Application
This unit is for individuals working in positions of authority who are approved to implement change across the division, business area, program area or project area.
This unit addresses the knowledge and processes necessary to develop and maintain business continuity requirements. Business continuity awareness and planning help the organisation to identify barriers and/or interruptions, and to determine how the organisation will achieve critical business objectives (even at diminished capacity) until full functionality is restored.
The focus is on risk and vulnerability assessment, business impact assessments, and business continuity and communication plans.
Prerequisites
Not applicable.
Elements and Performance Criteria
1. Conduct risk and vulnerability assessments | 1.1 Identify the relationship between corporate risk and the organisation’s business continuity management framework 1.2 Analyse and determine internal and external risk context by collecting information that relates to the organisation’s priorities, operations and environment 1.3 Analyse and identify potential internal and external sources of disruption to the organisation’s priorities, operations and environment |
2. Develop and report on the business impact assessment/s | 2.1 Identify the organisation’s critical business functions and their dependencies and interdependencies, and analyse and evaluate risks through the business impact assessment/s 2.2 Develop risk and disruption scenarios through the business impact assessment/s 2.3 Validate risk and disruption scenarios through the business impact assessment/s 2.4 Analyse, validate and report on the outcomes of the business impact assessment/s to management |
3. Develop, implement and report on risk treatments | 3.1 Develop and implement risk treatments 3.2 Participate in risk treatment review 3.3 Report on risk treatment review to management and relevant appropriate personnel 3.4 Update risk treatment review in line with feedback provided by relevant personnel |
4. Determine interdependencies and develop response strategies | 4.1 Develop the organisation’s emergency response, continuity and recovery strategies 4.2 Consult and seek endorsement on the organisation’s emergency response, continuity and recovery strategies from management and other appropriate personnel 4.3 Identify and manage synergies and conflicts in resource 4.4 Coordinate the organisation’s emergency response, continuity and recovery strategies |
5. Establish the business continuity plan | 5.1 Consult relevant personnel and seek support for the development of the organisation’s business continuity plan/s 5.2 Ensure content of business continuity plan is comprehensive and meets, where applicable, the requirements of regulations, standards, industry practice and geographical dispersion 5.3 Document and analyse feedback received through consultation and finalise business continuity plan 5.4 Demonstrate accountability for the organisation’s business continuity plan/s |
6. Establish the communication plan within the organisation’s planning framework | 6.1 Identify stakeholders and determine objective and scope of communication plan for periods before, during and after disruptions occur 6.2 Determine organisation’s communication capabilities in line with objectives and scope, and identify gaps and options for meeting shortfalls 6.3 Develop and implement across the organisation, appropriate risk and incident monitoring, reporting and escalation processes |
7. Deliver business continuity professional development activities | 7.1 Promote the application of the business continuity management framework and plan to all relevant personnel on an ongoing basis 7.2 Provide staff with appropriate information relating to the cyclical review process of the business continuity management plan 7.3 Conduct business continuity management plan exercises in line with the organisation’s policies and procedures 7.4 Conduct post exercise debriefs, complete post exercise reviews and update business continuity strategies and plans as required 7.5 Manage and record staff learning and development in relation to the business continuity management framework in accordance with organisational requirements, and framework policies and procedures 7.6 Report on the outcomes of staff learning and development, and business continuity framework exercises to relevant personnel |
Required Skills
Required skills
analytical skills to analyse relevant workplace information and data, and to make observations and connections between workplace tasks and interactions in relation to people, activities, equipment, environment and systems
communication, teamwork and leadership skills to:
read and interpret an organisation’s reports, policies and procedures in order to develop business continuity management plan/s
effectively communicate and work with a diverse range of individuals at all levels during and after a disruptive event
effectively negotiate the trust and confidence of colleagues and stakeholders
effectively undertake detailed business impact assessment activities across the spectrum of the organisation’s stakeholders
information technology skills to effectively respond to information technology issues
initiative and enterprise skills to generate a range of options in response to a disruptive event
planning and organisational skills to participate in or to establish the organisation’s improvement and planning processes
presentation skills to develop and present reports or presentations that deal with complex ideas and concepts, and to articulate information and ideas clearly
research skills to undertake the necessary background research for risk and vulnerability assessment, business impact assessment and business continuity plan
risk management and project planning skills to effectively develop and execute potentially complex business continuity planning strategies and plans
stress management skills to work effectively and positively under the pressure of a major incident or situation within the workplace.
