[BCM] [MOM] [E1] [C3] Establishing Organisational Goals

Chapter 3

Identifying Organisational Goals for BCM for the MOM Singapore

Introduction

For the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), a public-sector agency tasked with shaping Singapore’s workforce policies, regulating employment practices, ensuring workplace safety, and protecting both employers and employees, clear BCM goals are essential.

These goals must be rooted in both MOM’s institutional mandate and the broader public-sector continuity expectations of the Singapore government.

In this chapter, we articulate how MOM can define its BCM organisational goals to support its mission, satisfy ISO 22301 requirements, and reflect Singapore’s government-wide resilience policy.

Context: MOM’s Institutional Role & Stakeholders

To set meaningful BCM goals, MOM must first acknowledge its operating context:

• Mandate and Functions: MOM regulates employment standards, supports workforce development, enforces workplace safety, and provides social protections. Its decisions directly impact employers, employees, unions, and other tripartite partners.
• Critical Services: Some of MOM’s functions are time-sensitive (e.g., workplace inspections, labour dispute resolution, crisis communications in employment matters) — disruption to these could have significant social and economic consequences.
• Public-Sector Risk Landscape: As a government ministry, MOM is exposed to a range of risks, including natural disasters, pandemics (e.g., COVID-19), cyber incidents, supply-chain or IT dependencies, reputational risks, and systemic shocks.
• Policy Framework & Government Resilience Expectations: MOM must align with national continuity frameworks like SGSecure, whole-of-government business continuity planning, and resilience standards across public agencies.

Guiding Principles from ISO 22301 & Singapore Standards

When setting BCM goals, MOM should base them on well-recognised frameworks:

• ISO 22301 (Business Continuity Management System): This standard requires organisations to establish, implement, maintain, and continuously improve a BCMS, aligned with their context, interested parties, and risk exposure.
• Singapore Standards & Adoption: Singapore has adopted ISO 22313:2020 as a local standard that guides BCMS implementation.
• Legacy BCM Standard: Earlier, Singapore had SS540 (BCM standard) before the adoption of ISO 22301. 
• Continuous Improvement Mindset: Consistent with BCM best practices, MOM’s continuity system should not be static. It should embed mechanisms for regular threat monitoring, review, testing, and enhancement. 

Key Organisational Goals for MOM’s BCM Program

Drawing on MOM’s public-sector mission and BCM frameworks, the following are suggested high-level goals. These should be cascaded into tactical objectives and actions.

Ensure Uninterrupted Delivery of Critical Services

1. • Protect MOM’s core regulatory and inspection operations so that essential employment-protection functions (e.g., workplace safety inspections, licensing, labour mediation) continue with minimal disruption.
   • Maintain timely communication and service to tripartite partners, employers, and workers, especially during crises.

   Embed BCM into Routine Operations

   • Institutionalise BCM as part of “business-as-usual” (BAU) rather than a stand-alone project, integrating risk assessment, business impact analysis (BIA), and continuity planning into MOM’s strategic planning cycles.
   • Ensure that BCM roles and responsibilities are clearly defined across divisions (policy, enforcement, inspections, HR, IT), and that succession planning is in place for critical roles.
     
     

   Strengthen Resilience in Workforce and Infrastructure

   • Build capacity to handle prolonged staff absences (e.g., pandemic waves), ensuring critical functions can be performed through remote work, alternative staffing, or redeployment. Indeed, MOM has previously issued an advisory on business continuity in the context of COVID-19 staff absence. 
   • Ensure resilient facilities, communication systems, and IT infrastructure, with redundant systems, backup sites, and manual workarounds where needed.
     
     

   Maintain Public Confidence and Trust

   • Provide transparent, timely, and accurate communication to the public, employers, and workers during disruptions, reinforcing MOM’s reliability and credibility.
   • Commit to regularly exercising (e.g., tabletop drills, full activation) continuity plans so that MOM can respond promptly and competently under stress.
     
