Business Continuity Management (BCM) is a holistic management process that identifies potential threats to an organization and the impacts those threats pose to operational continuity. This foundational course provides a comprehensive overview of the principles and practices essential for developing organizational resilience and effective response capabilities. Participants will learn to establish a framework for maintaining critical functions during and after a disruption has occurred. The curriculum covers the entire BCM lifecycle, from initial risk assessment and business impact analysis through to plan development and testing, ensuring organizations can safeguard stakeholder interests and preserve their reputation.
Business Continuity Management (BCM) Fundamentals
Risk and Crisis Management
October 25, 2025
Introduction
Objectives
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
- Understand the core principles and importance of Business Continuity Management
- Identify internal and external threats that can cause business disruptions
- Conduct a basic Business Impact Analysis (BIA) to identify critical functions
- Differentiate between business continuity, disaster recovery, and crisis management
- Develop the core components of a basic Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
- Understand the structure and benefits of a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS)
- Recognize the importance of training and awareness in BCM
- Identify common BCM standards and best practices
Target Audience
- Department Managers and Team Leaders
- Risk Management Staff
- Operations and IT Personnel
- Compliance and Governance Officers
- Business Unit Representatives
- Emerging BCM Practitioners
Methodology
- Interactive lectures and multimedia presentations
- Case studies of real-world business disruptions
- Group discussions on BCM challenges and solutions
- Practical workshops for Business Impact Analysis
- Individual exercises for plan component development
- Scenario-based learning activities
Personal Impact
- Enhanced ability to contribute to organizational resilience
- Improved analytical skills for risk and impact assessment
- Stronger strategic thinking and planning capabilities
- Increased confidence in responding to disruptions
- Better understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements
- Valuable skills for career development in risk management
Organizational Impact
- Reduced operational downtime during disruptions
- Protection of organizational reputation and stakeholder confidence
- More efficient resource allocation during incidents
- Improved compliance with regulatory requirements
- Stronger organizational culture of resilience
- Reduced financial impact from business interruptions
Course Outline
Introduction to Business Continuity Management
BCM Core Concepts- Definition and scope of Business Continuity Management
- Evolution and history of BCM practices
- The value proposition and business case for BCM
- Key terminology and concepts
- Regulatory and compliance drivers
- Overview of the BCM program lifecycle
- Understanding the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model
- Components of a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS)
- Alignment with organizational objectives
Risk Assessment and Business Impact Analysis
Risk Assessment- Techniques for identifying potential threats and disruptions
- Assessing vulnerabilities and likelihood of events
- Evaluating internal and external context
- Documenting and prioritizing risks
- Purpose and process of conducting a BIA
- Identifying critical business functions and processes
- Determining Maximum Tolerable Period of Disruption (MTPD)
- Establishing Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO)
BCM Strategy and Plan Development
Strategy Development- Selecting appropriate continuity strategies
- Resource requirements and allocation
- Cost-benefit analysis of strategy options
- Strategy implementation planning
- Structure and components of a Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
- Developing response procedures and workarounds
- Plan documentation standards and templates
- Maintaining plan currency and relevance
Implementation and Operations
Plan Implementation- Establishing incident management structure
- Alerting, notification, and activation procedures
- Crisis communication and stakeholder management
- Resource management during disruptions
- Initial response and assessment procedures
- Recovery and restoration methodologies
- Return to normal operations
- Post-incident review and reporting
Testing, Maintenance and Awareness
Exercise and Testing- Importance of validation through exercises
- Types of exercises: tabletop, functional, full-scale
- Developing exercise scenarios and objectives
- Evaluating exercise results and identifying improvements
- Program maintenance schedules and triggers
- Training and awareness program development
- Management review and performance evaluation
- Continuous improvement processes
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