[OR] [BOK] [5] [P1] [S5] Develop and Embed Governance

The purpose of this blog is to help organisations understand how to develop and embed an effective operational resilience governance framework that provides clear leadership, accountability, and oversight throughout the resilience programme.

It explains how governance establishes decision-making structures, defines roles and responsibilities across the Board, senior management, and operational teams, and integrates operational resilience into existing governance, risk management, business continuity, and compliance frameworks.

The blog also outlines how governance mechanisms, policies, reporting, performance monitoring, and continuous oversight ensure that operational resilience becomes an integral part of organisational management rather than a standalone initiative.

For participants of the Operational Resilience Expert Implementer programme, the blog provides the practical knowledge required to design and implement governance arrangements that support sustainable operational resilience, regulatory compliance, and continual improvement across the organisation.

Element	Description
Purpose	To establish a structured governance framework that defines accountability, ownership, oversight, and decision-making processes for Operational Resilience (OR). Embedding governance ensures that OR is not treated as a one-off initiative but is sustained through leadership, policies, and organisational culture.
Objectives	Define the organisational structure, roles, and responsibilities for OR governance. Establish oversight committees and reporting lines. Ensure accountability of senior management and the board for resilience. Integrate OR into existing governance structures (e.g., risk, compliance, audit). Develop policies, charters, and mandates that formalise OR governance. Promote transparency, communication, and escalation protocols.
Inputs	OR Strategy and Policy (from earlier stages of Phase 1). Organisational Risk Appetite and Tolerance. Regulatory and industry governance expectations. Existing corporate governance frameworks (risk, compliance, BCM, IT, cyber, etc.). Stakeholder requirements and board directives.
Activities	Define governance structure: committees, working groups, and reporting mechanisms. Assign accountability to senior management and board-level oversight. Develop OR governance documents (charters, terms of reference, policies, mandates). Establish escalation and decision-making protocols for disruptions. Integrate governance requirements into the wider organisational governance ecosystem. Conduct awareness and engagement sessions with stakeholders to embed governance culture. Align with regulatory expectations and industry best practices.
Outputs	Operational Resilience Governance Framework. Governance Charter and Terms of Reference. Defined accountability and ownership matrix (RACI model). Established committees (e.g., OR Steering Committee, Risk Committee). Documented escalation and reporting procedures. Integration of OR governance into enterprise risk and compliance structures.
Linkages	Upstream: OR Strategy (P1-S2), Establish Leadership & Accountability (P1-S3), Identify Critical Business Services (P1-S4). Downstream: Implementation of governance through OR Program (Phase 2), Monitoring & Reporting (Phase 3). Cross-linkages: Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), Business Continuity Management (BCM), Compliance & Regulatory Governance, Information Security Governance.

"Plan" Phase of the OR Planning Methodology

Assess Capability and Maturity	Analyse Gap	Develop Strategy and Roadmap	Confirm Risk Appetite	Develop and Embed Governance

Operational Resilience Body of Knowledge - Plan
BoK 1 S1	BoK 2 S2	BoK 3 S3	BoK 4 S4	BoK 5 S5

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

Contact our course consultant colleagues to learn more about our blended learning program and the next course schedule. They are the BL-OR-3 Blended Learning OR-300 Operational Resilience Implementer and the BL-OR-5 Blended Learning OR-5000 Operational Resilience Expert Implementer.