Glossary

The capability to provide continuous key services to customers and business partners at an expected level regardless of the circumstances (MS 1970)

A comprehensive managed effort to prioritize key business processes, identify significant threats to normal operation, and plan mitigation strategies to ensure effective and efficient organizational response to the challenges that surface during and after a crisis (ASIS)

Strategic and tactical capability of the organization to plan for and respond to incidents and business disruptions in order to continue business operations at an acceptable pre-defined level. (BS25999-1:2006)

Business Continuity is 'the uninterrupted availability of all key resources supporting essential business functions' (HB221 : 2004)

Management process that safeguards the interests of its key stakeholders, reputation, brand and value creating activities by identifying potential impacts that threaten the organisation and provides a framework for building reslience and the capability for an effective response.(MS 1970)

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. (BCI)

A collection of documents containing procedures, resources, and information that is developed, compiled and maintained in readiness for use in the event of an emergency or disaster (MS1970)

A clearly defined and documented plan for use at the time of a Business Continuity Emergency, Event, Incident and /or Crisis (E/I/C). Typically a plan will cover all the key personnel, resources, services and actions required to manage BCM process.
See: Business Continuity Plan (BCP). (BCI)

Documented collection of procedures and information that is developed, compiled and maintained in readiness for use in an incident to enable an organization to continue to deliver its critical activities at an acceptable pre-defined level. (BS25999-1:2006)

A collection of procedures and information that is developed , compiled and maintained in readiness for use in the event of an emergency or disaster. (Associated terms: Business Recovery Plan, Disaster Recovery Plan, Recovery Plan). (HB221 : 2004 )

The advance planning and preparations that are necessary to identify the impact of potential losses; to formulate and implement viable recovery strategies; to develop recovery plan(s) which ensure continuity of organizational services in the event of an E/I/C; and to deliver a comprehensive training, testing and maintenance programme.
See: Contingency Planning, Disaster Recovery Planning, Business Recovery Planning. (BCI)
 

A BCM policy sets out an organisation’s aim, principles and approach to BCM, what and how it will be delivered, key roles and responsibilities and how BCM will be governed and reported upon. (BCI)

An ongoing management and governance process supported by senior management and resourced to ensure that the necessary steps are taken to identify the impact of potential losses, maintain viable recovery strategies and plans, and ensure continuity of products/services through exercising, rehearsal, testing, training, maintenance and assurance.
See: Disaster Recovery Programme, Business Recovery Programme, and Contingency Planning. (BCI)

A defined number of roles and responsibilities for implementing the Business Continuity Management Plan. (BCI)

Critical operational or support activities
See: Mission Critical Activities. (BCI)

The process of analyzing the financial and non-financial impact due to a disruption on business operations. The BIA measures the effects of resource loss and escalating losses over time in order to provide top management with reliable data upon which to base decisions on risk mitigation and continuity planning. (MS1970)

The process of analyzing all business functions and the effect that a specific disaster may have upon them. 1) Determining the type or scope of difficulty caused to an organisation should be a potential event identified by the risk analysis actually occurs. The BIA should quantify, where possible, the loss impact from both a business interruption (number of days) and a financial standpoint.
SIMILAR TERMS: Business Exposure Assessment, Risk Analysis (DRII)

The management level analysis by which an organization assesses the quantitative (financial) and qualitative (non-financial) impacts, effects and loss that might result if the organization were to suffer a disaster. The findings from a BIA are used to make decision concerning Business Continuity Management strategy and solutions. (BCI)

A group of individuals responsible for maintaining the business recovery procedures and coordinating the recovery of business functions and processes.
SIMILAR TERM: Disaster Recovery Team. (DRII)