Insights · Template
Disaster recovery test plan template
A recovery test without a plan proves little and risks much. This template defines what a test plan contains so that the exercise is safe, measured and repeatable, and so that its results count as evidence.
How to use it
Before the first step.
- Start with isolated restores and build toward full service recovery.
- The success criteria are the recovery objectives, not the completion of steps.
Steps
Each one owned and evidenced.
| # | Step | Owner | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Objectives: which systems, scenarios and objectives the test examines. | IT lead | Objectives statement |
| 02 | Scope and boundaries: what is tested, what is simulated, what is out of scope. | IT lead | Scope statement |
| 03 | Scenario: the failure being simulated, from single-system loss to site loss or attack. | IT lead | Scenario description |
| 04 | Roles and participants: who performs, who observes, who decides on abort. | IT lead | Role list |
| 05 | Success criteria: recovery time and recovery point per system, functional checks, data integrity checks. | IT lead with business owners | Criteria table |
| 06 | Procedure: ordered steps with dependencies, drawn from the recovery plan. | IT operations | Step list |
| 07 | Safety and rollback: how production is protected and how the test is unwound. | IT lead | Safety plan |
| 08 | Measurement: what is timed and recorded, by whom, at which points. | Observer | Measurement sheet |
| 09 | Results: measured values against criteria, failures, observations. | Observer | Results record |
| 10 | Actions and sign-off: gaps, owners, dates and acceptance of the results. | IT lead with sponsor | Action list and sign-off |
By David Selakovic · Published 2026-10-16 · Revised 2026-10-16 · Reviewed every 180 days