Facilities Services staff members, Brian Cowperthwaite, senior director, and John D’Angelo, assistant vice president, published an article entitled, Infrastructure Resiliency Model, in the September/October 2019 issue of Facilities Manager magazine. The article provides the theory, program, and process for implementing the Infrastructure Resiliency Model (IRM) which uses readily-available data to quantify and alleviate operational risk.
Cowperthwaite stated, “We use this framework to address the probability and severity of risk while allowing for real-world drivers, constraints, and restraints.” The article provides a definition for each operational requirement and an analytical model to quantify the associated risk:
RESILIENCY = REDUNDANCY + RELIABILITY + RECOVERABILITY
The steps to implement the IRM include: 1) identifying risks; 2) prioritizing risks; 3) eliminating, mitigating, reducing risks; and 4) transparently reporting progress. Because the IRM uses a numerical evaluation, key performance indicators and targets may be established and tracked to support implementation and consistent communication.
D’Angelo shared a real-world example of a NYC hospital system’s successful use of the IRM during hurricane Sandy, which made landfall in 2012. “Although hurricanes did not receive a high priority during their annual review of risks, tracking Sandy allowed the hospital system to update the probability and reevaluate risks and appropriate mitigations in real-time. As a result, the hospital system not only survived Sandy but was able to fully recover and provide capacity for displaced patients from other damaged facilities.”
As part of our vision to be A National Leader in Higher Education Facilities Services Management, FS will continue to routinely share best practices through publishing articles, submitting award applications, and leading workshops. To read the article, click here.