The Complete DR Readiness Scorecard: 20 Critical Questions to Assess Your Disaster Recovery Preparedness

When disaster strikes, there's no time for second-guessing. The difference between a minor business disruption and a catastrophic failure often comes down to one critical factor: how prepared you were before the incident occurred. While 93% of companies without disaster recovery fail within one year of a major data loss event, organizations with robust DR plans can recover quickly and maintain business continuity.

But here's the challenge: How do you know if your disaster recovery plan is truly ready? How can you objectively measure your organization's preparedness against industry best practices?

This comprehensive DR readiness scorecard provides you with 20 essential questions designed to evaluate every aspect of your disaster recovery capabilities. Whether you're a seasoned IT professional or a business leader responsible for organizational resilience, this assessment will help you identify gaps, prioritize improvements, and build confidence in your disaster recovery strategy.

Understanding DR Readiness Assessment

Before diving into the scorecard, it's important to understand what we're measuring. Disaster recovery readiness encompasses your organization's ability to respond to, recover from, and resume operations after a disruptive event. This includes everything from cyberattacks and hardware failures to natural disasters and human error.

A comprehensive DR assessment evaluates five key areas:

• Strategic Planning: The foundation of your DR program
• Technical Infrastructure: Your backup, recovery, and continuity systems
• Operational Procedures: How your team executes DR plans
• Testing and Validation: Proof that your plans actually work
• Governance and Compliance: Alignment with standards and regulations

The 20-Question DR Readiness Scorecard

Strategic Planning and Documentation (Questions 1-5)

1. Do you have a documented disaster recovery plan that's been updated within the last 12 months?

• Score 5: Comprehensive, current DR plan updated within 6 months
• Score 3: DR plan exists but last updated 6-12 months ago
• Score 1: Outdated plan (over 12 months) or incomplete documentation
• Score 0: No formal DR plan exists

2. Have you conducted a formal business impact analysis (BIA) to identify critical business functions?

• Score 5: Comprehensive BIA completed within the last year with clear RTOs/RPOs
• Score 3: BIA exists but needs updating or lacks detail
• Score 1: Basic impact assessment without formal documentation
• Score 0: No BIA conducted

3. Are disaster recovery roles and responsibilities clearly defined and communicated?

• Score 5: Clear RACI matrix with trained personnel and documented escalation procedures
• Score 3: Roles defined but limited training or unclear escalation paths
• Score 1: Basic role assignments without formal documentation
• Score 0: No defined DR roles or responsibilities

4. Do you have established Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs) for all critical systems?

• Score 5: Detailed RTOs/RPOs for all systems, aligned with business requirements
• Score 3: RTOs/RPOs defined for most critical systems
• Score 1: Basic recovery objectives without detailed specifications
• Score 0: No formal RTOs/RPOs established

5. Is your DR plan integrated with your overall business continuity strategy?

• Score 5: Fully integrated with comprehensive business continuity program
• Score 3: Some integration but gaps exist between DR and BC planning
• Score 1: Basic coordination between DR and business continuity
• Score 0: DR operates in isolation from business continuity planning

Technical Infrastructure and Systems (Questions 6-10)

6. Do you maintain regular, automated backups of all critical data and systems?

• Score 5: Automated backups with multiple retention periods, tested regularly
• Score 3: Regular automated backups with basic testing
• Score 1: Inconsistent backup processes or limited testing
• Score 0: No formal backup strategy or unreliable backups

7. Are your backup systems geographically separated from primary infrastructure?

• Score 5: Multiple geographically diverse backup locations with hot standby capability
• Score 3: Offsite backups in separate geographic region
• Score 1: Limited geographic separation or single offsite location
• Score 0: Backups stored in same location as primary systems

8. Can you restore critical systems within your defined RTOs?

• Score 5: Consistently meet RTOs with automated failover capabilities
• Score 3: Usually meet RTOs but some manual processes required
• Score 1: Occasionally miss RTOs or lengthy manual recovery processes
• Score 0: Cannot reliably meet established RTOs

