University of Maryland Global Campus

EMGT 310: Continuity of Operations Planning and Implementation

A study guide to UMGC's EMGT 310, the course on developing, implementing, exercising and evaluating continuity of operations in government and industry.

Updated October 2026 · 5 min read

EMGT 310 at the University of Maryland Global Campus is a three-credit course. UMGC describes an exploration of developing, implementing, exercising and evaluating continuity of operations for both government and industry, introducing continuity planning in the public and private sectors and its role in community resilience.

The challenge is thinking in terms of essential functions: what must continue, for how long, with what resources, and how an organization gets there after a disruption, from cyberattack to pandemic.

Course at a Glance

ItemDetails
UniversityUniversity of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
Code and titleEMGT 310 Continuity of Operations Planning and Implementation
Credits3
LevelUndergraduate (Emergency Management)
Typical workContinuity plan components, risk and impact analysis, exercise design, evaluations

What EMGT 310 Covers

Catalog ideaWhat it means in practice
Develop, implement, exercise, evaluateThe life cycle of a continuity program
Government and industryCompare public and private sector needs
Enduring constitutional governmentRole of continuity planning in keeping government functioning
Community resilienceHow continuity helps communities and organizations withstand disasters
Planning and operational componentsThe parts of a continuity plan and program
Interaction with emergency managementHow continuity links to emergency programs and plans
Cyberattacks and pandemic eventsRole of continuity in mitigating effects of these threats

Key Concepts Explained

Essential Functions

Continuity planning begins by identifying the functions an organization must perform even in a disruption. Rank them by urgency and dependence on people, facilities, systems and suppliers.

Example: A city water utility. Essential functions: treatment, distribution monitoring and customer emergency contact. Dependencies: operators, control systems, power, chemicals, and communications. For each, set a recovery target and an alternative, such as a backup site or manual operations.

Plan Components

Common components include leadership succession, alternate facilities, communications, critical records and systems, and staff arrangements. Your course materials give the structure expected, so mirror it.

Testing and Maintenance

Plans age. Describe exercises, training, review cycles and how corrective actions are tracked.

Working Through the Catalog Description

The four verbs, develop, implement, exercise and evaluate, form a program cycle. Use it as the structure of a continuity assignment.

Develop and Implement

Analyze functions, risks and dependencies, then document strategies, roles and resources. Implementation means training, agreements and technical arrangements.

Exercise and Evaluate

Plan exercises, observe results and record corrective actions.

Second example: A pandemic scenario: 30 percent of staff absent for six weeks. The plan adds cross-training, remote work arrangements, reduced service levels for non-essential tasks and a trigger for activation. The evaluation checks whether essential functions continued at the target level.

Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them

Assignment typeWhat it testsHow to approach it
Continuity plan or componentsPlanningStart with essential functions and dependencies
Impact and risk analysisPrioritizationRank by impact and recovery time
Exercise designTestingSet objectives, scenario and measures
Public and private comparisonPerspectiveUse clear criteria and examples

Your classroom sets the actual assignments and rubrics. These are typical types for the description.

Where Students Get Stuck

A Suggested Study Plan

StageFocusOutput
1Choose organization and scopeShort profile
2Identify essential functionsRanked list with recovery targets
3Map dependencies and risksDependency and threat table
4Write strategies and plan componentsPlan sections
5Exercise and evaluateExercise outline and criteria
6Revise and formatFinal draft with citation check

Self-Review Checklist

Check your continuity plan against these points.

CheckWhat a reader looks for
Essential functionsRanked with recovery targets
DependenciesPeople, systems, facilities and suppliers mapped
StrategiesAlternate sites, succession and communications
ThreatsCyberattack and pandemic scenarios included
TestingExercises, reviews and corrective actions

A Common Sticking Point, Worked

Defining an Essential Function

Weaker: The office must keep working.

Stronger: Essential function: process emergency permit requests within 24 hours. Dependencies: two trained staff, the permit database and a phone line. Alternate: paper forms and the backup site if the system is down for more than four hours.

The stronger version states a measurable function, dependencies and an alternative.

Study Tips for EMGT 310

How We Help with EMGT 310

Send the prompt, organization details, rubric and feedback. We prepare custom plans, explain the concepts, or edit your draft for logic and citations.

GradeEssays is independent of UMGC. Our work is a study aid: submit only your own work under UMGC's academic integrity policy. We never access course portals. Orders are written from scratch and plagiarism-checked, with free revisions within the scope of your original request and a full refund if late.

Make Your EMGT 310 Continuity Plan Clearer

Share the assignment and draft. A writer prepares a custom plan or edits your work.

Start My EMGT 310 Help

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many credits is EMGT 310?

UMGC lists 3 credits.

Does the course cover private industry?

Yes. UMGC says continuity planning is developed for both government and industry.

Are cyberattacks and pandemics included?

Yes. UMGC lists the role of continuity planning in mitigating their effects.

Is there a prerequisite?

The UMGC course page does not list one. Check the current schedule or your advisor.

What is continuity of operations?

Planning to keep essential functions going during a disruption. Your materials give the official definitions.

Can you help with my plan?

We can prepare model examples or edit your draft. You submit your own work.