From Binder to Action: Making COOP a Living Plan

“We have a COOP plan,,, somewhere.” It’s a common response when we ask about continuity planning. Maybe it was created for a grant requirement, written during a leadership transition, or pulled together after a bad storm. Either way, it now sits on a shelf, forgotten, dusty, and dangerously out of date.

But here’s the thing: Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) isn’t just about surviving the “big one.” Yes, fire, flood, and cyberattacks are serious threats. But smaller disruptions, like a downed internet line, unexpected sick leave, or a two-hour power outage, can be just as disruptive to your operations. And they’re far more likely to happen.

So how do you transform COOP from a static document into a living, breathing tool that helps your team bounce back quickly, no matter the size of the incident?

Let’s dive in.

The Little Things Are a Big Deal.

When we think of COOP, it’s easy to picture catastrophic events: a ransomware attack that locks up your servers, a fire that closes your main building, or a hurricane that cuts off access for days. These are serious, and yes, you absolutely need to plan for them.

But what about:

• A water main break that forces your office to close for the day?

• A regional internet outage that prevents remote work?

• A staff member with critical institutional knowledge out unexpectedly for weeks?

These aren’t headline-grabbers but they are continuity events. The question isn’t if they’ll happen. It’s when. And when they do, will your team know what to do next?

Breathe Life into Your COOP Plan

Here are some practical ways to make sure your continuity plan is more than a formality:

• Build in Business-as-Usual Disruptions

  Your COOP should include response plans for both major and minor but high-frequency disruptions, like network outages, HVAC failures, and sudden staff absences. These events may only last a day or two, but they can paralyze critical services if you haven’t identified workarounds or backups.

• Identify and Revisit Essential Functions

  Rather than focusing on physical assets or buildings, start with essential services. Ask:

  • What absolutely must continue?

  • Who is responsible?

  • What’s the fallback if they’re unavailable?

    Build continuity from that core.

• Move Beyond Paper

  Your COOP shouldn’t just exist in a three-ring binder. Digitize it. Store it in multiple places. Better yet, make sure every department lead knows how to access and use it, especially when standard systems are down. But also keep a three-ring binder copy up to date.

• Practice in Realistic Ways

  Tabletop exercises are great—but you don’t need to go full disaster drill.

  Start small:

  • “What would we do if our office lost power for 8 hours tomorrow?”

  • “Who can approve payroll if our usual person is out and the system is down?”

  Use real-life scenarios to test assumptions and identify gaps.

• Make It a Culture, Not a Project

  Continuity isn’t a one-time event—, t’s a mindset. Incorporate it into onboarding, leadership meetings, and policy reviews. Assign responsibility, check in periodically, and update when systems, staff, or services change. Even small changes; like shifting to cloud-based tools or hybrid work, may require COOP updates.

A Strong COOP Is Scalable and Sustainable

Good continuity planning isn’t about writing the longest document or preparing for every worst-case scenario. It’s about creating a flexible, actionable plan that reflects your organization’s priorities, people, and reality. And if it’s been more than a year since you reviewed your plan, or if you’ve never tested it, there’s no better time to start.

Let’s Talk. At Sage 497 Consulting LLC, we organizations turn dusty continuity plans into active organizational tools. Whether you need a fresh start, a quick review, or guidance running an exercise, we’re here to help. Ready to move your COOP from binder to action?