Participants pause for a group photo at the workshop

The iPrepare Business facility of ADPC convened the workshop on "Implementing - Reviewing and Improving Area Business Continuity Management (BCM)" at Bangkok Golf Spa Resort, Pathumthani province in Thailand on 4 November 2016.

This initiative was undertaken together with the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) as part of the project on “Promotion of Area Business Continuity Management (Area BCM) and Formulation of Area Business Continuity Plan (Area BCP)” with financial and technical support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The project aims to develop comprehensive and tailored strategies to tackle disaster risks in Bangkadi Industrial Park (BIP), Pathumthani Province in Thailand, which is situated in a flood prone location.

Attended by around 50 participants from the working group and relevant organizations from public and private sectors including NESDB, Pathumthani Governor’s office, Bangkadi Industrial Park (BIP), Co., Ltd, as well as technical agencies, academia and surrounding communities, the objective of the workshop was to review and exercise the Area BCM for the industrial park.

Opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Thawatchai Srithong, Chief of Pathumthani Governor’s Office and Ms. Ladawan Kumpa, Deputy Secretary General, NESDB. Ms. Ladawan highlighted that “the BIP experience will be a good model for developing and implementing Area BCM as well as replicating the same approach to other industrial estates in the country”. Ms. Ladawan also stressed the importance of continued collaboration between various stakeholders across different sectors i.e. the public, private and communities.

Group Discussion on an action plan to implement the priority measures identified for reducing flood risk

This is the first pilot project in Southeast Asia to complete every step of the Area BCM cycle: (1) Understanding the Area, (2) Determining Area BCM Strategy, (3) Developing Area BCP, (4) Implementing and Reviewing Area BCM, and (5) Improving Area BCM. At the workshop, the Area BCP strategy was reviewed by identifying priority measures for risk reduction against floods and its action plan including the ownership of the BCP and timeline for repeating the Area BCM cycle going forward. The participants were introduced to the concept of tabletop exercise in order to review the overall Area BCM process which was undertaken through a series of workshops, meetings and consultations.

The NESDB is planning to hold a meeting among the National Steering Committee on Area BCM on 25 November to report on the outcome of the pilot project and discuss the possibility of replicating the Area BCM model as part of an approach for promoting BCP against natural disasters at the national level.