When disasters strike, food security and economic continuity quickly become critical challenges for communities. In this context, PIRAC (the Regional Intervention Platform for the Americas and the Caribbean of the French Red Cross) supports the Red Cross societies of Dominica and Saint Lucia, as well as farmers, fishers, and tourism stakeholders, to strengthen their preparedness for crises.
Business Continuity Plan: a key tool for resilience
A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is a strategic tool that helps businesses anticipate risks and organize the actions needed to maintain operations or recover quickly after a major disruption.
In practical terms, during a crisis, a BCP helps safeguard essential business functions and minimize economic losses.
However, traditional BCP frameworks are still underused by small businesses. They are often perceived as too time-consuming, overly complex, and too theoretical—making them poorly suited to the realities of micro-enterprises.
So how can we make business continuity planning more accessible, practical, and relevant for small entrepreneurs? This question lies at the heart of the project.
A Collaborative Approach with Local Stakeholders
A Business Continuity Plan can only be effective if it reflects on-the-ground realities, especially for small, often family-run businesses.
This is why the tool was developed through a collaborative approach involving 49 local partners, including Red Cross National Societies, local authorities, agricultural cooperatives, fishers’ associations, tourism representatives, Ministries of Agriculture and Fisheries, and National Disaster Management Offices.
The development process included several phases: consultations to gather needs and feedback, followed by the design and iterative refinement of multiple versions of the tool.
At the same time, workshops were held with field actors, such as extension officers, cooperatives, and business support organizations. This collective effort ensured the final tool aligns with local practices and constraints.
A Practical Tool to Strengthen Small Business Resilience
As a result, a simplified version of the Business Continuity Plan has been developed, designed to be completed in about one hour.
This model was presented during a webinar, marking the culmination of a process built in close collaboration with partners and beneficiaries.
This final version represents a concrete step forward in improving disaster preparedness among small businesses.
The project is now entering a new phase: training facilitators who will directly support entrepreneurs in developing their BCPs on the ground, helping overcome remaining barriers to adoption.
Empowering fishers, farmers, and tourism operators to anticipate risks, organize effectively, and protect their livelihoods is key to reducing the long-term impact of disasters on their daily lives.
This initiative is part of the READY 360° regional program, funded by Interreg Caribbean and the CMA CGM Foundation, in partnership with local stakeholders in Dominica and Saint Lucia.
