[OR] Scenario Testing Versus BCM-CM Testing & Exercising

Operational Resilience Scenario Testing Versus BCM-CM Testing

A common challenge is the inability to differentiate between scenario testing as part of operational resilience and testing/exercising conducted in the realms of business continuity and crisis management.

Scenario Testing in Operational Resilience

Scenario testing within operational resilience involves creating and simulating hypothetical situations or scenarios that could disrupt critical business services or operations.

These scenarios test the organization's overall resilience strategies, including its ability to identify, respond to, and recover from various disruptions.

Purpose of OR Scenario Testing

Scenario testing in operational resilience primarily aims to evaluate the organization's preparedness and response capabilities against various threats and disruptions. It helps assess the effectiveness of resilience plans, identify gaps, and refine strategies to enhance the organization's ability to adapt and recover.

Testing and Exercising in Business Continuity and Crisis Management

Testing and exercising in business continuity and crisis management involve specific drills, simulations, tabletop exercises, or live tests that validate and refine existing continuity plans and crisis response procedures.

These exercises are often targeted at individual components of the response plan or specific crisis scenarios.

Purpose of Testing and Exercising in BC/CM

The main objective of testing and exercising in business continuity and crisis management is to validate the effectiveness of established plans, procedures, and protocols. It helps train personnel, identify weaknesses, assess the feasibility of recovery strategies, and enhance the readiness to manage specific types of disruptions or crises.

Key Differences between the OR and BC-CM Testing

Scope

Scenario testing in operational resilience typically involves broader, more holistic scenarios that may encompass multiple threats or disruptions affecting critical business services and not only the functions. In contrast, business continuity and crisis management testing often focus on specific aspects of the BC-CM plan or targeted scenarios.

Objective

Operational resilience scenario testing aims to assess overall organizational resilience, whereas testing/exercising in business continuity and crisis management seeks to validate and improve specific BC-CM plans and procedures.

Focus

Operational resilience scenario testing considers the organization's adaptability and long-term resilience strategies. Testing in business continuity and crisis management is more immediate, concentrating on quick BC-CM actions and BC-CM strategies.

While both types of testing contribute to an organization's preparedness, scenario testing within operational resilience takes a broader and more strategic view.

Evaluating the organization's ability to adapt and endure various disruptions, whereas business continuity and crisis management testing is more tactical, focusing on specific BC-CM-IM plans and procedures.

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.

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