[BCM] [JCUS] [E3] [PD] [CBF] [1] Teaching and Learning Delivery

CBF-1 Teaching and Learning Delivery

Introduction

A Business Continuity Recovery Procedure translates the Business Continuity Plan (BCP) into specific actions that recovery teams can execute when normal operations are disrupted.

While the BCP establishes the overall governance framework, recovery priorities, responsibilities, strategies and escalation arrangements, the recovery procedure explains what needs to be done, by whom, in what sequence, and under what circumstances to maintain and restore a Critical Business Function (CBF).

For James Cook University Singapore (JCUS), continuity of CBF-1 Teaching and Learning Delivery is fundamental to maintaining academic operations and supporting students throughout a disruption. Teaching delivery depends upon interconnected resources including academic staff, classrooms, laboratories, digital learning platforms, ICT infrastructure, teaching materials, timetables, student information, communications and external service providers.

The recovery procedure therefore needs to address the complete continuity lifecycle:

 

Part 1: Purpose and Importance of CBF-1 Teaching and Learning Delivery

Description of the Critical Business Function

CBF-1 Teaching and Learning Delivery encompasses the activities required to plan, prepare, deliver, monitor, recover and complete scheduled teaching activities for students.

The function extends beyond classroom instruction. It includes determining teaching requirements, confirming subjects and classes, allocating academic staff, preparing timetables and teaching materials, operating physical and digital teaching environments, monitoring delivery and managing disruptions affecting staff, facilities or technology.

The CBF includes the following Sub-Critical Business Functions:

• 1.1 Determine Teaching Delivery Requirements

• 1.2 Confirm Subject and Class Offerings

• 1.3 Determine Student Teaching Demand

• 1.4 Allocate Academic Teaching Staff

• 1.5 Develop and Maintain Teaching Timetable

• 1.6 Allocate Teaching Rooms and Facilities

• 1.7 Prepare Teaching and Learning Materials

• 1.8 Publish Digital Learning Materials

• 1.9 Prepare Teaching Technology and Classroom Resources

• 1.10 Deliver Face-to-Face Lectures and Classes

• 1.11 Deliver Online or Remote Teaching

• 1.12 Deliver Hybrid Teaching Activities

• 1.13 Deliver Tutorials, Workshops and Interactive Learning

• 1.14 Deliver Laboratory and Practical Teaching

• 1.15 Provide Academic Consultation and Learning Guidance

• 1.16 Monitor Student Attendance and Participation

• 1.17 Monitor Teaching Delivery and Class Completion

• 1.18 Manage Academic Staff Unavailability

• 1.19 Manage Teaching Facility Disruption

• 1.20 Manage Digital Learning or ICT Disruption

• 1.21 Communicate Teaching Changes to Students and Staff

• 1.22 Provide Accessible and Alternative Teaching Arrangements

• 1.23 Prioritise Teaching During Major Disruption

• 1.24 Recover Missed or Interrupted Teaching

• 1.25 Reconcile and Confirm Teaching Completion
• 1.26 Return Teaching Operations to Normal

Business Purpose

The purpose of CBF-1 is to ensure that JCUS can provide planned learning activities and maintain reasonable continuity of students' academic experience despite operational disruption.

The function supports the University's ability to:

• maintain scheduled academic delivery;
• provide students with access to teaching and learning;
• maintain academic progression;
• preserve the integrity of the academic calendar;
• support achievement of learning outcomes;
• manage interrupted or postponed teaching;
• maintain communication between students and academic staff; and
• provide appropriate alternative teaching arrangements when normal delivery methods are unavailable.

Why the Function Is Critical

A prolonged interruption to teaching delivery could create cascading consequences across the University.

These may include missed classes, inability to achieve required learning hours or outcomes, disruption to assessment schedules, student dissatisfaction, increased academic workload, timetable congestion, delayed academic progression and potential compliance or contractual concerns.

The function is particularly time-sensitive during active teaching periods and may become more critical immediately before examinations, assessments, laboratory requirements, placements or other academically significant milestones.

Major Operational Outcomes

Successful continuity of CBF-1 should achieve the following outcomes:

• priority teaching activities continue or resume within approved recovery requirements;
• students receive timely information concerning teaching arrangements;
• alternative teaching methods are implemented where necessary;
• academic staff and supporting resources are allocated appropriately;
• missed teaching is identified and recovered;
• teaching completion is documented;
• learning materials remain available;
• student accessibility requirements are considered; and
• normal teaching operations are restored in a controlled manner.

