DIVISION:
DIVISION COOP INFORMATION
A COOP plan is a collection of resources, actions, procedures, and information that is developed,
tested, and held in readiness for use in the event of a major disruption of operations. COOP planning
helps prepare Eastern Michigan University units to maintain mission-critical operations after any
emergency or disaster.
Continuity planning is a fundamental responsibility of the University to its students, faculty, staff and
visitors. Continuity planning facilitates the performance of essential functions during an emergency
situation that disrupts normal operations and/or the timely resumption of normal operations once the
emergency has ended.
A strong continuity plan provides the University with the means to address the numerous issues
involved in performing essential functions and services during an emergency. Without detailed and
coordinated continuity plans and effective continuity programs to implement these plans, the University
risks leaving its campus community without vital services in what could be a time of great need.
The goal of continuity planning is to reduce the consequence of any disruptive event to a manageable
level. In general, continuity plans are designed to:
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Minimize loss of life, injury and property damage.
Mitigate the duration, severity, or pervasiveness of disruptions that do occur.
Achieve the timely and orderly resumption of essential functions and the return to normal
operations.
Be executable with or without warning.
Meet the operational requirements of the respective division. Continuity plans may need to be
operational within minutes of activation, depending on the essential function or service, but
certainly should be operational no later than 12 hours after activation.
Meet the sustainment needs of the respective division. A division may need to plan for
sustained continuity operations for up to 30 days or longer, depending on resources, support
relationships, and strategy.
Ensure the continuous performance of essential functions and operations during an emergency,
including those such as pandemic influenza that require additional considerations beyond
traditional continuity planning.
Section A. DIVISION IDENTIFICATION
Instructions: In this section, identify the COOP Leads and the Division Head they report to. The
Division Head will be responsible for approving the COOP plan and appointing each person who will
serve as a Division COOP contact. These individuals may be contacted by the COOP Planning
Coordinator for more information.
Division Name:
Location:
COOP Contacts
Division Head:
COOP Lead:
Alt. COOP Contact:
Alt. COOP Contact:
Division Phone:
Name
Email
Phone
Fax
Section B. DIVISION FACILITIES
Instructions: List the buildings used by the Division and associated work units. Please include both
primary and secondary uses (administrative, instruction, lab, etc.), number of personnel, and any
special considerations or comments.
Building
Primary Use
Secondary Use
Special
Considerations
Number of
Personnel
Section C. DIVISION OVERVIEW
Instructions: Write a brief description of your division. Include such items as principle services, number
of staff, buildings, location, and space needs. The goal is to create a picture of the size of your division
and the scope of its activities. You may have most of the needed information in another document or
on your website. This can be copied, pasted and modified for use in the COOP plan.
Example: the Business and Finance Division is a collection of key support services, representing
approximately 14 business units and 86 employees plus approximately 100 student employees. The
Business and Finance Division oversees a University budget of $320 million, with responsibility for $26
million. The scope and variety of activities in this Division include the following: Accounting, Student
Accounting and collections, Student Loan Collection, Budgeting, Financial Reporting and Analysis,
Investments, Cash Management, Grants Accounting, Banking, Payroll, Internal and External Audit,
Procurement, Parking, Mail Services, Debt Management, Shipping and Receiving, Large Event Venue
Management, Student ID Cards, Conference Rental, and Accounts Payable.
Section D. DIVISION COOP OBJECTIVES
Instructions: The goal of the division COOP plan is to assist the division to re-establish services
necessary to return to an operational state within 30 days after a major operational interruption. Briefly
describe the range of services that your division provides to others in the event of a long-term
emergency. Do not include your normal operations that can be suspended. It should be clear why your
Division must remain functional, at least in part, during a long-term emergency. Consider the priority
tasks of you division. List them out and indicate whether they are preformed daily, weekly, monthly,
etc.
Example:
1. To ensure federal funds are refunded to students timely or returned. Twice per week all year.
2. To ensure employee wages are paid timely. Weekly.
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4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
To ensure vendors are paid timely. Daily.
Procurement of goods and services. Daily.
Mail services. Daily.
Cash Management. Daily.
Fiscal management. Daily.
Sponsored Research Accounting. Daily.
1.
Section E. UNIQUE DIVISION CONDITIONS
Instructions: Describe any unique situations or conditions that the division may face if multiple units
had to relocate for an extended period of time or experienced a 30% staffing loss.
Example: the Environmental Health and Safety Office has strong ties with Physical Plant, Public
Safety, and Risk Management as well as multiple external suppliers. The office is a two person
program managed by Kathryn Wilhof, Director, with Ellen Bernard, Health and Safety Specialist, to
assist.
LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION
Orders of succession are provisions that are implemented when leadership personnel are unable to
execute their duties during an emergency. Divisions must establish, communicate and maintain their
orders of succession for key positions. This succession may be addressed through by-laws, codes,
ordinances or internal policy. When considering succession, attempt to identify at least two successors
to an incumbent. Although succession most frequently goes downward in the organizational hierarchy,
it may be necessary or desirable to move upward instead; some positions may require successors from
outside the immediate division or even the institution. There also may be situations in which it is
necessary to assign successors from outside the division.
Section A. DIVISION LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION
Instructions: List the people who can make operational decisions if the head of the division is absent.
Name
Division Head
First
Successor
Second
Successor
Position
Email
Office Phone
24/7 Phone
DIVISION DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY
Delegations of Authority specify who is authorized to make decisions or act on behalf of key institution
or division personnel. Delegation of authority planning involves the following steps:
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Identifying which authorities can, and should be, delegated
Describing the circumstances under which the delegation would be exercise, including when it
would become effective and when it would terminate
Identifying limitations of the delegation
Documenting to whom authority should be delegated
Ensuring designees are trained to perform their emergency duties
Delegations of Authority are required by statute in some cases. Certain incumbents in positions
specified in the orders of succession are delegated authority to perform all duties and responsibilities of
the leader. Authority to act as a successor should be exercised only with reasonable certainty that a
superior is unable and unavailable to exercise authority and when immediate action is required. An
individual acting as successor should be relieved of his or her authority as soon as a superior on the list
becomes available, is able and assumes the role of the successor. An individual exercising the
authority of a superior should keep a record of important actions taken and the period during which the
authority is exercised.
There are two types of authority that can be delegated:
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Emergency Authority – the ability to make decisions to an emergency (i.e., COOP plan activation).
Generally this type of authority last as long as the event exists.
Administrative Authority – the ability to make decisions affecting operations beyond the durations of
the event (e.g., hiring or firing or fiscal operations).
Section A. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY
Instructions: Please document which authorities can and should be delegated, to whom, under what
circumstances, including when delegation becomes effective and when it terminates, and any
limitations.
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List the authority to be delegated
Designate whether the authority is “emergency” or “administrative”
List the position which has the authority during normal agency operations
List the position or positions that will receive the authority if it must be delegated
List the conditions that would trigger a delegation of authority
Outline procedures for the delegation, including notifying relevant staff of the transfer of power
Indicate any limitations on the duration, extent, and scope of the delegations
Authority
Contracts
Type of
Authority
Administrative
Position
Holding
Authority
Dean
Delegation
to Position
Associate
Dean
Triggering
Positions
Procedures
Incumbent is
unavailable
or cannot be
contacted for
more than
two hours
Detailed in
Division policy
Limitations
Terminates
when
incumbent
returns
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
Instructions: Include a breakdown of the division’s internal employee reporting structure and chain of command. This can be achieved by
providing an organization chart to show at a glance how each division of the university works together to make EMU successful, and
demonstrates where the individuals of each division fits within the internal personnel structure.
Sample: