[BCM] [CAS] [E3] [C1] Starting Your BCM Implementation for The Children’s Aid Society

Chapter 1

A Practical Guide for Children’s Aid Society Business Continuity Planning

Introduction

Business Continuity Management (BCM) is a vital framework that enables organisations to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disruptive incidents while ensuring that critical functions continue with minimal impact.

For social service organisations such as the Children’s Aid Society (CAS), the responsibility extends beyond organisational survival—continuity of services directly impacts the lives, well-being, and safety of vulnerable children and families under their care.

This eBook 3, Starting Your BCM Implementation, is the third in the “Resilience in Service: BCM Implementation for Children’s Aid Society” series.

It builds on insights shared in eBook 1: Understanding Your Organisation and eBook 2: Implementing BCM Planning Methodology, which provide the foundation for appreciating the organisational context, core services, and methodology required to embark on the BCM journey.

Readers are encouraged to review these eBooks before engaging with this volume.

Whereas the first two eBooks set the stage, eBook 3 focuses on execution. It provides practical guidance and structured templates to support the Children’s Aid Society in implementing its BCM program, ensuring that its mission and operations remain resilient in the face of disruptions.

This eBook not only serves as a step-by-step guide but also as a repository of the organisation’s BCM submissions and documentation, forming a living record of CAS’s resilience-building process.

Purpose of this eBook

The purpose of this eBook is threefold:

1. Guide Implementation – To provide a structured approach for CAS to carry out each phase of the BCM planning methodology, ensuring that every critical function is assessed, documented, and prepared for continuity.
2. Support Training-Led Projects – To complement BCM Institute’s training-led implementation framework, supporting CAS and similar organisations as they apply concepts learned in competency-based certification programs to real-world BCM projects.
3. Create a Practical Resource – To compile submissions, analyses, and strategies developed by CAS throughout the BCM exercise into a coherent document that can be referenced, updated, and audited over time.

This eBook is particularly valuable for organisations either starting a BCM project for the first time or upgrading an existing program. It provides practical value-add by aligning BCM documentation with international standards while being tailored to the realities of a social service agency.

Structure of the BCM Planning Methodology

The BCM planning methodology comprises four phases, each supported by templates and deliverables to ensure thorough and consistent documentation.

1. Risk Analysis and Review (RAR)

This phase identifies and evaluates threats to CAS’s operations, enabling prioritisation of risks and preparation of mitigation measures. The following templates are completed:

• List of Threats [RAR T1]
• Treatment and Control [RAR T2]
• Risk Impact and Likelihood Assessment [RAR T3]

2. Business Impact Analysis (BIA)

The BIA phase assesses how disruptions affect CAS’s critical business functions (CBFs), determining recovery priorities and timelines. The following templates support it:

• Part 0: Corporate MBCO & Products and Services [MBCO] [P&S]
• Part 1: Identification of Business Functions [BIAQ T1]
• Part 2: Impact Areas of Business Functions [BIAQ T1]
• Part 3: Impact Over Time of Business Functions [BIAQ T2]
• Part 4: Supporting IT Systems and Applications [BIAQ T2]
• Part 5: Inter-dependencies [BIAQ T3]
• Part 6: Vital Records [BIAQ T3]

The starting point of this phase is the identification of Critical Business Functions (CBFs) for the Children’s Aid Society:

• CBF-1: Residential Care Operations
• CBF-2: Therapeutic & Counselling Services
• CBF-3: Case Management & Social Work Interventions
• CBF-4: Safety & Security of Residents
• CBF-5: Compliance & Regulatory Reporting
• CBF-6: Donor Relations & Fundraising
• CBF-7: IT & Data Management
• CBF-8: Staff & Volunteer Management

3. Business Continuity Strategy (BCS)

Based on the BIA findings, CAS will determine the most effective strategies to maintain or restore critical functions. Deliverables include:

• Mitigation Strategies [BCS T1]
• Recovery Strategies and Justifications [BCS T2]
• Minimum Resources Required during a Disaster [BCS T3]

4. Plan Development (PD)

The final phase translates strategies into actionable continuity plans. CAS will develop detailed procedures tailored to each CBF, ensuring preparedness, clarity of responsibilities, and timely recovery.

Why This Matters for Children’s Aid Society

For CAS, business continuity planning is not simply about organisational resilience—it safeguards children’s safety, security, and well-being. A disruption in therapeutic services, residential care, or safety operations can have far-reaching consequences on the most vulnerable members of society.

By systematically applying the BCM methodology, CAS demonstrates its commitment to:

• Protecting children and families in times of crisis.
• Sustaining trust among donors, volunteers, and stakeholders.
• Meeting regulatory and compliance obligations.
• Enhancing organisational resilience and reputation.

Summing Up ...

Starting your BCM Implementation marks a pivotal step in the BCM journey of the Children’s Aid Society.

Building on the foundation of earlier eBooks, this guide takes the organisation into the implementation phase, where frameworks become practical tools, and policies translate into concrete recovery capabilities.

This eBook not only prepares CAS to withstand disruptions but also ensures it can continue delivering its core mission—to nurture and protect children—no matter the circumstances.

It is a testament to CAS’s forward-looking approach to resilience, supported by BCM Institute’s training-led implementation and competency-based methodology.

Through this structured approach, CAS takes a significant step toward strengthening its capacity to serve as a safe, reliable, and resilient pillar of support for the community.

 

Resilience in Service: BCM Implementation for Children’s Aid Society
eBook 3: Starting Your BCM Implementation
MBCO	P&S	RAR T1	RAR T2	RAR T3	BCS T1	CBF
CBF 1: Residential Care Operations
DP	BIAQ T1	BIAQ T2	BIAQ T3	BCS T2	BCS T3	PD

 

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 [B-3] course and the BCM-5000 Business Continuity Management Expert Implementer [B-5].

	If you have any questions, click to contact us.