Mission Continuity Planning
Mission Continuity is the ability of an organization to continue serving its constituents and maintain its viability following a disaster or other disruption. It assures your department has a plan to continue your critical administrative, patient care, animal care, academic, research, or service functions.
Continuity Plans go beyond emergency management to ensure that critical functions can resume. Continuity measures include such things as being able to perform functions at alternate locations, backing up data and taking it offsite, maintaining current contact information for staff, vendors, etc.
See also: The Introduction to the UCSF Mission Continuity Program
How to Plan
The planning process begins with determining your department, division, unit or lab’s critical functions. Critical functions are functions that must be recovered within 30 days of a disaster in order to prevent irreparable harm to:
- The University's ability to provide critical patient care, animal care, administrative, academic, research, or service functions.
- The University's reputation.
If you have been assigned to prepare the plans for your department, you may want to use the Department Planning Checklist to guide you through the planning process.
Once you have determined the critical functions, you will need to determine the plans that are needed. Guidance is provided within the Department Planning Checklist. You will then need to assign individuals to create, test and manage each plan and obtain access for each of them to the UC Ready Continuity Planning Tool. You can request access at the site or you can send an access request to the Mission Continuity Program Manager (MCPM) – contact information is below. In order for her to provide access, she will need each person’s full name and the names of the plans that each person needs to access.
UC Ready was developed by UC Berkeley to be a “do it yourself” – no training required – fill in the blanks questionnaire that allows you to document a Mission Continuity Plan and needed improvement measures. However, to facilitate the process, workshops are held periodically. To attend a workshop, please view the Workshop Schedule and send a request to the MCPM – contact information is below.
To help ensure proper completion of your plan, please bring the following to the workshop:
- Asset Inventory
- Chemical Inventory
- Other Applicable Resource Lists
- Contact List
- Organizational Chart
- Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
Once your plan draft is done, schedule a plan exercise. An exercise is an activity that is designed to:
- Practice and improve the procedures in our continuity plans to make sure they are complete, appropriate and will work during an actual disruption.
- Ensure that the resources needed to recover have been identified, documented and will be readily available when needed.
Please use the UCSF Plan Exercise Form to document your exercise and send the completed form to the MCPM – contact information is below.
Once you have made the needed changes noted during the exercise, your plan is ready to be signed-off by the Unit head. The sign-off is documented within the UC Ready Planning Tool by entering the reviewers name and date and clicking on the “Mark Plan Complete” button.
Lastly, please complete a Planning Feedback Form to help improve the continuity planning process.
For more information about UC Ready, to request access or sign up for a workshop, contact the MCPM, Esther Silver at 415/476-6887 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
UCSF UC Ready Mission Continuity Management Team
The UCSF Mission Continuity Program is managed by the UC Ready Mission Continuity Management Team (MCMT). The team is made up of representatives from each of the major control points and support functions. For more information on the roles and responsibilities of this team, please view the UC Ready Mission Continuity Management Team Charter.
Thanks to the hard work of this team as well as hundreds of UCSF continuity planners, UCSF has won the “UC Ready Excellence in Mission Continuity” award from University of California Office of the President Risk Services for the past two years. Thanks everybody!
Quotes from Program Feedback and Testimonials:
The UCSF Mission Continuity Program solicits evaluation forms from UC Ready users about the mission continuity planning process. The current average is 3.8 out of 4. In other words, they have all been extremely positive. Below are several excerpts from comments that were made on the forms:
”.. the process is simple and straight forward. The exercise enabled managers to take ownership of their respective areas of responsibility in a manner that was not previously required and resulted in a useful tool for our unit."
Kevin Cox, Director-Transportation Svc
“……outstanding job with initial introduction and overview of the process and UC Ready Tool for Student Academic Affairs…….extremely informative and patient with all of our questions. ……. tabletop exercise (was performed) in a similarly clear and efficient manner."
Eric Koenig, Director-Office of Student Life
“………helped us understand why a business continuity plan is an important part of our everyday work, and then helped us create them. …….. willingness to work closely with a group which had some strong computer users and some not-so-strong made it possible for everyone to contribute in their own way.”
Zina Mirsky, Associate Dean, Administration
UC Services that Help Ensure the Continuity of UCSF’s Important Mission
The following excerpts and links are from Other UC services that help ensure continuity of UCSF’s Mission. It is not all inclusive. As services are identified they will be added to the webpage.
Academic Research Systems and Services at UCSF
MyResearch@UCSF
Provide UCSF research teams with a professionally managed, secure, web based, collaborative environment in which to store files containing sensitive data.
Provide application and data base services that allow investigators to view, manipulate, and save their data entirely in this protected environment without requiring files to be stored on their own computers.
To request a MyResearch account, please visit:http://tinyurl.com/27as6nw or call the UCSF IT Service Desk at (415) 514-4100.
Integrated Data Repository (IDR) Data Extracts
A secure, convenient and compliant data warehouse of clinical and life sciences data for use by researchers.
Strives to improve the quality of clinical and translational research at UCSF and CTSI affiliated institutions.
Data sets available for extraction on a consulting basis include UCare. The extraction of EPIC data will become available in Spring 2012.
To request an IDR Data Extract, please visit: http://redcap.ucsfopenresearch.org/surveys/?s=SMB9LX.
Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap)
Supports data capture needs of research studies in a secure and HIPAA compliant environment.
Enables researchers to quickly and easily develop data capture forms, reports, and surveys.
Convenient and flexible as you can access your data from anywhere at any time from any device.
