The New BCM Manager: Start Testing and Exercising Your Plan

Testing and Exercising

The most important phase in the BCM Planning Methodology is Testing and Exercising. For an organisation implementing BCM for the first time, this phase represents the culmination of the developmental efforts and validates the business continuity plan.

In an organisation with a more mature BCM programme, testing and exercising are conducted to ensure that plans remain relevant and up-to-date and to remind incumbents of their roles and responsibilities during a crisis.

Objectives of Testing and Exercising

IC_NewBCM_ExerciseYourPlan Testing and exercising should be conducted with a few key objectives in mind:

Identify and eliminate errors or omissions in the BC plan
Familiarise staff with facilities, systems and procedures
Assess BC plan effectiveness
Enhance existing plans to optimise the efficiency of recovery
Evaluate and improve individual performance and organisational coordination

Difference between Testing and Exercising

While the main objectives of testing and exercising are the same, there is a subtle difference in how these terms are used. Testing is used to validate recovery capabilities against specified objectives or criteria. Testing carries a connotation of “passing” or “failing” the test.

An exercise, in contrast, is performed to train and condition team members to increase familiarity and building capability, much like how a person does physical exercises to get more robust and agile. “Passing” or “failing” is of little consequence here.

For readability, I shall use the term “test” to mean tests and exercises for the rest of this article.

Types of Tests

There are several different ways BCM practitioners choose to classify tests. It is generally advisable to start with relatively easy tests before attempting more complex ones, which, if not properly managed, could potentially lead to significant problems. I like to group tests into initial (basic) tests and advanced tests.

(a) Initial Tests

These basic tests include:

Component tests
Call notification tests
Walkthrough exercises

(b) Advanced Tests

Once the initial tests have been mastered, the following more advanced tests can be conducted:

Integrated tests
Simulation tests
Live tests

Video: Presentation by Dr Goh Moh Heng on Types of Tests and Exercises at a conference

Before, During and After A Test

What are the steps to be taken before, during and after a test r exercise?

Before a Test

Before a test, it is essential to develop a test plan that details the objectives, assumptions, type of test being conducted, and success criteria, as well as the date, time, venue, and other logistical details. The more complex a test, the more comprehensive the test plan would need to be. Information relating to test structure injects and flow needs to be addressed.

Developing the scenario and injecting it forms a significant part of test preparation. Expect to have multiple drafts. Depending on the type of test conducted, facilities and equipment may need to be secured. In tests that engage in role-play, props will need to be prepared, and actors will need to be found and briefed on what they have to do.

Careful planning is a crucial ingredient for success when preparing for a test, and good documentation is essential.

During a Test

Observations and issues must be meticulously recorded during a test, preferably on formatted templates or logs. These logs should be carefully designed, considering what information is needed to validate or improve the BC plan.

Collecting the wrong information is almost as bad as not collecting any information at all. To properly design the logs, we need to consider the test's objectives —what are we testing for?

What are the success criteria? Answering these questions goes a long way to determining the information to look out for and collect during a test. During the test, remember to assign a scribe to record key issues and problems, as well as decisions made and the rationale for making those decisions.

After a Test

The conduct of a test is not the end of all testing. While running the test, there will be lessons learned and follow-up action items. Typically, we would have a hot-wash debrief immediately after a test to solicit ground feedback on how the test went and to capture participants’ immediate thoughts and impressions.

The careful logging of observations and feedback obtained during and after the test will help consolidate issues for inclusion in the post-test report. Within a week, the organisers will hold a technical debrief to discuss the conduct and organisation of the test and what could be done better to make the test run smoother or to better achieve the listed objectives.

Post Exercise Report

Finally, a formal report would need to be prepared and presented to the steering committee or management, highlighting the issues and any follow-up actions. These issues will need to be assigned, with target completion dates, to appropriate persons to review and, if necessary, resolve. The report will then be presented to the steering committee, and the follow-up issues will be religiously tracked for completion.