In an unpredictable business environment, disruptions can occur without warning, causing potential harm to an organisation’s operations, reputation, and bottom line. Having a robust Business Continuity Plan (BCP) in place is critical for any organisation, large or small, to navigate through these uncertainties efficiently. A BCP outlines the procedures and steps an organisation must follow in the face of a crisis or disaster.
This is our free template to create a BCP for your organisation, complete with sections ranging from risk assessment to recovery strategies. Our goal is to equip you with an understanding of how to prepare a BCP that minimises the impact of disruptions, ensuring your organisation can continue business as usual, under any circumstance.
Let’s get started with understanding what a BCP is all about.
What Is A Business Continuity Plan?
A BCP is an essential tool that outlines how an organisation will continue its critical operations during an unforeseen disruption or crisis. It encompasses everything from minor local incidents like power outages to major disasters like fires, floods, or cyber-attacks.
A BCP differs from a disaster recovery plan in that it goes beyond just recovering IT systems. It deals with the continuation of the entire business – including necessary processes, personnel, systems, and partners – for every potential disruption the organisation might face.
A well-drafted BCP is business-specific, comprehensive, and flexible, accounting for the nuances of the business, covering all aspects of business continuity, and adaptable enough to be relevant for any disruption or crisis.
The ultimate aim of a BCP is to minimise downtime and loss, protect the organisation’s reputation, and provide a clear plan of action for all involved in the face of disruption. When accurately done, it enables a more efficient and effective response to crises, reduces downtime, and mitigates the impact on customers and revenue. Thus, it’s an indispensable part of any organisation’s risk management strategy.
So, without further ado, here is our business continuity plan template.
1. Introduction
This section sets the stage for your BCP. It should provide a brief on what the plan covers and the objectives it seeks to achieve.
Purpose of the Plan:
In this portion, elaborate on why you are developing the BCP.
Example: The purpose of this BCP is to ensure the effective continuation of critical services in the event of a crisis or a disaster. This plan is designed to lessen the impact of an unexpected incident on our organisation’s critical functions.
Objectives of the Plan:
In this portion, you should outline the objectives your BCP intends to achieve.
Example: Our main objectives are to ensure the continuity of our products and services, safeguard our employees, minimise any financial losses, protect the company’s reputation, comply with legal & regulatory requirements, and establish a roadmap for quick recovery.
2. Scope:
This section explains the boundaries of your BCP, including what is covered and what is excluded. It’s important to define this carefully to ensure that down the line, expectations are clear.
Definition:
Start by defining what the BCP is designed to cover.
Example: This BCP focuses on ensuring that critical business functions and processes continue to perform or recover in a predefined acceptable manner in the event of a disastrous incident.
Boundaries of Coverage:
Here, specify the areas or aspects of the business that this BCP covers.
Example: The BCP includes all essential business processes directly associated with manufacturing, distribution, and customer management. Associated functions such as IT services, utilities, communication, and human resources, critical for business operation, are also covered.
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria:
Detail out what is included and what is not in this BCP.
Example: The BCP covers primary sites and key resources that support critical business processes. However, non-critical functions like business development, long-term strategic planning, and research & development are out of scope for this BCP since they are not immediately critical during a short-term disaster situation.
3. Roles and Responsibilities:
This section identifies the various parties involved in implementing the BCP and outlines their specific roles and responsibilities. This helps to ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them in a crisis.
Emergency Management Team (EMT):
Introduce your EMT and the roles they play in the event of a disaster.
Example: The EMT is responsible for activating the BCP if the situation calls for it. This involves coordinating the efforts across the different teams, making crucial decisions, and ensuring effective communication throughout the organisation.
Employees:
Explain the part employees will play when the plan is put into action.
Example: All employees are responsible for understanding and fulfilling their assigned roles in case of emergency. This may include performing designated tasks, following established procedures, and supporting the EMT’s efforts in the disaster recovery process.
Stakeholders:
Describe the involvement of other significant parties like vendors, business partners, and clients in your BCP.
Example: Stakeholders like suppliers, distributors, and clients play a crucial role in business continuity. Keeping them informed about our progress during a crisis is crucial. Their cooperation may be required to facilitate backup supply chains, alternate distribution routes, or in informing end clients about possible delays or changes.
4. Risk Assessment:
This section allows for a comprehensive survey of potential threats to your company’s operations and an understanding of the damage these threats could cause.
Types of Risks:
List the potential threats that could disrupt your business.
Example: Risks can be natural like floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, or man-made like cyber-attacks, power outages, industrial accidents. Other types can include financial risks, such as a sudden economic downturn, or operational risks, like a key vendor going bankrupt.
Impact Analysis:
This involves evaluating the potential effect of each identified risk, including how it could affect your operations, profitability, and reputation.
Example: A cyber-attack could lead to loss of confidential customer data. It would not only impact our operations but also our reputation and may lead to substantial financial losses due to litigation, fines, and a decline in customer trust. On the other hand, a natural disaster like a flood could result in a complete shutdown of our manufacturing plant, causing significant delays in product distribution.
5. Business Continuity Strategies:
This section identifies and outlines the strategies your business will employ to respond to and recover from a disruption.
Risk Mitigation Measures:
Describe the preventative measures you are or will be taking to lessen the probability or impact of identified risks.
Example: To mitigate the risk of cyber threats, we will implement advanced cybersecurity measures, such as encryption, two-factor authentication, and regular cybersecurity training for all employees. We will also invest in flood insurance and implement a flood readiness plan for our manufacturing plant located in a flood-prone area.
Recovery Options:
Outline the options and methods that your company will use to recover critical business operations after a disruption.