Key Stakeholders

Key stakeholders may include:

• students;
• academic staff;
• sessional and adjunct teaching staff;
• academic leadership;
• student services;
• academic administration;
• timetabling personnel;
• ICT and digital learning teams;
• facilities and campus operations;
• laboratory and technical personnel;
• communications personnel;
• senior management;
• relevant service providers; and
• applicable regulatory and oversight bodies.

Regulatory and Governance Considerations

Recovery activities should be performed consistently with JCUS's applicable obligations under Singapore's private education regulatory framework, EduTrust requirements and other relevant requirements applicable to its operations.

The Recovery Team should not assume that every teaching disruption requires regulatory notification. The responsible compliance or management authority should assess each significant disruption against applicable notification, student protection, recordkeeping and reporting requirements.

All significant decisions should therefore be documented so that JCUS can demonstrate appropriate governance, decision-making and continuity management following an incident.

Part 2: Pre-Crisis Preparedness for CBF-1 Teaching and Learning Delivery

Reduce Phase

Objective

The objective of pre-crisis preparedness is to establish the people, resources, information, systems, facilities, alternative arrangements and decision-making mechanisms required to continue or recover teaching activities before an actual disruption occurs.

Preparedness reduces uncertainty during an incident and enables recovery teams to move rapidly from incident assessment to controlled recovery.

Establish Recovery Governance

JCUS should designate a CBF-1 Recovery Team responsible for coordinating continuity and recovery of Teaching and Learning Delivery.

The team should include, as appropriate:

• CBF Owner;
• Recovery Team Leader;
• Deputy Recovery Team Leader;
• academic representatives;
• academic administration;
• ICT/digital learning representative;
• facilities representative;
• student support representative;
• communications representative; and
• other specialist personnel required for laboratories, practical teaching or accessibility arrangements.

Authority to activate continuity arrangements, change teaching modes, postpone activities, relocate classes and escalate matters to the Crisis Management Team (CMT) should be documented.

Maintain Role and Succession Arrangements

Every critical recovery role should have at least one nominated alternate.

Particular attention should be given to 1.4 Allocate Academic Teaching Staff and 1.18 Manage Academic Staff Unavailability.

Preparedness should identify:

• teaching personnel with specialist competencies;
• subjects dependent upon individual academic specialists;
• alternative lecturers or tutors;
• cross-faculty teaching capability where appropriate;
• delegation arrangements;
• emergency approval authority; and
• mechanisms for rapidly reallocating teaching responsibilities.

Maintain Teaching Priority Information

The Recovery Team should maintain sufficient information to determine which teaching activities require priority recovery.

Priority considerations should include:

• recovery requirements established through the BIA;
• student numbers affected;
• academic calendar deadlines;
• subjects approaching assessments;
• laboratory or practical requirements;
• availability of replacement teaching sessions;
• graduating cohorts;
• prerequisite subjects;
• accessibility requirements; and
• downstream impacts on examinations and academic progression.

This information supports 1.23 Prioritise Teaching During Major Disruption.

Maintain Resource Readiness

Minimum resource requirements identified through BCM planning should be maintained and periodically validated.

These may include:

• minimum academic staffing;
• administrative support;
• laptops and mobile devices;
• internet connectivity;
• learning platforms;
• communications systems;
• classrooms;
• laboratory facilities;
• audio-visual equipment;
• teaching materials;
• student and timetable information; and
• access to relevant records.

Resource requirements should be linked to the previously approved minimum-resource recovery requirements rather than determined for the first time during a crisis.

Prepare Alternative Teaching Arrangements

JCUS should maintain alternative delivery options for situations in which normal teaching cannot continue.

Potential arrangements include:

Face-to-Face Teaching → Online Teaching

Primary Classroom → Alternative Classroom

Campus Teaching → Remote Teaching

Normal Class → Hybrid Delivery

Scheduled Session → Rescheduled Recovery Session

Appropriate arrangements should be prepared for 1.10 through 1.14, recognising that laboratory and practical teaching may not always be replaceable through online delivery.

