BCM Questionnaires 9: Program Management: Maintenance

Program Management: Maintenance

A Program Management is for: Updating and maintaining the BC Plan constantly to reflect changing conditions in the business. Reviewing and auditing the readiness and completeness of the BC Plan. Ensuring that all staff members who are involved in the recovery process understand the recovery plan. Developing and implementing advanced level BC and DR tests and exercises. Creating a BCM culture within the organization. Managing the overall BCM or DR program.

BC Maintenance

The Auditor should review the procedures for updating the BC plan to reflect the various types of changes that may occur.

• If members of the recovery team are to be transferred to another location, might there be any terminations and resignations?
• Is there a process to update, change, revise or alter the:
  • Telephone and mobile numbers and contact data for other team members?
  • Computer hardware configurations need?
  • The software configurations?
  • Telecommunications topology?
  • Applications software?
  • Scope and nature of the off-site backup services?
  • Scope and nature of the service level agreements with various contractors?
• Is there a schedule for the review and maintenance of the business unit’s BC plan?
• Is the frequency adequate?
• Does the schedule include provision for review due to any major changes to the business functions, processes, staffing, a line of business, hardware/software requirements?
• Has the BC plan been reviewed in accordance with the schedule?
• Who reviews the plan?
• Does the review compare the BC plan against the original Business Impact Analysis?
• If it is updated by the responsible executive, is it reviewed by BU Heads?
• Are the older versions of the BCP being replaced by acceptable, newer copies?
• How are changes in the business unit processes/systems fed into the organizational plan?
• How complete and accurate are the data gathered to ensure the BC plan?
• Can the organization demonstrate that its BC plan is kept up-to-date?

Components of Up-to-date Document

The area the BCM questionnaire aims to identify is the key components and how to ensure that they are up-to-date.

• Have the triggers, for example, new business processes or acquisitions, personnel changes and new technology, for the Plan maintenance identified?
• Are the notification procedures from critical business units in the event of changes in their business processes prepared?
• Is a regular review, which may encompass a re-evaluation of the risks and threats to the organization and random samples of adherence to procedures, scheduled for the BC Plan? This.
• Is there documentation for the procedure of incorporating new business processes into the BC Plan?
• Is the procedure to incorporate alterations into the BC Plan prepared? This must be performed in a structural fashion and all copies should be version and number controlled.
• Has a distribution list for the BC Plan been determined? Plans should be issued with identifying codes to ensure all copies have been updated and distributed.
• Are the procedures for the distribution of Plan alterations prepared? This is to ensure all appropriate sections are replaced and distributed.
• Are there in place procedures to ensure that the BC Plan is independently reviewed on a regular basis? This can be conducted by Auditors and/or the Executive Management to ensure the Plan is relevant and accurate.

Resource

Goh, M. H. (2016). A Manager's Guide to Auditing and Reviewing Your Business Continuity Management Program. Business Continuity Management Series (2nd ed.). Singapore: GMH Pte Ltd.

Extracted from "BCM Questionnaires 9: Program Management: Maintenance"

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