• NRSC Best Practices Tutorial (2014)
• Best Practices Guidelines
• Recommendations
• Best Practice Format
• Best Practices Numbering Format

  • Critical Best Practices
  • Highly Important Best Practices
  • Important Best Practices

Best Practices Guidelines

1. Proven through actual implementation – more than “just a good idea”
2. Address classes of problems (rather than one time issues)
3. A single concept should be captured in each practice (one thought, one practice)
4. Should not endorse specific commercial documents, products or services
5. Developed through rigorous deliberation and expert consensus
6. Confirmed by a broad set of stakeholders
7. Should not be assumed to be applicable in all situations or to all industry types
8. Should not imply mandatory implementation

Recommendation

Communications organizations should evaluate and implement those Best Practices which they deem appropriate. These organizations should institutionalize the review of Best Practices as part of their planning processes and assess on a periodic basis how implementing selected Best Practices might improve the proficiency and reliability of their operations.

Best Practice Format

The format of the Best Practices should all be in the form of: "__________________ should ___________________".

1st blank “Who” : consists of the implementer (i.e., Service Provider, Network Operator, Equipment Supplier, Property Manager, Government)

2nd blank “What” : consists of the Best Practice. The Best Practice may include the use of a modifier (e.g., consider, in order to, etc.).

Best Practices Numbering Format

For existing CSRIC Best Practices: Each Best Practice has a unique number that follows the numbering format: X - Y - Z # # # X = the current, or most recent CSRIC Council (e.g., 7 in 2004-2005) Y = the Council in which the Best Practice was last edited Z = 0-4 for Network Reliability and Interoperability = 1 for Disaster Recovery and Mutual Aid = 3 for Public Safety = 5 for Physical Security = 8 for Cyber Security # # # = any digits, where every Best Practice has a unique Z # # #

Critical Best Practices include those which met any of the following standards:

• Significantly reduce the potential for a catastrophic failure of critical communications network infrastructure and/or services (e.g., telecommunication, public safety, energy sector, financial, etc.).
• Significantly reduce the duration or severity of critical communications outages.
• Materially limit and/or contain the geographic area affected by a communications failure from cascading to other or adjacent geographic areas.
• Affect critical communications networks (e.g., SS7) for all network configurations, independent of size.
• Preserve priority communications for key personnel involved in disaster response and recovery.