     
   
   

   Comply with National Resilience Frameworks and Government Mandates

   • Align MOM’s BCM efforts with Singapore’s SGSecure program and other national resilience initiatives. MOM has played a role in SGSecure@Workplaces, and its BCM goals should contribute to that national posture. 
   • Periodically benchmark and audit BCM using recognised standards (such as ISO 22301), and ensure continuous improvement via lessons learned, audits, and management reviews.
     
     

   Promote BCM Culture and Awareness

   • Foster BCM awareness among all MOM staff through training, tabletop exercises, and the incorporation of continuity thinking into everyday decision-making.
   • Embed threat monitoring and environmental scanning (e.g., emerging risks such as cyber, geopolitical, and health) into MOM’s risk management processes. This continuous vigilance supports proactive adaptation. 

Translating Goals into ISO 22301-Compliant Objectives

To satisfy ISO 22301 requirements, MOM should convert its organisational goals into measurable BCM objectives.

For example:

Challenges and Considerations for MOM

When setting and pursuing these goals, MOM should be mindful of several unique challenges:

• Complex Stakeholder Landscape: MOM’s stakeholders include not just internal divisions, but also external groups (employers, unions, workers). BCM objectives must reflect and balance these interests.
• Regulatory Risk vs Operational Risk: Some disruptions may jeopardise compliance or regulatory enforcement, which have reputational and policy implications. BCM planning must include both operational continuity and regulatory resilience.
• Resource Allocation: BCM requires sustained investment in people, infrastructure, training, and exercising. MOM must justify resource allocation in its budget cycles by demonstrating how BCM contributes to mission assurance and risk mitigation.
• Inter-Agency Coordination: Some continuity scenarios (e.g., national emergencies) will involve multiple ministries. MOM’s BCM goals must dovetail with broader government continuity strategies.
• Evolving Threat Landscape: The risk environment (cyber threats, pandemics, supply-chain shocks) is dynamic. Goals and continuity plans must be regularly reviewed and updated to address emerging risks.

Governance and Accountability

To operationalise the BCM goals, MOM should establish a robust governance structure:

1. Steering Committee: A BCM Steering Committee chaired by senior leadership (e.g., Permanent Secretary) to provide strategic direction, approve BCM policies, and allocate resources.
2. BCM Office / Secretariat: A dedicated BCM team accountable for managing risk assessments, BIAs, plan development, exercising, audits, and continuous improvement.
3. Business Continuity Champions: Appoint continuity champions or focal points across departments (e.g., inspections, HR, IT) to embed BCM in their functional areas.
4. Management Review & Reporting: Establish regular management reviews (quarterly or semi-annually) to assess BCM performance, review KPIs, and endorse improvement actions.
5. Audit & Assurance: Perform independent audits (internal or external) on BCM, in alignment with ISO 22301, to validate readiness and compliance.

Balancing Ambition and Achievability

While MOM should aim for a mature, ISO-aligned BCMS, it is essential to phase its goals pragmatically:

• Phase 1: Build foundational BCM capability — risk assessment, BIA, continuity plans for critical functions, basic exercising.
• Phase 2: Formalise BCM governance, conduct cross-functional exercises, improve remote working recovery, and refine communication protocols.
• Phase 3: Institutionalise continuous improvement, integrate BCM into performance management, conduct external audits for ISO certification (if aligned), and embed BCM in organisational culture.

Setting clear, well-aligned BCM goals is a vital step in building a resilient Ministry of Manpower.

These goals not only help MOM meet its statutory and operational responsibilities during disruptions but also support its strategic mission: fostering a safe, fair, and productive workforce ecosystem in Singapore.

By aligning continuity efforts with ISO 22301 principles and Singapore’s public-sector resilience frameworks, MOM can strengthen its capacity to anticipate, respond to, and recover from crises—and in doing so, sustain public trust and fulfil its critical role in the nation's social and economic fabric.

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