ICT and Digital Learning Preparedness

For 1.8 Publish Digital Learning Materials, 1.11 Deliver Online or Remote Teaching, 1.12 Deliver Hybrid Teaching Activities, and 1.20 Manage Digital Learning or ICT Disruption, JCUS should establish recovery arrangements for critical digital capabilities.

Preparedness should include:

• documented ICT recovery priorities;
• backup and restoration arrangements;
• alternate communication channels;
• authentication and access recovery;
• emergency technical support;
• recovery of teaching platforms;
• recovery of student and teaching information;
• remote access capability;
• alternative distribution of teaching materials; and
• coordination with applicable technology service providers.

ICT Disaster Recovery Plans should be aligned with the recovery requirements of CBF-1.

Teaching Materials and Vital Records

Essential teaching information should be protected and recoverable.

Vital records may include:

• approved teaching timetables;
• class lists;
• teaching materials;
• subject outlines;
• learning resources;
• attendance records;
• staff allocation records;
• room allocation information;
• laboratory schedules;
• student communication records; and
• records of completed and outstanding teaching.

Current copies should be maintained in authorised, appropriately protected repositories.

Communication Readiness

Communication templates should be prepared for common teaching disruption scenarios.

Messages should address:

• what has happened;
• which classes are affected;
• whether teaching is cancelled, postponed, relocated or moved online;
• when alternative arrangements commence;
• actions required from students;
• actions required from staff;
• where updated information will be published; and
• where assistance can be obtained.

Emergency contact information should be maintained for critical personnel and appropriate external providers.

Dependency Verification

Dependencies supporting CBF-1 should be periodically verified.

These should include:

People → Academic and Administrative Personnel

Premises → Classrooms, Laboratories and Teaching Facilities

Technology → Learning Platforms, Networks and Classroom Technology

Information → Timetables, Class Lists and Teaching Materials

Suppliers → ICT, Telecommunications and Specialist Service Providers

Dependency failures should be incorporated into continuity exercises.

Testing and Exercising

JCUS should exercise scenarios such as:

• campus inaccessibility;
• prolonged ICT outage;
• digital learning platform failure;
• telecommunications outage;
• widespread academic staff unavailability;
• classroom or building loss;
• laboratory closure;
• cyber incident affecting teaching systems; and
• multiple simultaneous disruptions.

Exercises should test decision-making, communication, remote teaching, resource mobilisation and recovery of priority teaching activities.

Readiness Checklist

Before each major teaching period, the CBF Owner should confirm that:

• recovery contacts are current;
• deputies are identified;
• priority teaching activities are known;
• staff can access required systems remotely where appropriate;
• alternative teaching arrangements are available;
• critical teaching records are recoverable;
• communications templates are current;
• ICT recovery dependencies are confirmed;
• classroom alternatives are identified;
• supplier contacts are current; and
• outstanding exercise findings have been addressed.

Part 3: Within T+24 Hours for CBF-1 Teaching and Learning Delivery

Response, Recovery and Resume Phase

Objective

The objective during the first 24 hours is to protect people, understand the disruption, establish command and control, communicate rapidly, stabilise teaching operations and recover the highest-priority teaching activities within approved recovery requirements.

Actions should be undertaken chronologically while allowing parallel workstreams where necessary.

Stage 1 — Receive and Validate Disruption Notification

The person receiving the initial notification should:

1. record the time and source of notification;
2. establish the nature of the disruption;
3. identify affected locations, systems, personnel or teaching activities;
4. determine whether immediate safety concerns exist;
5. notify the CBF Owner or Recovery Team Leader; and
6. open an incident and recovery action log.

For significant incidents, the Recovery Team Leader should initiate an initial situation assessment.

Stage 2 — Protect Life and Safety

Life safety takes precedence over continuity of teaching.

Where premises are affected:

1. follow emergency evacuation or shelter procedures;
2. account for affected staff and students where applicable;
3. prevent access to unsafe teaching areas;
4. obtain advice from facilities, security or emergency authorities; and
5. do not initiate physical recovery activities until the relevant area is considered safe.

Teaching continuity should never override life-safety requirements.

Stage 3 — Assess Operational Impact

The Recovery Team should determine:

• teaching activities currently affected;
• number and categories of students affected;
• academic staff availability;
• classrooms or laboratories unavailable;
• digital platforms unavailable;
• anticipated disruption duration;
• critical dependencies affected;
• scheduled teaching within the next 24 hours;
• upcoming academic deadlines; and
• potential cascading impacts.