9. Do you have redundant communication systems for emergency coordination?

• Score 5: Multiple communication channels with automated failover
• Score 3: Backup communication systems tested regularly
• Score 1: Limited backup communication options
• Score 0: Single point of failure in communication systems

10. Is your IT infrastructure designed with high availability and fault tolerance?

• Score 5: Fully redundant systems with automatic failover across multiple sites
• Score 3: Key systems have redundancy with some manual failover processes
• Score 1: Limited redundancy for most critical systems only
• Score 0: Little to no built-in redundancy or fault tolerance

Operational Procedures and Response (Questions 11-15)

11. Do you have detailed, step-by-step recovery procedures for each critical system?

• Score 5: Comprehensive runbooks with screenshots, tested procedures for all systems
• Score 3: Detailed procedures exist for most critical systems
• Score 1: Basic procedures without detailed documentation
• Score 0: No documented recovery procedures

12. Is there a 24/7 incident response capability with trained personnel?

• Score 5: Dedicated 24/7 response team with rotation and cross-training
• Score 3: On-call rotation with trained personnel
• Score 1: Limited after-hours response capability
• Score 0: No formal 24/7 response capability

13. Do you maintain an updated inventory of all critical IT assets and dependencies?

• Score 5: Real-time asset inventory with dependency mapping and impact analysis
• Score 3: Current asset inventory updated quarterly
• Score 1: Basic asset inventory with annual updates
• Score 0: No comprehensive asset inventory maintained

14. Are alternate work locations and remote access capabilities established?

• Score 5: Multiple work sites with full remote access and collaboration tools
• Score 3: Established alternate site with remote access capabilities
• Score 1: Basic remote access but limited alternate work arrangements
• Score 0: No alternate work locations or remote access plan

15. Do you have relationships with key vendors for emergency support and equipment?

• Score 5: Pre-negotiated contracts with SLAs and priority support agreements
• Score 3: Established vendor relationships with informal priority arrangements
• Score 1: Basic vendor contacts without formal agreements
• Score 0: No established emergency vendor relationships

Testing and Validation (Questions 16-18)

16. How frequently do you test your disaster recovery procedures?

• Score 5: Quarterly full DR tests with annual comprehensive exercises
• Score 3: Semi-annual DR tests with regular component testing
• Score 1: Annual DR test with minimal component testing
• Score 0: No regular DR testing program

17. Do you document test results and track remediation of identified issues?

• Score 5: Comprehensive test reports with tracked remediation and trend analysis
• Score 3: Test results documented with basic issue tracking
• Score 1: Limited documentation of test results
• Score 0: No formal documentation of DR testing

18. Are different disaster scenarios tested (cyber attacks, natural disasters, system failures)?

• Score 5: Multiple scenario types tested annually with varied complexity
• Score 3: Several different scenarios tested regularly
• Score 1: Limited scenario variety in testing
• Score 0: Only single scenario type tested or no scenario-based testing

Governance and Compliance (Questions 19-20)

19. Does executive leadership actively support and participate in DR planning?

• Score 5: C-level sponsorship with regular DR briefings and resource allocation
• Score 3: Management support with periodic involvement
• Score 1: Basic management awareness and support
• Score 0: Limited or no executive involvement in DR planning

20. Are you compliant with relevant regulatory and industry DR requirements?

• Score 5: Full compliance with regular audits and certifications (ISO 22301, SOC 2, etc.)
• Score 3: Generally compliant with minor gaps
• Score 1: Working toward compliance with known gaps
• Score 0: No formal compliance program or significant gaps

Scoring Your DR Readiness

Total possible points: 100

Score Interpretation:

90-100 points: Excellent DR Readiness Your organization demonstrates mature disaster recovery capabilities with comprehensive planning, regular testing, and strong governance. Continue monitoring and improving to maintain this high level of preparedness.

