of this project, in 2022 it had already trained 30 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Mekong Delta.
In Haiti, the Alliance pour la Gestion des Risques et la Continuité des Activités (AGERCA) developed a short, animated video to raise awareness about the importance of business continuity planning. Despite the country’s current security issues, the network continued to carry out its business continuity training workshops by moving them online. Last year, the network ran industry-specific workshops and followed up with member companies to support them in developing their business continuity plans. Evacuation drills were one way to ensure companies and their employees understood the link between theory and practice.
In Türkiye, The Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation (TÜRKONFED) also offered sector-specific business continuity planning workshops and distributed 250 emergency backpacks to participants.
In Sri Lanka, the Asia-Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management (A-PAD SL) developed a guidebook for MSMEs in the tourism sector.
Likewise, in the Philippines, PDRF continued to offer training sessions and resources through its MSME resilience hub, SIKAP.
Learn about Business Continuity Planning
Building on all these activities, CBi partnered with PDRF to develop a free online business continuity planning course. The goal of the course is to explain business continuity concepts by providing examples and identifying the different ways in which private sector networks can support MSMEs in their development of business continuity strategies.
It can be accessed online and you will be able to get the certificate if you pass the assessment with a score of 80% or above.