[BL] [4] [BCS] WSQ Funded BCM Training and Project: Evaluating the Business Continuity Strategy

Business Continuity Strategy

You have completed your RAR and BIA workshops and are about to start the second day of the WSQ BCM workshop, which is organised in-house.

The first part of WSQ-BCM-320 Session 1 Blended Learning will focus on the Business Continuity Strategy phase. 

It is helpful to note that in the revised ISO22301:2019 standard, this BC Strategies phase is also known as "BC Strategies and Solutions." 

Our approach has no significant changes as it emphasises that it should not be a grand strategy but rather one that focuses on finding solutions to manage the specific risks and impacts.

Once the requirements gathering phases of risk analysis and review and business impact analysis are completed, we will have sufficient information to start formulating business continuity strategies (BCS), the precursors of the business continuity plan.

This is the 4th part of the "WSQ Funded BCM Project" series.  This is the reading for participants embarking on a BCM implementation using a combination of training with SkillsFuture (SSG) funding from the Singapore government and consulting to develop, implement and finalise its BCM program for an organisation.

The process of conducting the BCS phase in a WSQ-based BCM Project is as follows:

1.  Workshop [Online]

A workshop is conducted to guide business unit BCM coordinators to use the findings from the risk analysis and review phase and the business impact analysis phase to develop three sets of strategies:

1. Mitigation strategies
2. Response strategies
3. Recovery strategies

The latest BCS templates with guidance notes (this link is to an earlier ISO22301: 2021 version) facilitate the strategy formulation process. 

What participants should do for the Online Workshop:

1. Participants are encouraged to read the supplementary materials in the email before the workshop and review their business unit's RAR and BIA findings.
2. The softcopy templates can be downloaded from the same E-Learning portal used during the Risk Analysis Review and Business Impact Analysis phases.
3. Participants should complete the E-Learning Module and begin filling in their templates.
4. Participants should then submit their completed templates.

Participants should be advised that because the workshop is a one-time group event, it is important that they lock this event in their calendars. No repeat workshop will be conducted for absent participants, and SkillsFuture Singapore or SSG may not approve the course subsidy if the participant is absent for more than 75% of the module.

2.  Consultation & Assessment [Online]

A consultation and assessment session (approx. 30 mins) has been arranged for individual departments to review the templates with the consultants and sit for a simple open-book assessment comprising a few easy-to-answer questions. This assessment is a requirement from SkillsFuture Singapore or SSG to qualify for government funding.

Zoom will be used to facilitate the assessment between consultants and participants.

Refer to answers [3] to [6] provided in "FAQ on WSQ Courses Offered by BCM Institute" to have a better understanding of the expectation of a WSQ assessment.

What should participants do for Online classes:

1. Submit the Business Continuity Strategy template to the E-Learning portal before the instructor's session
2. Before the consultation/assessment session, comments will be sent over via the E-Learning Portal. Participants are expected to make edits to their BIA template prior to the session
3. Before the consultation & assessment session, review your templates and quickly read through the course materials
4. Attend the consultation & assessment session at the appointed time (on Zoom)
5. Re-submit the final, revised template to the E-learning Portal

3. Public WSQ Course

Again, the strength of this program is that should your business unit's BCM coordinator have any turnover, you can send the incoming designated staff member to the next course.

The key is to get the staff member to bring along your current BCM submission and inform the facilitator that you are using your current template updated by your previous BU BCM coordinator.

If you are attending a public WSQ course, it is similar to the morning session for the WSQ-BCM-320 (Course code) and is titled "Developing Business Continuity Strategies and Plans."

Once you have completed this session, you are ready to attend the "Plan Development" workshop in the afternoon.