The assessment should explicitly consider 1.18, 1.19 and 1.20.

Stage 4 — Activate the Business Continuity Plan

Where the disruption exceeds normal operational incident-management capability, the authorised person should activate the relevant BCP arrangements.

Activation should establish:

• Recovery Team Leader;
• recovery coordination arrangements;
• reporting frequency;
• communication channels;
• decision authority;
• incident log;
• resource mobilisation process; and
• escalation criteria.

The activation time and authorising person should be documented.

Stage 5 — Escalate to Crisis Management Where Required

The Crisis Management Team should be activated or notified where the disruption has significant strategic, reputational, safety, regulatory, financial or institution-wide consequences.

The Recovery Team remains responsible for operational recovery of CBF-1 while the CMT provides strategic direction and coordinates organisation-wide consequences.

Stage 6 — Establish Recovery Priorities

The Recovery Team Leader should prioritise affected Sub-Critical Business Functions using BIA recovery requirements and current circumstances.

Particular priority should normally be considered for:

• 1.10 Face-to-Face Lectures and Classes;
• 1.11 Online or Remote Teaching;
• 1.12 Hybrid Teaching;
• 1.13 Tutorials and Interactive Learning;
• 1.14 Laboratory and Practical Teaching;
• 1.18 Academic Staff Unavailability;
• 1.19 Teaching Facility Disruption;
• 1.20 Digital Learning or ICT Disruption;
• 1.21 Communication of Teaching Changes;
• 1.22 Accessible and Alternative Arrangements;
• 1.23 Prioritisation During Major Disruption; and
• 1.24 Recovery of Missed Teaching.

Recovery priority should be based upon impact and required recovery timing rather than simply restoring activities in their normal organisational sequence.

Stage 7 — Mobilise Recovery Resources

The Recovery Team should mobilise:

• available academic personnel;
• alternate academic personnel;
• academic administration;
• ICT support;
• facilities support;
• digital learning support;
• communications support;
• alternative classrooms;
• remote-working equipment; and
• necessary external service providers.

Resource shortages should be escalated immediately.

Stage 8 — Activate Alternative Teaching Arrangements

Where normal teaching cannot continue, the authorised academic decision-maker should select an appropriate continuity strategy.

Examples include:

Unavailable Classroom → Alternative Classroom

Campus Inaccessible → Remote Teaching

Partial Campus Access → Hybrid Teaching

Lecturer Unavailable → Alternate Academic Staff

Digital Platform Unavailable → Approved Alternative Delivery Method

Teaching Cannot Be Safely Delivered → Postpone and Schedule Recovery Session

The selected approach should consider educational effectiveness, accessibility, staff capability, student access and duration of the disruption.

Stage 9 — Recover ICT and Digital Learning Capability

ICT recovery should proceed according to applicable disaster recovery arrangements.

Priority activities should include:

1. determine affected systems;
2. establish whether the problem is local or enterprise-wide;
3. initiate ICT incident or disaster recovery procedures;
4. recover authentication and connectivity;
5. restore priority teaching platforms;
6. validate access;
7. confirm integrity of restored information;
8. communicate system availability; and
9. maintain workarounds until stable service is confirmed.

Recovery Team representatives should provide the ICT recovery team with the business priority of affected teaching services.

Stage 10 — Communicate with Students and Staff

For 1.21 Communicate Teaching Changes to Students and Staff, communications should be issued as soon as reliable information is available.

Messages should clearly distinguish between:

• classes proceeding normally;
• classes relocated;
• classes moved online;
• classes postponed;
• classes cancelled pending further instructions; and
• classes requiring special arrangements.

A single authoritative source of current information should be identified wherever practical.

Speculation should be avoided.

Stage 11 — Implement Accessibility Arrangements

For 1.22 Provide Accessible and Alternative Teaching Arrangements, the Recovery Team should identify students who may be disadvantaged by the selected continuity method.

Considerations may include:

• accessibility requirements;
• technology limitations;
• inability to reach campus;
• inability to participate remotely;
• laboratory or practical requirements; and
• other approved student-support considerations.

Alternative arrangements should be coordinated with appropriate academic and student-support functions.