70-89 points: Good DR Readiness You have solid disaster recovery foundations but several areas need improvement. Focus on addressing gaps in testing, documentation, or technical infrastructure to reach the next maturity level.

50-69 points: Moderate DR Readiness Your DR program has basic elements but significant gaps exist. Prioritize improving critical areas like backup systems, testing procedures, and staff training.

30-49 points: Limited DR Readiness Your organization has minimal disaster recovery capabilities. Immediate action is needed to develop comprehensive plans, implement backup systems, and establish testing procedures.

Below 30 points: Poor DR Readiness Your organization is at high risk for prolonged outages and data loss. Emergency action is required to establish basic disaster recovery capabilities and protect business continuity.

Prioritizing Improvements Based on Your Score

For Lower Scores (Below 50):

1. Immediate Actions: Implement automated backups and basic documentation
2. Short-term Goals: Develop formal DR plan and conduct initial risk assessment
3. Medium-term Objectives: Establish testing procedures and train key personnel

For Moderate Scores (50-69):

1. Focus Areas: Enhance testing frequency and improve documentation detail
2. Infrastructure: Upgrade backup systems and implement redundancy
3. Process: Strengthen vendor relationships and communication procedures

For Higher Scores (70+):

1. Optimization: Fine-tune RTOs/RPOs and automate more processes
2. Advanced Testing: Implement complex scenario testing and chaos engineering
3. Continuous Improvement: Regular maturity assessments and benchmarking

Industry Benchmarks and Best Practices

According to recent disaster recovery studies:

• 68% of organizations test their DR plans less than twice per year
• Only 24% of companies can recover all systems within their stated RTOs
• Organizations with mature DR programs experience 50% shorter recovery times

Leading organizations typically score 85+ on comprehensive DR assessments, with particular strength in:

• Automated failover capabilities
• Regular, varied testing scenarios
• Strong executive sponsorship and governance
• Integration with broader business continuity programs

Key Takeaways

• Regular assessment is crucial: Use this scorecard quarterly to track improvements and identify emerging gaps
• Focus on your weakest areas first: Address foundational issues before pursuing advanced capabilities
• Testing validates everything: No DR plan is complete without regular, comprehensive testing
• Documentation saves time: Well-documented procedures dramatically reduce recovery times during actual incidents
• Executive support drives success: Leadership engagement and resource allocation are critical for DR program maturity

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How often should I complete this DR readiness assessment? A: We recommend conducting this comprehensive assessment quarterly, with monthly reviews of critical components. This frequency helps you track improvements and identify new risks as your IT environment evolves.

Q: What's considered a "good" score for most organizations? A: A score of 70 or higher indicates solid disaster recovery readiness. However, highly regulated industries or mission-critical organizations should target 85+ to ensure comprehensive protection.

Q: Should different departments complete separate assessments? A: Yes, if you have multiple business units with distinct IT infrastructures. However, ensure coordination between assessments to maintain enterprise-wide visibility and avoid gaps in coverage.

Q: How do I prioritize improvements if multiple areas score poorly? A: Focus on foundational elements first: backup systems, basic documentation, and key personnel training. These provide the highest immediate risk reduction before moving to advanced capabilities.

Q: What if my organization lacks the internal expertise to improve our score? A: Consider partnering with disaster recovery specialists or managed service providers who can help assess, design, and implement improvements. Many organizations benefit from external expertise, especially for complex technical implementations.

Take Action on Your DR Readiness Today

Completing this scorecard is just the first step in building a resilient organization. The insights you've gained should drive immediate action to strengthen your disaster recovery capabilities.

Ready to transform your DR readiness score into a comprehensive disaster recovery strategy? Crispy Umbrella's DRaaS platform can help you address the gaps identified in your assessment. Our experts work with organizations to implement automated backup systems, establish testing procedures, and create the technical infrastructure needed to achieve excellent DR readiness scores.

Contact us today for a personalized consultation on improving your disaster recovery capabilities. Don't wait for a disaster to test your preparedness – take action now to protect your business continuity and peace of mind.