Business Continuity Management focuses on the programmatic issues associated with designing and developing organizational capabilities to address operational disruptions before, during and after a disaster or catastrophic event. In the United States Government the similar term of Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) is used for this capability. Business Continuity Management is the ability of an organization to provide service and support for its customers and to maintain its viability before, during, and after a disruption.
It is a holistic management process that identifies potential impacts that threaten an organization and provides a framework for building resilience with the capability for an effective response that safeguards the interests of its key stakeholders, reputation, brand and value creating activities. BCM is the management of recovery or continuity in the event of a disaster. It includes the management of the overall program through training, rehearsals, and reviews, to ensure the plan stays current and up to date.
The Discipline of Business Continuity Management addresses the following elements:
1. Initiating the Business Continuity Program: Developing policies, accountability, program
ownership, and budget.
2. Understanding the Organization: Aligning business continuity with the organization’s overall
strategy, conducting a business impact analysis, and conducting a risk assessment.
3. Developing Strategies to Protect the Organization: Evaluating the various approaches to
protect the organization including a cost-benefit analysis of each approach.
4. Developing a BCM Response: Developing the business continuity plan that will be activated
when the organization has a disruption or experiences a disaster.
5. Developing a BCM Culture: Awareness, training, testing, and exercising the organization’s
people and processes to ensure that the people who will responsible for responding
understand their roles and responsibilities.
6. Maintaining & Auditing the Program: Essentials for keeping the business continuity program
up to date and ready for activation. |
