Step 2) Identify Essential Services/Functions

What Are Essential Services


  • A service that when not delivered, creates an impact on the health and safety of individuals.
  • A service that may lead to the failure of a business unit if activities are not performed in a specified time period.
  • A services that must be performed to satisfy regulatory requirements.
  • A service where if not performed, the impact may be immediate or may occur over a time period.
This means that your business may be forced to modify, reduce or even eliminate specific services/functions to cope with the impacts of the emergency.

During an emergency, your business may experience a disruption in your operations due to:
  • High staff absenteeism;
  • Unavailability of supplies and materials;
  • Interruptions to services like power, transportation and communications.

Tips for Businesses


Create lists for your vital business information, staff contacts, emergency contacts, supplier contacts and customer contacts.

How to Determine and Prioritize Your Essential Services


Complete an Essential Service Ranking: This will help you to create a list of essential services by department. Then rate the degree to which it will negatively impact the various key areas such as financial, employees and customers.

Prioritize and Categorize: For each essential service, assign a rating (A, B or C). Rate the impact on each service such as staff absenteeism, unavailability of critical supplies, or disruptions to essential systems.

A) Essential services/functions.
B) Services that can be suspended for a short period of time.
C) Services that can be suspended for an extended period of time.