Stage 12 — Manage Missed Teaching

Where teaching has already been interrupted, 1.24 Recover Missed or Interrupted Teaching should commence.

The responsible academic team should record:

• affected subject;
• class;
• date and time;
• teaching hours lost;
• content not delivered;
• students affected;
• proposed recovery approach;
• responsible academic staff; and
• target recovery date.

Possible recovery options include replacement classes, revised timetable arrangements, additional online sessions or other academically approved approaches.

Stage 13 — Coordinate Suppliers

Where external providers support affected services, the designated owner should:

1. contact the provider;
2. obtain incident status;
3. establish expected recovery timing;
4. invoke contractual continuity or support provisions where appropriate;
5. identify alternative arrangements; and
6. provide status updates to the Recovery Team.

Critical supplier recovery estimates should not be accepted without assessing their impact on CBF-1 recovery requirements.

Stage 14 — Assess Notification and Reporting Obligations

Management, compliance and other responsible functions should determine whether the disruption triggers any notification or reporting obligations.

The assessment should consider:

• scale of teaching disruption;
• duration;
• student impact;
• contractual commitments;
• regulatory requirements;
• significant data or cyber implications; and
• other applicable reporting obligations.

The decision to notify or not notify should be documented.

Stage 15 — Report Recovery Progress

During the first 24 hours, the Recovery Team should issue periodic situation reports.

A recovery report should identify:

 

Recovery Information	Required Status
Incident status	Current condition
Students affected	Number/estimated scope
Teaching activities affected	Classes/subjects
Teaching restored	Current percentage or scope
Staff availability	Available/shortfall
Facilities availability	Available/unavailable
ICT status	Operational/degraded/unavailable
Alternative arrangements	Activated/pending
Major issues	Description
Decisions required	Management/CMT decision
Expected next milestone	Time/action
Recovery risks	Emerging concerns

Reporting frequency should reflect incident severity.

Stage 16 — Maintain Decision and Action Logs

Throughout recovery, designated personnel should document:

• decisions;
• authorisations;
• communications;
• resource requests;
• changes to teaching arrangements;
• workarounds;
• ICT recovery actions;
• supplier commitments;
• unresolved issues; and
• significant timestamps.

These records support operational coordination, accountability, post-incident review and continual improvement.

T+24 Recovery Checkpoint

By the end of the initial 24-hour period, the Recovery Team Leader should be able to answer:

• Is the incident stable?
• Are people safe?
• What teaching remains disrupted?
• Which priority activities have resumed?
• Which recovery targets are at risk?
• Are sufficient academic staff available?
• Are alternative teaching arrangements functioning?
• Are students receiving accurate information?
• Are ICT services sufficiently stable?
• Are accessibility needs being addressed?
• What teaching must still be recovered?
• Are additional management decisions required?

If significant disruption remains, recovery should transition formally into the extended restoration phase.

Part 4: After T+24 Hours for CBF-1 Teaching and Learning Delivery

Restore and Return Phase

Objective

The objective after the initial recovery period is to progressively restore the full Teaching and Learning Delivery capability, reconcile temporary arrangements, recover outstanding teaching, restore supporting systems and records, and transition safely from continuity arrangements to normal operations.

Stage 1 — Reassess Recovery Priorities

The Recovery Team should reassess the disruption using current information.

Determine:

• remaining affected classes;
• outstanding teaching hours;
• unavailable facilities;
• unresolved ICT problems;
• staff shortages;
• student impacts;
• temporary arrangements still operating; and
• emerging academic-calendar pressures.

Recovery priorities should be adjusted accordingly.

Stage 2 — Restore Full Teaching Services

Temporary teaching arrangements should progressively transition toward normal service.

The Recovery Team should coordinate restoration of:

• scheduled face-to-face teaching;
• online teaching;
• hybrid teaching;
• tutorials and workshops;
• laboratory and practical teaching;
• academic consultation;
• attendance monitoring; and
• teaching completion monitoring.

Activities should not be declared fully restored merely because systems or buildings are technically available. Operational usability must be confirmed.

Stage 3 — Recover Outstanding Teaching

Using the disruption records created during the first 24 hours, academic teams should implement recovery arrangements for missed teaching.

For every affected activity, confirm:

Teaching Missed → Recovery Method → Recovery Date → Teaching Delivered → Completion Confirmed

Recovery scheduling should consider student workload and avoid creating unreasonable concentrations of replacement activities.

