[OR] [BI] [E1] [C4] Composing the OR Team

Chapter 4

Bank Islam’s Operating Environment

Purpose of the Chapter

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a clear understanding of how Bank Islam can structure its Operational Resilience Team (ORT) to effectively safeguard the bank’s critical functions during disruptions. Readers will gain insight into why a dedicated, well-composed team is vital for maintaining business continuity, meeting regulatory expectations, and protecting the bank’s reputation. By exploring the roles, responsibilities, and required expertise, this chapter aims to equip readers with a practical framework for establishing an operational resilience capability that is both strategic and operationally effective.

This chapter also prepares readers to appreciate the importance of cross-functional collaboration, ensuring that resilience is embedded across all business units, IT systems, risk management, and compliance functions. By the end of the chapter, readers will understand the desired composition of the ORT, the rationale behind each role, and how the team contributes to Bank Islam’s overall resilience posture, enabling the bank to anticipate, respond to, and recover from operational disruptions with confidence.

What Should the Composition of Bank Islam's Operational Resilience Team Be?

Operational resilience is a critical aspect of Bank Islam’s ability to anticipate, withstand, respond to, and recover from disruptions while maintaining its core business functions. For a financial institution operating in a dynamic and regulated environment, a clearly defined Operational Resilience Team (ORT) ensures that resilience strategies are embedded across all critical business processes. The purpose of this chapter is to outline the desired composition of Bank Islam’s ORT, providing guidance on roles, responsibilities, and the expertise needed to support a robust resilience framework.

An effective Operational Resilience Team should be multidisciplinary, combining expertise in risk management, business continuity, IT, compliance, and operational functions. The team must maintain close collaboration with senior management, regulatory affairs, and business units to ensure resilience measures are both practical and aligned with Bank Islam’s strategic objectives.

The following proposed structure highlights the key roles and responsibilities:

1. Head of Operational Resilience (Team Lead)

• Provides strategic direction and oversight for all resilience initiatives.

• Liaises with the executive management and board to report on resilience performance and gaps.

• Ensures alignment with regulatory requirements and industry best practices.

2. Business Continuity and Recovery Manager

• Develops and maintains the bank’s Business Continuity Management (BCM) and Disaster Recovery Plans.

• Conducts scenario analysis, impact assessments, and testing exercises.

• Coordinates recovery efforts during operational disruptions.

3. Risk and Compliance Specialist

• Monitors operational risks and ensures regulatory compliance in all resilience activities.

• Supports internal audits and regulatory inspections.

• Advises on risk mitigation strategies and emerging operational threats.

4. IT Resilience Manager

• Ensures technology systems are robust, secure, and recoverable.

• Coordinates IT disaster recovery plans and cybersecurity resilience initiatives.

• Oversees testing of critical systems and data recovery procedures.

5. Business Unit Resilience Coordinators

• Embedded within key business units to support operational resilience at the departmental level.

• Maintains continuity plans specific to their functions.

• Acts as the liaison between the ORT and business operations during disruptions.

6. Incident Response and Communications Lead

• Manages the bank’s response during operational incidents.

• Coordinates internal and external communications, ensuring timely and accurate information dissemination.

• Tracks lessons learned from incidents and ensures continuous improvement.

7. Data and Analytics Officer

• Provides data-driven insights to identify vulnerabilities and assess the effectiveness of resilience measures.

• Supports scenario modeling, monitoring of Key Risk Indicators (KRIs), and reporting.

By structuring the Operational Resilience Team in this way, Bank Islam can ensure comprehensive coverage across all critical operational domains while maintaining flexibility to respond quickly to emerging threats. Each role is essential to achieving a coordinated, proactive, and sustainable approach to operational resilience, ultimately safeguarding the bank’s ability to serve its customers and maintain stakeholder confidence.

A well-structured Operational Resilience Team is a cornerstone of Bank Islam’s ability to maintain continuous operations and protect stakeholders during periods of uncertainty. By defining clear roles, responsibilities, and reporting structures, the bank can ensure that resilience efforts are coordinated, proactive, and aligned with regulatory and strategic objectives. The composition of the ORT should bring together expertise in risk, business continuity, IT, compliance, and incident management, creating a multidisciplinary team capable of responding to evolving operational challenges.

Ultimately, this chapter emphasizes that operational resilience is not the responsibility of a single department—it requires an integrated team approach. By implementing the proposed structure, Bank Islam strengthens its ability to safeguard critical processes, enhance stakeholder confidence, and sustain long-term business stability, even in the face of unexpected disruptions.

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Implementing Operational Resilience for Bank Islam: Aligning with BNM and Global Best Practices
eBook 1: Understanding Your Organisation: Bank Islam
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For organisations looking to accelerate their journey, BCM Institute’s training and certification programs, including the OR-5000 Operational Resilience Expert Implementer course, provide in-depth insights and practical toolkits for effectively embedding this model.

 

 

More Information About OR-5000 [OR-5] or OR-300 [OR-3]

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