ADS Chapter 531 Continuity of Operations (COOP) Program

The program's objectives include ensuring the performance of essential functions, reducing loss of life and property damage, executing a successful order of succession, reducing disruptions to operations, and protecting personnel, facilities, equipment, records, and other assets critical to the performance of essential functions. The USAID Administrator is responsible for appointing the USAID Continuity Coordinator, ensuring the program is properly resourced, activating the COOP Plan, and providing leadership during continuity plan activations and exercises. The USAID Continuity Coordinator is a senior accountable executive who ensures continuity capabilities in USAID and provides recommendations for continuity policy. The USAID Continuity Manager manages the day-to-day continuity program, represents USAID at interagency continuity working groups, and reports to the USAID Continuity Coordinator on all continuity program activities. Each Bureau/Independent Office (B/IO) is responsible for providing a primary and secondary Continuity Coordinator to represent the B/IO within the USAID Continuity Working Group. The USAID Vital Records Officer is responsible for developing courses of action for record protection and salvage operations, selection of recovery vendor(s), development of the damage assessment process, coordination of recovery efforts, and evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the USAID essential records program. The USAID Telework Managing Officer (TMO) is a senior-level official who is devoted to policy development and implementation related to USAID's telework program. The TMO serves as an advisor for Agency leadership, a resource for managers and employees, and is USAID's primary point of contact for OPM on telework matters. The USAID Reconstitution Manager identifies, coordinates, and trains personnel who will support reconstitution operations, and the USAID Devolution Manager serves as the Continuity Manager at the USAID Devolution Site. The USAID COOP Program is applicable to all USAID offices, personnel, and contractors, regardless of their location. The program is designed to be scalable, flexible, and adaptable, and it serves to link all USAID personnel, offices, and B/IOs into a partnership that plays vital roles in safeguarding and preserving continuity of USAID's operations. The program's provisions are based on applicable law, regulations, and federal continuity policy, as well as industry best practices. The USAID COOP Program includes a range of key components, including risk management, budgeting and acquisition of resources, essential functions, orders of succession, delegations of authority, continuity facilities, continuity communications, essential records management, human resources, Tests, Training, and Exercises (TT&E), and devolution of control and direction. The program also includes a dynamic and integrated continuity TT&E program and operational capability to ensure and validate continuity readiness. The USAID COOP Program is a critical component of the agency's overall emergency management framework, and it plays a vital role in ensuring the continuity of USAID's operations in the event of an incident or disruption. The program's provisions are designed to be flexible and adaptable, and they can be tailored to meet the specific needs and circumstances of individual USAID offices and personnel.