Example: To minimise downtime in case of a natural disaster, we will establish contracts with alternate suppliers and distributors. We will also maintain a cloud-based backup of all our critical data to ensure information is recoverable in case of a cyber-attack or hardware failure. Moreover, we will identify secondary operational sites which can be quickly adapted to temporarily house some of our critical functions in case our main operation centre is unusable.
6. Emergency Response and Operations:
This section provides a roadmap for the initial response in the event of a disaster.
Activation of Business Continuity Plan:
Describe the steps and circumstances under which your BCP will be activated.
Example: The decision to activate the BCP will be made by the Emergency Management Team once they have assessed the situation. If a disaster is likely to cause an interruption to critical business operations for more than 48 hours, the BCP will be activated.
Roles of Emergency Response Team:
Specify who will be part of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) and outline their duties.
Example: The ERT will consist of the heads of each department who will be responsible for coordinating communications, leading their team’s efforts in the recovery strategies, reporting progress to the EMT, and ensuring the safety of their staff. This team will be the first to respond when there’s a disruption, and their quick and appropriate actions can help minimise damage and downtime.
7. Plan Maintenance:
This section explains how the continuity plan will be managed and kept up-to-date.
Review and Update:
Outline the procedures for evaluating and updating the BCP.
Example: The plan will be reviewed at least annually or when significant changes in the business environment occur. Any changes will be documented, approved, and communicated to all relevant parties.
Training and Testing:
Discuss how the plan will be tested and employees trained to ensure all aspects of the plan are effective and everyone knows their role.
Example: We will provide training to our employees on their roles within the BCP. The plan will be tested bi-annually via table-top exercises and simulated disaster drills involving all relevant parties to identify any gaps and to ensure it can be effectively implemented during a real disaster.
8. Coordination with External Agencies:
This section details your plan for liaising with external entities during a crisis.
Coordination with Local Authorities:
Describe how your business will coordinate with local authorities such as emergency response services.
Example: In the event of a disaster, we will be in constant contact with local emergency response teams, including the police, fire department, and paramedics. We will adhere to any directives they issue and cooperate fully with their operations.
Compliance & Legal Requirements:
Detail any regulatory obligations your organisation has to fulfil during a crisis.
Example: We will ensure compliance with all OHSA regulations during a crisis, prioritising employee safety above all. If customer data is compromised during a cyber-attack, we will comply with relevant data protection laws and promptly inform all affected parties.
Partner Involvements:
Discuss any roles or responsibilities your partners, vendors, or other external bodies may have in your continuity plan.
Example: During our recovery process, we will coordinate with our key vendors and suppliers to ensure continuity in our product line. We will also cooperate with our insurance providers for claims processes and communicate with our customers letting them know about the crisis and our response to it.
9. Financial Plan
In this section, you assess and prepare for the financial implications of potential disruptions.
Emergency Budget:
Lay out your emergency budget reserved for handling crisis situations.
Example: We have set aside an emergency fund of $150,000 to cover immediate expenses in the event of a crisis, including expenses for repairs, recovery operations, extra labour costs, and communications to stakeholders.
Insurance Coverage:
Describe the insurance policies you have in place that can help mitigate the financial impact.
Example: We have comprehensive property insurance to cover damage to our physical assets, as well as business interruption insurance to compensate for lost income resulting from a disaster. We’ve also taken a cyber liability policy that could help cover the response and recovery costs from a cyberattack.
Cost-Benefit Analysis:
Run a cost-benefit analysis on investing in preventative measures versus recovering without such measures.
Example: We have found that investing in an advanced cybersecurity system, though upfront costly, can save us from a far more expensive data breach recovery process. Similarly, investing in personnel training for emergency response minimises the potential downtime and mistakes that can happen during a disaster recovery situation.
10. Appendices:
This section includes any additional supporting documents or materials that back up your BCP.
Contact Information:
Include the essential contact list that includes all key personnel, emergency response teams, major stakeholders, local authorities, insurance contact, etc.
Example: Our key contact list includes phone numbers and email addresses of all members of the Emergency Management Team and Emergency Response Team, local emergency services, major suppliers, insurance representatives, and strategic clients.
Backup and Recovery Documents:
Attach documentation related to your backup and recovery initiatives, if not detailed within the plan itself.
Example: We include a detailed documentation of our data backup processes and schedules, recovery procedures in case of a cyber attack, and site recovery procedures in case of physical disasters.
Detailed Checklists and Operational Procedures:
Include checklists and operational procedures for various scenarios that can be quickly referenced in crisis situations.
Example: We provide detailed action plans for a variety of disaster scenarios including step-by-step guidance on safety procedures, communication protocols, shutdown and startup procedures, emergency roles, evaluation methods, etc.
Training Materials:
Include any training materials used to prepare employees for emergency situations.
Example: Materials from our training sessions on emergency evacuation, first-aid, and cyber safety are included in the appendices for easy reference. These can be used for refresher sessions or onboarding new employees to the BCP procedures.
Get Started With Your BCP
Designing a comprehensive BCP is a critical aspect of operational planning that no organisation should overlook. The inherent unpredictability of the modern-day business environment necessitates the planning and preparation for potential disruptions. With a well-formulated BCP, your organisation is effectively equipped to tackle crises, ensure business integrity, and maintain the trust of both stakeholders and customers.
The steps provided in this guide offers a pathway toward robust continuity planning and aims to encourage organisations to make business continuity a priority. Remember, the time to plan is before a crisis strikes. To survive and prosper in times of disruption, you have to be prepared, proactive, and resilient.
