Why is a recovery plan essential after an incident?

A recovery plan is essential after an incident because it is designed to restore normalcy and help rebuild resources and infrastructure. After any disruptive event, whether it's a natural disaster, a cyberattack, or any other crisis, the immediate environment may be chaotic and disorganized. A well-structured recovery plan outlines the steps necessary to bring affected areas, services, and operations back to their pre-incident state.

This plan focuses not just on how to deal with the immediate aftermath, but on longer-term recovery strategies that ensure that essential services are restored, infrastructure is repaired or rebuilt, and individuals and organizations can return to their normal functioning as quickly and efficiently as possible. Reestablishing normalcy is critical for the psychological well-being of individuals affected by the incident, as well as for the overall stability of the community or organization.

In contrast, while facilitating immediate evacuation is important during a crisis, it is primarily a response action rather than a recovery action. Maintaining the status quo does not address the needs for improvement or restoration after an incident, and assessing blame leads to conflict rather than constructive recovery efforts. Thus, focusing on thorough recovery to restore normalcy and rebuild vital resources is the most beneficial approach after any incident.