To request a REDCap account, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/yh5m6ka or call the UCSF IT Service Desk at (415) 514-4100.
The Health Records Data Service (THREDS) Data Extracts
Consulting services for the extraction of longitudinal data from clinical databases on Community Health Network (CHN) patients forresearch purposes.
Various data sources are used, primarily the LCR (Lifetime Clinical Record) and Invision. Data are available going back to 1996 to answer specific research questions.
To request a THREDS Data Extract, please visit: http://redcap.ucsfopenresearch.org/surveys/?s=SMB9LX.
Collaborative Learning Environment
The Collaborative Learning Environment provides a versatile framework designed to meet the current and future needs for learner-centered environments, collaborative learning, and other collaborative activities at UCSF. The materials stored on it are accessible on the internet and could provide alternate ways to teach when classrooms are not available due to a disaster. Recorded lectures and other content can be made available for remote access when networks services are still available.
Cell Culture Core Facility Cell Bank
The Cell Culture Core Facility (CCF) provides researchers the option to divide their most critical stocks so they have ‘working stock’ stored in their freezers in their lab, and a ‘backup stock’ stored with CCF. The CCF also has two empty liquid nitrogen freezers that can be cooled and ready in the event a researcher’s freezer fails and a ‘lifeboat’ freezer is required for temporary emergency storage.
Features:
• New highly efficient vapor phase liquid nitrogen freezers purchased in 2006. These freezers, when undamaged, can hold temperature unattended for 10 days. There are four at Parnassus Medical Sciences 10th floor, and one at Genentech Hall.
• CCF has entered into an agreement with Pacific Scientific Transport in Fresno, to “pickup, transport and relocate Cell Culture Critical LN2 freezers to the best of our ability”. Freezers can be kept operational during transport via backup power and liquid nitrogen supply on the truck. Freezers will be kept in the Fresno facility until they can be returned to UCSF.
• The samples stored in the freezers are coded; the decoder is in the database (records incomplete prior to 2002) is backed up by UCSF IT to Iron Mountain weekly.
• Due to the age of the bank, the full decoder is stored as paper records (binders and log books) at the Parnassus location. We are currently making plans to digitize these records and store them ‘in the cloud’.
For more information Contact:
Linda Reilly, Director of the Cell Culture Facility
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415-476-5247
Oyster Point Biorepository
Available resources at the Biorepository at Oyster Point:
Available –86 freezer: 2 each 25 cu/ft (available for rental)
2 each 17 cu/ft (available for rental)
These four freezers are empty, chilled, and ready for use.
Available –20 freezers: 1 each 17 cu/ft (available for rental)
This freezer is empty, chilled, and ready for use.
Available Cryovessels: 2 each Locator 6+ Cryovessels (available for rental)
1 each Locator 4+ Cryovessel (available for rental)
While we do not carry liquid nitrogen for these Cryovessels, Airgas and Praxair make deliveries to our facility Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of each week, and deliver liquid nitrogen to one of existing customers.
Available stations for freezers: 18 each ( with 110 or 220 VAC at each station). Each station is connected to back-up power. A total of 23 spaces could be available if we were to move our four empty rental freezers out of the Biorepository.
Power:
The Oyster Point Biorepository has a robust back-up power plan, which includes two (2) 125 Kw diesel generators with a 72+ hour fuel supply on board. These generators are inspected weekly, are test-started monthly, load-tested quarterly, and run under a full load yearly.
The back-up power has fully automated switchgear, which requires no human intervention to operate. The automatic switchgear senses a loss of external power, starts the generators, alerts UCPD that it has started via alarms, and will run until the blackout is resolved or the fuel supply is exhausted. The back-up power is dedicated to the Biorepository operation only.
The team of drivers are also quite experienced at safely moving both LN2 and mechanical –86 freezers. They have delivered the vast majority of those freezers on Campus.
For more information Contact:
Anthony Meno, Campus Life Services – Distribution and Storage
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415-476-5247
UC Davis Mouse Biology Program - Sperm Cryopreservation
Sperm cryopreservation presents the opportunity to substantially reduce the number of mice used to both store and re-establish a mouse line. Sperm collected from a single male can potentially give rise to large numbers of offspring following IVF of oocytes. The efficiencies of sperm cryopreservation have traditionally been strain-dependent, but a new sperm cryo technique has made sperm cryopreservation much more reliable for use in IVF.
The disadvantage of sperm cryo is that monoploid genome is preserved. Sperm are collected from both sides of caudal epididymides and cryopreserved in 16-20 vials stored in two liquid nitrogen tanks. The sperm cryopreservation service does not guarantee recovery to live born by IVF, and for some strains ICSI is required for recovery. Sperm counts, motility and morphology will be analyzed before cryopreservation. Sperm cryopreserved at the Mouse Biology Program can also be stored without charge.
Rate for sperm cryopreservation:
The rate for sperm cryopreservation for 2 males is $338 for University of California investigators or $488 for all other investigators.
To cryopreserve you Mouse:
1. Download and complete a Cryopreservation request form.
Please email completed form to
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or fax to 530.757.3277.
2. After receiving the completed and signed request form, our importation coordinator will contact you to arrange transportation of mice or material (sperm or embryos). An import fee of $110 for University of California Investigators or $159 for all other academics will be applied to all imports.
Please email completed form to
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or fax to 530.757.3277
3. After arrival of mice or material, we will schedule the service immediately and keep you informed on the progress.
If you have additional questions or concerns or are ready to schedule your cryopreservation service, please contact
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