Mitigating Risk with a Business Continuity Plan |
CHAPTER |
BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANS (BCPs) are an important element of risk management. They help an organization plan for a major disruption or disaster and ensure that critical business functions (CBFs) continue to operate. The business impact analysis (BIA) sets the stage for the BCP by identifying CBFs. The BCP coordinator then develops the BCP to support these CBFs. The BCP coordinator receives assistance from one or more BCP teams and team leads.
Activities happen in different phases if a disruption occurs. The first phase is the notification/activation phase, called by the BCP coordinator. The second phase is the recovery phase, where CBFs are recovered and returned to full operation. The final phase is the reconstitution phase, where the organization returns to normal operations. For a BCP to succeed, personnel need to be trained, and the BCP needs to be tested and exercised. Additionally, the BCP needs to be reviewed regularly and kept up to date.
This chapter covers the following topics and concepts:
When you complete this chapter, you will be able to: