[BCM] [SC] [E2] [C6] BCM Plan Development

Chapter 6

As part of the BCM Planning Methodology for the Judiciary of Singapore and the State Courts

Purpose of Chapter

The purpose of this chapter is to guide the Judiciary of Singapore and the State Courts through the structured development of their Business Continuity Plans (BCPs), a critical phase in the overall Business Continuity Management (BCM) Planning Methodology.

By detailing the key steps—from designing standardised plan templates to conducting guided workshops and validating completed plans—this chapter provides practical insights into creating effective and actionable continuity strategies.

This chapter benefits the organisation by ensuring that each court division and business unit has a clearly defined and operationally viable response plan in place.

Through a collaborative, structured, and repeatable approach, the Judiciary enhances its ability to maintain essential judicial functions during disruptions, minimise downtime, and preserve public trust in the legal system.

It empowers departments with the knowledge and tools to prepare, respond to, and recover from—ultimately strengthening the overall resilience of Singapore’s justice system.

This chapter explores what plan development entails and outlines how the Judiciary ensures that comprehensive, standardised, and executable continuity plans support all mission-critical functions.

Hence, developing robust and well-structured continuity plans is crucial for maintaining uninterrupted services during crises such as pandemics, cyberattacks, or system outages.

What Does Plan Development Entail?

The development of the BCP involves three key stages: organising the BCP document structure, conducting guided plan writing workshops, and finalising the BCPs with appropriate validation.

Each of these stages is elaborated below with examples specific to the Judiciary of Singapore and the State Courts.

Determination of the Organisation of the BC Plan Document

At the outset, CAAS defines the architecture and scope of the BCP documentation. This includes:

Designing and Developing the BC Plan Template:

A standard template is created to ensure all BC Plans across the Judiciary follow a uniform structure. For example, templates may be tailored to meet the specific needs of different units such as the Criminal Justice Division, the Registrar’s Chambers, or IT Services.

This ensures critical information, such as alternate work locations, recovery time objectives (RTO), and emergency contacts, is consistently documented.

Determining the Recovery Organisation:

Each department identifies its respective recovery teams and roles, such as Business Unit (BU) BCM Coordinators, Crisis Management Team (CMT), and Recovery Team Leaders.

In the Supreme Court, for instance, the registry team may assign senior clerks to lead the recovery of digital court records and e-litigation systems in the event of system failure.

Conducting a BC Plan Writing Workshop to Guide Plan Writers

With the structure and teams defined, the Judiciary conducts practical writing workshops for departmental BCM coordinators and plan owners.

This ensures the plan is not only theoretically sound but also written by those who understand the ground realities of the work.

Completion of the plan template by BU BCM Coordinators

Each court division, such as the Family Justice Courts’ Operations Team or the State Courts’ Court Interpreters Section, fills in its segment of the BCP using the official template. During the workshop, participants are guided on how to articulate recovery procedures for various disruption scenarios—e.g., relocating hearings to alternative courtrooms or activating remote working protocols for case officers.

These workshops serve as collaborative forums where cross-functional dependencies are identified and resolved, helping to create realistic and workable plans.

Finalisation of the BC Plan Production

Once the individual plans are drafted, the final phase involves review and endorsement:

Validation by BU BCM Coordinators and Heads of Business Units:

Once initial drafts of the BCPs are completed, the Judiciary undertakes a thorough review and validation process.

Drafts are circulated for review by department heads and BCM coordinators. They assess the plan for accuracy, operational feasibility, and completeness.

For example, the Technology Directorate would validate IT recovery plans to ensure alignment with the systems architecture.

At the same time, the Director of the State Courts’ Human Resource Division may review continuity arrangements for staffing during prolonged disruptions.

This validation process ensures that all plans are operationally relevant and comprehensive, covering scenarios such as data breaches, power outages, civil unrest, or pandemic-related staff shortages.

Summing Up ...

The Business Continuity Plan Development Phase ensures that every functional area within the Judiciary of Singapore and the State Courts is equipped with a tailored, tested, and validated plan to respond to disruptions.

By involving those closest to the operations in the planning process—through structured templates, guided workshops, and rigorous validation—the Judiciary strengthens its preparedness and resilience.

Ultimately, this systematic development of BCPs underpins the continuity of justice delivery, even in the face of unforeseen crises.

Achieving Judicial Resilience: Implementing Effective BCM in Singapore Courts
eBook 2: Implementing BCM Planning Methodology

More Information About Business Continuity Management Courses

To learn more about the course and schedule, click the buttons below for the  BCM-300 Business Continuity Management Implementer [BCM-3] and the BCM-5000 Business Continuity Management Expert Implementer [BCM-5].

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