Conduct Scenario Testing
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What is Scenario Testing?
Scenario Testing aims to test the organisation's ability to remain within impact tolerances in severe but plausible disruption scenarios, focusing on recovery and response arrangements rather than preventative measures.
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This section is the "Implement" phase of the Operational Resilience Planning Methodology. It is the fourth stage of the Implement phase: Conduct Scenario Testing.
Audit Checklist for Conducting Scenario Testing
1. Scenario Testing Planning
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- Has a scenario testing plan been developed outlining the objectives, scope, and methodology?
- Are the scenarios relevant to the organization's critical business services and potential threats?
- Has the testing plan considered various disruption scenarios, including natural disasters, cyberattacks, and system failures?
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Checklist |
- Verify the existence of a scenario testing plan that outlines objectives, scope, and methodology.
- Assess the relevance of the scenarios to the organization's critical business services and potential threats.
- Ensure the testing plan considers various disruption scenarios, including natural disasters, cyberattacks, and system failures.
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- Has a range of realistic scenarios been identified for testing operational resilience?
- Do the selected scenarios cover a variety of potential disruptions and stress events?
- Have scenarios been designed to test different aspects of operational resilience, including people, processes, technology, and facilities?
- Are the selected scenarios aligned with the organisation's risk profile and potential impact on critical business services?
- How were the scenarios developed? Were they based on historical incidents, industry best practices, or internal risk assessments?
- Are the scenarios realistic and representative of the organisation's potential threats and disruptions?
- Have relevant stakeholders, including management and subject matter experts, reviewed and approved the scenarios?
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Checklist |
- Review the scenario development process and ensure it is based on historical incidents, industry best practices, or internal risk assessments.
- Evaluate the realism and representativeness of the scenarios concerning potential threats and disruptions.
- Confirm that relevant stakeholders, including management and subject matter experts, have reviewed and approved the scenarios.
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- How was the scenario testing conducted? Was it a tabletop exercise or a simulation of real-time events?
- Were the participants provided clear instructions, roles, and responsibilities during the scenario testing?
- Did the scenario testing involve cross-functional teams and external stakeholders, such as vendors or regulatory authorities, where applicable?
- Are the scenarios executed in a controlled and structured manner?
- Are the scenarios realistic and representative of potential disruptions?
Is there a clear timeline and sequence of events for each scenario?
- Are participants provided with the necessary information and resources to respond to the scenarios effectively?
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Checklist |
- Assess the execution of the scenario testing, whether it was a tabletop exercise or a simulation of real-time events.
- Evaluate the clarity of instructions, roles, and responsibilities provided to participants during the scenario testing.
- Verify if the scenario testing involved cross-functional teams and external stakeholders, such as vendors or regulatory authorities, where applicable.
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- Did the scenario testing effectively assess the impact on critical business services and their dependencies?
- Were the impacts and consequences of the scenarios accurately evaluated, including financial, operational, reputational, and regulatory implications?
- Was the impact assessment aligned with the objectives and scope of the operational resilience program?
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Checklist |
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the impact assessment on critical business services and their dependencies during the scenario testing.
- Assess whether the impacts and consequences of the scenarios were accurately evaluated, including financial, operational, reputational, and regulatory implications.
- Verify if the impact assessment was aligned with the objectives and scope of the operational resilience program.
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- How did the organization respond to the simulated scenarios? Were the predefined incident response plans activated and followed?
- Were the communication and coordination among relevant teams and stakeholders effective during the response and recovery process?
- Did the organization demonstrate the ability to recover critical business services within the predefined recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs)?
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Checklist |
- Review the organization's response to the simulated scenarios, including activating and adhering to predefined incident response plans.
- Assess the effectiveness of communication and coordination among relevant teams and stakeholders during the response and recovery process.
- Verify if the organization demonstrated the ability to recover critical business services within the predefined recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs).
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6. Lessons Learned and Improvement
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- Was a comprehensive evaluation conducted to identify lessons learned from the scenario testing?
- Were the identified areas for improvement documented and communicated to relevant stakeholders?
- Has the organization implemented corrective actions and updated its operational resilience program based on the findings and recommendations from scenario testing?
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Checklist |
- Assess the comprehensiveness of the evaluation conducted to identify lessons learned from the scenario testing.
- Verify if the identified areas for improvement were documented and communicated to relevant stakeholders.
- Assess if the organization implemented corrective actions and updated its operational resilience program based on the findings and recommendations from scenario testing.
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7. Documentation and Reporting
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- Are the scenario testing plans, results, and related documentation adequately recorded and maintained?
- Is there a clear and consistent reporting framework for scenario testing, including key findings, observations, and recommendations?
- Are the scenario testing reports provided to management and relevant stakeholders regularly?
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Checklist |
- Verify if the scenario testing plans, results, and related documentation are adequately recorded and maintained.
- Assess the existence of a clear and consistent reporting framework for scenario testing, including key findings, observations, and recommendations.
- Confirm if the scenario testing reports are regularly provided to management and relevant stakeholders.
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8. Continuous Improvement
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- How does the organization incorporate the insights gained from scenario testing into its ongoing operational resilience program?
- Are there mechanisms to continuously monitor, evaluate, and update the scenario testing approach based on emerging threats and changing business environments?
- Does the organization encourage a culture of continuous improvement and learning from scenario testing exercises?
- Is there a culture of continuous improvement in scenario testing and operational resilience readiness?
- Are scenario testing methodologies and practices regularly reviewed and updated based on lessons learned?
- Is there a feedback loop to incorporate insights from scenario testing into operational resilience planning and decision-making?
- Are there mechanisms to encourage innovation and the exploration of new scenarios and test methodologies?
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Checklist |
- Evaluate how the organization incorporates the insights gained from scenario testing into its ongoing operational resilience program.
- Assess the mechanisms to continuously monitor, evaluate, and update the scenario testing approach based on emerging threats and changing business environments.
- Verify if the organization encourages continuous improvement and learning from scenario testing exercises.
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Some steps may overlap with the other "Implement" phase stages.
Find out more about Blended Learning ORA-5000 [BL-ORA-5] & ORA-300 [BL-ORA-3]