The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, overlapping the busiest months of federal buying and the start of the new fiscal year. Storms are only one kind of disruption. Power and network outages, facility closures, wildfires, floods and public health emergencies can also interrupt work. Federal customers depend on their contractors to keep services running, and a short continuity plan, written in June, is one of the most practical steps a contractor can take.
Start with what your contracts require
Read your contracts for continuity-related terms. Some service contracts, particularly those supporting essential functions, include specific continuity of operations requirements, such as alternate work locations or designated essential personnel. Others are silent. Note how each contract handles government facility closures, which can affect whether contractor staff work, where they work and whether that time can be billed. If the terms are unclear, ask the contracting officer before a storm, not during one.
A continuity checklist
- People. Maintain a current contact list for employees, subcontractors and government points of contact. Define who decides when to activate the plan.
- Essential work. Identify the services that must continue, the people who perform them and backups trained to step in.
- Locations. Decide where work will happen if your office or the government site is unavailable, and confirm that remote work is permitted and secure under each contract.
- Information. Back up files regularly, test restoration, and make sure systems holding controlled unclassified information meet contract security requirements even in alternate arrangements.
- Equipment and supplies. Plan for laptops, connectivity, generators or critical spares as your work requires.
- Suppliers. Know which deliveries could be delayed and identify alternates for critical items.
- Cash. Understand how a disruption could delay invoicing or payment and how your firm would cover payroll in the meantime.
Communicate early and in writing
When a disruption threatens performance, tell the contracting officer and the contracting officer’s representative promptly, describe the expected impact and explain what you are doing about it. Written notice matters. Standard contract clauses generally excuse delays caused by events beyond the contractor’s control and without its fault or negligence, such as acts of God, fires, floods, epidemics and unusually severe weather, but excusable delay is not automatic, and contracts may require timely notice. Keep records of what happened, what you did and the costs incurred, in case they become relevant to a schedule adjustment or a request for equitable adjustment.
Test the plan before you need it
A plan that has never been exercised often fails at its first step. Walk through a realistic scenario with your team: the office is closed for a week, the government site is closed for three days, and a key subcontractor cannot reach its warehouse. See who calls whom, which systems work remotely and which deliveries slip. Fix the gaps you find, and update the plan whenever contracts, staff or locations change.
Continuity planning is not only about compliance. Customers remember which contractors kept working, kept them informed and recovered quickly. In a season when buyers are deciding who to trust with new work, that reputation is worth protecting. Current FAR clauses on excusable delays and related terms are available at acquisition.gov.