Disaster Recovery Consulting is supported and informed by:

• La Trobe University - Units in Psychology, Sociology and Statistics.
• Washington University, St Louis U.S.A. - School of Engineering and Applied Science. Developing and Managing a Disaster Recovery Plan, Implementing and Testing a Disaster Recovery Plan. 1995.
• Director, Disaster Recovery Institute (Aust.) Pty Ltd. 1995 - 1997
• Director, ExCEL Consulting Services Pty Ltd. 1993 - 1999
• Director, Tim Cousins & Associates Pty Ltd. 1999 - Present
• Three years training at Royal Park Hospital developed a range of essential skills and provided experiences that have proven to be fundamental building blocks in relation to assisting organisations recover from a disaster.
• Lecturing, Emergency Management Australia. Course in Business Continuity Management.

Your Disaster Recovery Plan does not have the unconditional support of your Insurers and are often unable to provide any clear direction after a disaster. Loss Adjusters are also understandably reluctant to commit Insurers to a course of action without having a fair understanding and justification of the strategy to be adopted. There is often an argument about what is a fair and reasonable course of action. The technical experts often disagree and the recovery effort grinds to a halt. This is just the sort of problem that sits nicely within the scope of the Legal Department, but which doesn't necessarily help mitigate the cost of the recovery. 

One of the many difficulties facing any Disaster Recovery Professional is the management of this process. Finding a cost effective and justifiable recovery response to a loss or disaster involves negotiating both the "messy" and politically complex path formed in some responses as well as the restrictive and prescriptive path formed in others. Most recovery professionals have considerable experience and awareness of these processes although possibly articulated in other ways. Indeed the anecdotal evidence to date suggests that this process may well be the most significant factor in the early decision making process after the incident - and not empirical scientific evidence as we would like to think. 

From our accumulation of practical knowledge and experience since 1990 we can now see clearly "what works and what does not". This experience is invaluable in managing the fear and knee jerk reactions that invariably arise in the immediate post loss period. The correct orientation of the "mind set" of all those involved in the very early period after a loss is extremely important to a successful recovery, particularly as there is often a conflict of interest in the advice the Insured receives from their equipment or service suppliers. There are many instances where our appointment has been sought after many weeks of protracted disputes to assist resolve these situations. Invariably it is very much harder to open the discussions to other practical cost effective alternatives once the "mind set" of all those involved has been fixed on a particular outcome(s) however, we have had many major successes is bringing about win-win results from seemingly intractable positions. 

Tim Cousins

    January 2003 Bushfires - Snowy Hydroelectric Scheme

Tumut 1 Power Station 'Black Out'	. . . after power restored