
Disaster Management and Recovery
The Community Services Industry is often the first point of contact before, during and long after disaster or health pandemics strike.
This means organisations need to be ready. But don’t worry! CSIA has developed a suite of resources to accelerate your planning and preparedness.
If you are looking for pandemic specific planning, head over to Living and Working with COVID.
Any organisation, group or community looking for that extra level of support in accelerating your planning, we are here to help.
Complete the form at the bottom of this page and one of our friendly team will be in touch with you to discuss options.
I need help with disaster management and preparedness tools
Here we have a toolkit, template and checklist that will accelerate your organisation and team’s readiness today!



Meet Connie and let her take you through the information, resources and ideas about how community service organisations can achieve business continuity, and be ready.
Bring together key people across your organisation and use this template to put your BCP on paper. This template can be used with the facilitation guide and the scenario planning tools.
Business Continuity and Disaster Management Planning Template
Need a checklist to help you work through the process? We have got you covered. Simple and easy to use, you can share this across your team as you work together developing your plan.
I need a new or to update our Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
CSIA enables the evidence-based user-driven approach to support you to create the best BCP for your organisation. Watch this short six minute video to understand the process and resources to help you and your team.
We have the resources you need to take you, your team and organisation through the steps. Before you dive into the resources, check out this deep dive into the facilitation guide and scenario planning (10 minutes).

Our Guide takes you through four easy to follow steps. This process gives you information and an activity so you can:
- Build shared understanding quickly for a smoother process
- Get together for the interactive scenario planning session – download your copies below!
- Document all your planning to share with your organisation
- Review and test – sometimes real-life situations test the BCP but you can also schedule your own simulated scenarios.
Take me to the Planning for Business Continuity guide right now!
I need Scenario Planning Tools
These are one of our most effective, most downloaded tools. Organisations use them when they develop their BCP. They also keep a laminated copy handy so when disaster strikes they can accelerate their preparedness for every stage.
How do I use them? We have made it super easy for you!
- Print out a copy as large as you can or draw the circles on a white board.
- Walk through each phase of the scenario and use post-it notes to add in everything you need to consider.
- At the end, discuss, then transfer everything to a document you can share.
- Don’t forget to test it as well!!
I need help with living and working with COVID…
COVID is part of the way we live now but its impacts are ongoing. We have the resources, tools and insights to support you and your organisation.
Check out our dedicated page with everything you need.
Cross-disaster planning and preparedness
Community services organisations must be prepared for the impacts of COVID and natural disasters – rain, floods, cyclones, fires, etc. Resources are available and you can watch this panel session discussion including learnings for you to accelerate your readiness (1 hour 15 minutes).
I need to be Pandemic Ready
When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, it caught the world by surprise. Since then, CSIA in collaboration and partnership with Industry and government have developed a suite of materials to meet challenges as they arise.
Check out our dedicated section with the resources, tools, videos and templates you need to accelerate your readiness.
I need to meet the NDIS disaster management standards
Are you an NDIS Service Provider? There is a change to the standards around disaster readiness that you need to know about (don’t worry we have the tools and resources to accelerate your preparedness).
The new National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Practice Standards and amendments to the Quality Indicators are outlined in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Provider Registration and Practice Standards) Amendment (2021 Measures No. 1) Rules 2021 (Amending Rules), and the National Disability Insurance Scheme Legislation Amendment (Quality Indicators) Guidelines 2021 (Amending Guidelines).
In particular there is a new standard around emergency and disaster management. This standard is intended to address the planning required by providers to prepare, prevent, manage and respond to emergency and disaster situations whilst mitigating risks to and ensuring continuity of supports that are critical to the health, safety and wellbeing of NDIS participants. It will appear in Schedule 1 – Core Module, Part 3 – Provider governance and operational management, of the NDIS Practice Standards.
Find out more on the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
CSIA has partnered with Queenslanders with Disability Network to deliver a series of online events to enable you and your team to create the plans you need to meet the standard. Register your interest by submitting the form below. And the resources on this page will help you too!
I need help planning with people with disabilities
We have access to resources and tools, co-designed with Industry and people with disability for better disaster preparedness. They have been tried and tested by organisations so we know it works!
The framework, tools, videos and resources were developed through the Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction project, in partnership with the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy, University of Sydney and Queenslanders with Disability Network.
“We’ve probably done the biggest body of work for our people with disabilities because we’ve got comprehensive risk assessments on all of them. That allows us to find some key areas that highlight those most at risk to develop a person-centred plan that caters to the needs of individuals.” – Care Goondiwindi CEO Tracy Macdonald
We have a blog that explains it all and points you in the right direction!