Required knowledge
AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 Risk Management - Principles and Guidelines
Australian/New Zealand Standard Handbook AS/NZS 50:50 2010 Business Continuity: managing disruption related risk
organisation’s policies and procedures, including business continuity strategies
overall operations of the organisation, including existing data and information systems, paper and digital recordkeeping systems
past and current internal, external and industry disruptions
relevant legislation and regulations that impact on business continuity, such as OHS, environment, duty of care, contract, company, freedom of information, industrial relations, emergency management, privacy and confidentiality, due diligence, records management
types of available insurance, what is required and insurance providers in relation to business continuity planning
types of available recoverable services.
Evidence Required
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the following is essential: knowledge of the organisation’s overall business continuity framework and how it interrelates with the critical business functions development and implementation of a business continuity plan that includes appropriate links to emergency response, disaster recovery plans and detailed continuity and recovery strategies effective management of the communication and staff development activities relating to business continuity risk and vulnerability assessment. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure: access to workplace business continuity documentation access to feedback from teams and management. |
Method of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the participant work based projects or case studies observation of presentations oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of business continuity management framework and business continuity plans review of documented critical success factors, and goals or objectives for area review of risks prioritised for risk treatment and disruption scenarios evaluation of business impact assessment evaluation of business continuity and communication strategies and plans. |
Guidance information for assessment | Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Corporate risk may include: | electronic information security espionage/commercial confidence/sensitivity breach governance insolvency major fraud professional negligence – threat of major legal action against directors. |
Organisations may include: | commercial enterprises community government non-commercial enterprises not-for-profit religious organisations. |
Risk may include: | aeronautical armed hold-up biological chemical civil disturbance disability/death of key person economic electronic erosion explosion fire fraud hazardous materials industrial accident infrastructure failure market failure natural disaster operational collapse – insolvency pandemic pollution privacy and confidentiality radiological/nuclear robbery and/or major vandalism sabotage structure failure terrorism transport accident war water weather/climate change. |
Critical business functions may include: | business objectives customer service functions financial systems human resource functions management OHS organisational structure payroll records management. |
Dependencies may include: | office furniture office supplies personnel support activities systems and applications vital records. |
Interdependencies may include: | communications outsourcer and third party suppliers power sanitation security transport water. |
Business impact assessment/s | breach/reduction of customer service standards cost/impact on existing and/or increased finance escalating losses over time impact of loss of business/resources loss of revenue potential fines/penalties/litigation costs reputation/brand damage statutory/regulatory breaches. |
Disruption scenarios may include: | damage to/loss of critical infrastructure information and intelligence – unavailable equipment and other assets – unavailable litigation loss of access to building loss of access to precinct loss of access to records and organisational information systems loss of building loss of communications – voice loss of communications loss of distribution chain loss of information technology systems loss of number and availability of staff, including key staff not meeting legal and business requirements partnership dependencies – denial of access to goods and services from suppliers, outsourcers. |
Management may include: | chief executive officer company board delegated business continuity management director/officer department managers directors supervisors. |
Risk treatment may include: | activating evacuation plan activating lockdown procedures activating workplace emergency management plan personnel working from home relocation of facilities temporarily suspending activities transferring activities. |
Emergency response strategies may include: | contact lists to report incident/s documentation/reporting/recording procedures evacuation plan location of evacuation assembly point lock down procedures names and responsibilities of wardens personnel instructions for evacuation process for accounting personnel workplace emergency management plan. |
Continuity strategies may include: | action required to resume critical business activities to pre-disruption capacity contact lists of critical personnel and stakeholders counselling critical business activities and prioritisation of when they can/need to resume list of resources relocation to alternative worksite resource replacement treatment for critical business activities. |
Recovery strategies may include: | customer confidence/relationship management damage assessment market re-establishment process for assessing loss and filing insurance claims relocation of business to original location salvage and restoration of records, infrastructure and premises. |
Resources may include: | critical written and/or electronic records emergency services facilities and/or accommodation finances information technology infrastructure and applications management insurance personnel plant and equipment premises telecommunications. |
Business continuity plan/s may include: | introduction organisational details objectives purpose critical business functions assumptions processes activation and stand down responsibility version control and maintenance operational requirements critical success factors interdependencies outage times compliance people structure roles and responsibilities contact details continuity arrangements accommodation resources workarounds and alternate solutions continuity management tasks communications other plans checklists maps and drawings. |
Stakeholders may include: | chief executive officer company board customers directors families/next-of-kin funders local community media personnel professional bodies shareholders relevant government minister/s and department/s regulators sponsors suppliers. |
Communication plan may include: | accessibility assumptions audience boundaries business continuity terminology capability equipment hierarchical organisational chart of internal and external emergency services personnel/delegates mode monitoring procedures radio silence reporting and recording procedures sensitivities. |
Exercises may include: | drills discussion exercises modelling planned walkthroughs scenario planning and exercising simulated exercises testing. |
Sectors
Industry Capability – Continuity
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills.
Licensing Information
No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.