[OR] [BOK] [13] [P3] [S3] Implement Training and Awareness

Operational Resilience Body of Knowledge (OR BoK) Series

Implement Training and Awareness

The purpose of this blog is to help readers understand that implementing Training and Awareness is essential for embedding operational resilience into the organisation's culture, rather than treating it as a one-time training event.

It explains why operational resilience depends on employees, leaders, and third parties understanding their respective roles in protecting and restoring critical business services during disruptions.

The blog outlines the purpose, objectives, inputs, activities, outputs, and linkages of the Training and Awareness stage, demonstrating how structured education, communication, and continuous learning reinforce resilience capabilities, incorporate lessons learned from incidents and exercises, and align organisational practices with regulatory expectations and industry best practices.

Element	Description
Purpose	To institutionalise operational resilience by embedding awareness and training into the organisation’s culture. This ensures all employees, stakeholders, and third parties understand their roles and responsibilities in maintaining resilience, particularly in protecting and restoring critical business services during disruptions.
Objectives	Develop a structured and ongoing training program tailored to different roles and responsibilities. Build organisation-wide awareness of operational resilience principles, practices, and expectations. Reinforce the importance of resilience across all levels, including leadership, frontline staff, and third-party partners. Ensure consistent communication of lessons learned from exercises, incidents, and audits. Align training programs with regulatory expectations and industry best practices.
Inputs	OR policies, frameworks, and governance structure. Results from risk assessments, business impact analysis (BIA), and scenario testing. Regulatory requirements and supervisory expectations. Feedback from previous incidents, exercises, and audits. Training needs assessment across business units and third parties.
Activities	Design role-based training modules (e.g., executives, business units, IT, third parties). Conduct awareness campaigns (e.g., newsletters, workshops, intranet resources, townhalls). Deliver scenario-based training and crisis simulation exercises. Provide refresher training to sustain knowledge retention and awareness. Incorporate resilience topics into onboarding for new staff. Track attendance, participation, and performance to measure effectiveness. Embed resilience awareness in supplier and partner engagement.
Outputs	A comprehensive OR training program tailored by function and role. Documented training records and attendance tracking. Communication materials (presentations, awareness bulletins, e-learning modules). Measurable awareness levels across the organisation (through surveys, assessments). Evidence of compliance with regulatory training requirements. Increased organisational readiness and resilience culture.
Linkages	P3-S1 (Embed Governance and Oversight): Ensures leadership supports training as part of resilience governance. P3-S2 (Maintain Continuous Compliance): Training and awareness reinforce compliance and regulatory obligations. P3-S4 (Enhance Collaboration and Third-Party Engagement): Training extends to suppliers, vendors, and partners. P3-S5 (Improve and Communicate Lessons Learned): Lessons learned feed into training and awareness updates. Cross-phase linkage: Builds on P2-S5 (Conduct Exercises and Validations) by reinforcing knowledge gained during simulations and stress testing.

[Banner] [Summing] [OR] [E2] [C17] Implementing Training and Awareness

For participants of the Operational Resilience Expert Implementer (OR-5000) programme, this blog serves as a pre-reading and learning guide that places Stage 13 within the context of the complete Operational Resilience Planning Methodology.

Rather than viewing Training and Awareness as a standalone learning programme, participants will recognise that it translates the outputs of all preceding planning and implementation stages into practical knowledge and behaviours across the organisation.

It equips personnel at every level to understand governance, critical business services, dependencies, impact tolerances, response procedures, and their individual responsibilities.

By appreciating how Training and Awareness supports organisational culture, capability development, and continuous improvement, participants gain a holistic understanding of how this stage prepares the organisation for the subsequent stages of Self-Assessment and Independent Quality Review, ensuring that operational resilience is not only designed but consistently understood, practised, and sustained throughout the enterprise.

"Sustain" Phase of the OR Planning Methodology

Introduce Cultural Change Management	Develop Communication Strategy	Implement Training and Awareness	Provide Self-assessment	Conduct an Independent Quality Review

Operational Resilience Body of Knowledge - Sustain
BoK 11 S1	BoK 12 S2	BoK 13 S3	BoK 14 S4	BoK 15 S5

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

To learn more about the course and schedule, click the buttons below for the OR-3 Blended Learning OR-300 Operational Resilience Implementer course and the OR-5 Blended Learning OR-5000 Operational Resilience Expert Implementer course.