Stage 4 — Restore the Primary Teaching Environment

Before returning to previously unavailable facilities, responsible personnel should confirm:

• building safety;
• classroom availability;
• utilities;
• network availability;
• teaching technology;
• access controls;
• environmental conditions;
• laboratory safety where applicable; and
• readiness of supporting services.

Formal authorisation should be obtained before reoccupation where required.

Stage 5 — Return from Alternative Arrangements

Transition from alternative arrangements should be controlled.

Students and staff should receive adequate notice of:

• return date;
• classroom location;
• teaching mode;
• timetable changes;
• technology requirements; and
• any residual restrictions.

Where beneficial, temporary arrangements may continue for a defined transition period rather than changing delivery methods repeatedly.

Stage 6 — Restore and Validate ICT Services

ICT teams should confirm:

• systems are stable;
• integrations are functioning;
• user access is restored;
• data is complete;
• security controls are operating;
• backups have resumed;
• temporary configurations are removed where appropriate; and
• outstanding technical problems are recorded.

CBF representatives should perform business validation before systems are declared operationally restored.

Stage 7 — Reconcile Manual and Temporary Records

Any information captured outside normal systems during the disruption should be reconciled.

Examples include:

• manual attendance;
• temporary class lists;
• teaching completion records;
• timetable changes;
• student requests;
• replacement class records; and
• staff allocation changes.

The designated owner should verify that temporary records are transferred into approved systems without duplication or loss.

Stage 8 — Restore Vital Records

Recovered records should be checked for:

• completeness;
• accuracy;
• currency;
• integrity;
• appropriate access controls; and
• correct retention.

Any missing or corrupted records should be escalated for remediation.

Stage 9 — Reinstate Normal Staffing

Temporary staffing arrangements should be reviewed.

The CBF Owner should determine:

• when staff can return to normal responsibilities;
• whether replacement personnel remain necessary;
• whether accumulated workload requires additional resources;
• whether staff require rest following extended recovery activity; and
• whether specialist support remains necessary.

Recovery should not create secondary operational risks through prolonged staff fatigue.

Stage 10 — Normalise Supplier Services

External services should be transitioned from emergency or temporary arrangements to normal contractual delivery.

Service owners should confirm:

• normal service restored;
• outstanding incidents closed;
• temporary arrangements terminated;
• service performance acceptable;
• outstanding charges identified; and
• supplier performance issues documented.

Material supplier continuity weaknesses should be included in the post-incident review.

Stage 11 — Financial Reconciliation

Where disruption generated exceptional costs, appropriate records should be consolidated.

These may include:

• additional teaching costs;
• temporary staffing;
• alternative premises;
• additional technology;
• emergency procurement;
• supplier charges; and
• other recovery expenditure.

Financial records should be retained according to applicable organisational requirements.

Stage 12 — Communicate Restoration

Students and staff should be informed when normal teaching arrangements have been restored.

The communication should specify:

• effective restoration date;
• remaining exceptions;
• outstanding replacement teaching;
• timetable changes;
• where updated information is available; and
• how unresolved concerns can be raised.

Major stakeholders should receive appropriate closure communications where necessary.

Stage 13 — Reconcile Teaching Completion

For 1.25 Reconcile and Confirm Teaching Completion, academic teams should verify that:

• required teaching activities were delivered;
• missed sessions were recovered or otherwise appropriately addressed;
• attendance information was reconciled;
• required learning materials were available;
• outstanding teaching commitments are identified; and
• completion status is recorded.

Any unrecovered activity should remain on an exception register until resolved.

Stage 14 — Return Teaching Operations to Normal

For 1.26 Return Teaching Operations to Normal, the CBF Owner should confirm that:

• normal teaching capability has been restored;
• priority systems are stable;
• facilities are available;
• staffing has normalised;
• temporary workarounds are no longer required;
• outstanding teaching has been addressed or formally scheduled;
• students have been informed;
• records are reconciled; and
• remaining risks are accepted or assigned for resolution.

Only after these conditions are satisfied should formal recovery stand-down occur.

Stage 15 — Conduct Post-Incident Review

A structured post-incident review should be conducted after significant disruptions.

