Continuity of Operations Programs (COOP)

Continuity of Operations (COOP) is a United States federal government initiative, required by United States presidential directive, to ensure that agencies are able to continue performance of essential functions under a broad range of circumstances.

National Security Presidential Directive-51 (NSPD-51)/Homeland Security Presidential Directive-20 (HSPD-20), National Continuity Policy, specifies certain requirements for continuity plan development, including the requirement that all Federal executive branch departments and agencies develop an integrated, overlapping continuity capability. FCD 1 also serves as guidance to State, local, and tribal governments.

FEMA has developed Continuity Guidance Circular 1, Continuity Guidance for Non-Federal Agencies (CGC 1). CGC 1 parallels the information in FCD 1 closely, but is geared to States, territories, tribal and local governments, and private-sector organizations.

COOP has also been applied to private companies.

Read a Department of Homeland Security summary of COOP’s scope and function in this downloadable PDF(link is external).

COOP is a component of not only recovery but immediate response.