The World Bank DRM Hub Tokyo coordinated the participation of Sendai City officials in a Business Continuity Planning (BCP) Workshop in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic on May 11, 2017. Organized by the ECA Kyrgyz DRM team, in collaboration with the city's Mayor and the World Bank Country Management Unit, the workshop aimed to:
- Define what Government Continuity Planning (GCP) is and its implications at the local level
- Understand the differences between Government Continuity Planning vs. Emergency Management
- Share best international practices and standards
- Engage municipal managers and senior officials in a project to develop a GCP
- Define an initial list of priorities of critical functions and services that the Bishkek city administration delivers
- Propose a working group of the municipality to develop a GCP and lead the activities within the project
- Present the tentative schedule / roadmap for the development and implementation of GCP
The workshop enabled the Bishkek city administration to develop an initial list of priorities of critical functions and services that it should deliver in the event of an emergency. The workshop benefited from the participation of Sendai City's Director for DRM Department who share Japan's experience on seismic risk reduction, emergency preparedness and financial protection. Lesson learned after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami were also shared with Bishkek city officials to provide them with best practices on emergency preparedness and response.