BCMM Business Continuity Maturity Levels

Maturity Levels in the BCMM

The Business Continuity Maturity Model or BCMM defines a staged progression of an organization's Business Continuity (BC) capabilities.  These maturity levels represent the evolving effectiveness of your BCM program.  

As you progress through the levels, your organization becomes increasingly prepared to handle disruptions and ensure business continuity. 

The BCMM typically defines five maturity levels.

1. Ad-hoc (Reactive)
2. Reactive
3. Basic Proactive
4. Advanced Proactive
5. Continuous Improvement

Breakdown of Each Maturity Level

Level 1 Ad-hoc (Reactive)

• A lack of a formal BC program characterizes this starting point.
• Responses to disruptions are improvised and rely on individual efforts.
• Recovery is slow and uncertain, potentially leading to significant downtime and financial losses.

Level 2 Reactive

Level 2 represents a slight improvement with some basic awareness of BC, but limited structure and planning leave the organization vulnerable.

Responses are reactive, and recovery efforts depend heavily on key individuals.

• Basic awareness of BC exists, but no documented plans or strategies are in place.
• Incident response may be reactive and disorganized.
• Recovery relies on key personnel and may be inconsistent.

Level 3 Basic Proactive

Level 3 signifies the initial steps towards a formal BC program. Organizations develop a basic BIA, create a high-level BC plan, and establish a dedicated team. Ho

wever, these elements require further refinement and detail. Testing and exercising of plans are also limited at this stage.

• Initial steps are taken towards a formal BC program.
• A fundamental Business Impact Analysis (BIA) identifies critical business functions and their recovery needs.
• A high-level BC plan is developed, but it may lack details or practical procedures.
• Testing and exercising of plans is limited or non-existent.

Level 4 Advanced Proactive

Level 4 reflects a well-established and documented BC program adhering to recognized standards.

Comprehensive BIAs with RTOs and RPOs are established, detailed BC plans outline recovery procedures, and regular testing ensures program effectiveness.

While strong, there's still room for improvement through integration with risk management and ongoing benchmarking.

• A well-defined BC program is established with documented policies, procedures, and plans.
• Comprehensive BIA identifies critical functions, recovery time objectives (RTOs), and recovery point objectives (RPOs).
• Detailed plans address various disruption scenarios.
  Regular testing and exercising of plans ensure their effectiveness.

Level 5 Continuous Improvement

By achieving Level 5, organizations gain a significant competitive edge, ensuring they can navigate disruptions effectively and thrive in challenging environments.

Organizations relentlessly optimize their BC program. They proactively identify and address weaknesses, leverage data and lessons learned for continuous improvement, and explore innovative solutions. This translates to a culture of preparedness with ongoing training and awareness programs.

• The organization actively seeks to optimize its BC program.
• Lessons learned from incidents and exercises are incorporated into continuous improvement.
• The BCMM is used to identify and address any remaining gaps.
• The BC program is fully integrated into overall risk management practices.

Summing Up ...

Understanding these maturity levels and your current position within them can help you strategically plan and improve the effectiveness of your BCM program.