The review should determine:

• what happened;
• what caused the disruption;
• what worked effectively;
• what did not work;
• whether recovery targets were achieved;
• whether recovery resources were sufficient;
• whether communications were effective;
• whether alternative teaching arrangements worked;
• whether ICT recovery supported business priorities;
• whether dependencies behaved as expected; and
• what should change.

Participants should include relevant business, academic, ICT, facilities and management representatives.

Stage 16 — Establish Corrective Actions

Lessons should be converted into assigned actions.

A corrective-action register should include:

 

Field	Requirement
Finding	Identified issue
Corrective Action	Required improvement
Action Owner	Responsible person/function
Priority	Critical/High/Medium/Low
Target Date	Completion deadline
Status	Open/In Progress/Completed
Evidence	Evidence of completion
Verification	Confirmation that action is effective

Actions should remain open until implementation and effectiveness have been verified.

Stage 17 — Update the Business Continuity Plan

Following significant incidents or exercises, update relevant BCM documentation where necessary.

Updates may include:

• recovery procedures;
• contact lists;
• recovery priorities;
• resource requirements;
• alternative teaching arrangements;
• ICT dependencies;
• supplier arrangements;
• communications templates;
• escalation criteria;
• recovery roles; and
• training requirements.

Document control should ensure that obsolete procedures are withdrawn and current versions are accessible to authorised users.

Stage 18 — Improve Training and Exercises

Lessons from the incident should inform future training.

For example:

Communication Delay → Communication Exercise

Remote Teaching Failure → Remote Delivery Exercise

Staff Shortage → Succession Exercise

ICT Recovery Delay → Joint BCM/DR Exercise

Facility Loss → Alternative-Site Exercise

Training should focus particularly on weaknesses demonstrated during the actual disruption.

Stage 19 — Complete Continuous Improvement

The final stage is to integrate lessons into the wider BCM programme.

The BCM function and CBF Owner should periodically review:

• BIA assumptions;
• recovery requirements;
• continuity strategies;
• minimum resource requirements;
• recovery procedures;
• exercise scenarios;
• dependency information; and
• emerging risks.

This closes the continuity improvement cycle:

Prepare → Respond → Recover → Restore → Review → Improve → Prepare

Recovery Procedure Summary

The complete recovery sequence for CBF-1 can be represented as:

Pre-Crisis Preparedness

↓

Disruption Detected

↓

Protect Students and Staff

↓

Assess Teaching Impact

↓

Activate BCP

↓

Escalate to CMT Where Required

↓

Prioritise Teaching Activities

↓

Mobilise People, Facilities and Technology

↓

Activate Alternative Teaching Arrangements

↓

Recover Priority Teaching

↓

Communicate with Students and Staff

↓

Recover Missed Teaching

↓

Restore Systems, Facilities and Records

↓

Reconcile Teaching Completion

↓

Return Teaching Operations to Normal

↓

Post-Incident Review

↓

Corrective Actions and BCP Improvement

The Business Continuity Recovery Procedure for CBF-1 Teaching and Learning Delivery provides JCUS with an actionable bridge between BCM planning and operational recovery. It translates recovery strategies, BIA findings, minimum-resource requirements and organisational responsibilities into activities that can be executed during an actual disruption.

Effective recovery begins well before an incident occurs. Governance, trained personnel, succession arrangements, ICT preparedness, alternative teaching methods, protected records, communication mechanisms and tested dependencies provide the foundation upon which successful recovery depends.

During a disruption, disciplined execution is equally important. Recovery teams need to establish situational awareness, protect people, prioritise teaching activities, mobilise resources, communicate clearly, implement appropriate alternative arrangements and maintain accurate records of decisions and actions.

Restoration does not end when teaching first resumes. JCUS should reconcile missed teaching, validate systems and records, normalise staffing and supplier arrangements, confirm teaching completion and ensure that temporary continuity measures have been properly closed.

Finally, every disruption provides an opportunity to strengthen organisational resilience. Post-incident reviews, corrective actions, BCP updates, improved training and further exercises should convert operational experience into measurable improvements in continuity capability.

For JCUS, maintaining a robust recovery procedure for Teaching and Learning Delivery strengthens its ability to protect the academic experience, maintain essential teaching activities and restore normal operations following disruptive events.

 

Successful recovery depends upon preparation before the disruption, coordination and communication during the disruption, disciplined execution throughout recovery, and continual improvement after normal operations have been restored.