BS 25999 - Business Continuity Management Standard

Business Continuity Management (BCM) is essential for any business. Planning for crisis or disaster is a complex science and fundamentally an aspect of management that should not be neglected. BS 25999 is a Business Continuity Management (BCM) standard. It is in two parts - BS 25999-1 and BS 25999-2. The former is a code of practice and the latter is a specification for business continuity management that you can be audited against to gain BS 25999 registration.

BS 25999 offers an accepted framework for incident anticipation and response with a series of recommendations for good practice.

BS 25999 is a Business Continuity Management (BCM) standard published by the British Standards Institution (BSI).

It has two parts:

• The first, "BS 25999-1:2006 Business Continuity Management. Code of Practice", takes the form of general guidance on the processes, principles and terminology recommended for BCM. Part 1 offers good practice advice on the things that ought to be considered to achieve business continuity. It needs to be interpreted by user organizations according to their specific situations.

• The second, "BS 25999-2:2007 Specification for Business Continuity Management", formally specifies a set of requirements for implementing, operating and improving a BCM System (BCMS). Part 2 describes a how the business continuity arrangements described in part 1 can be managed systematically using a documented BCMS. Since part 2 is a precisely-worded specification, user organizations may opt to have their BCMS objectively and independently audited for compliance with the standard, leading to certification. The certificate assures stakeholders that the organization is proactively managing its business continuity in the structured manner laid down in part 2 of the standard. BS 25999-2 will be withdrawn in November 2012. It has been replaced by the International Standard, ISO 22301.

The contents of the code of practice (BS 25999-1) are as follows:

Section 1 - Scope and Applicability. This section defines the scope of the standard, making clear that it describes generic best practice that should be tailored to the organization implementing it

Section 2 - Terms and Definitions. This section describes the terminology and definitions used within the body of the standard

Section 3 - Overview of Business Continuity Management. A short overview is the subject of the standard. It is not meant to be a beginners guide but describes the overall processes, its relationship with risk management and reasons for an organization to implement along with the benefits

Section 4 - The Business Continuity Management Policy. Central to the implementation of business continuity is having a clear, unambiguous and appropriately resourced policy

Section 5 - BCM Programme Management. Programme management is at the heart of the whole BCM process and the standard defines an approach

Section 6 - Understanding the organization. In order to apply appropriate business continuity strategies and tactics the organization has to be fully understood, its critical activities, resources, duties, obligations, threats, risks and overall risk appetite.

Section 7 - Determining BCM Strategies. Once the organization is thoroughly understood the overall business continuity strategies can be defined that are appropriate.

Section 8 - Developing and implementing a BCM response. The tactical means by which business continuity is delivered. These include incident management structures, incident management and business continuity plans.

Section 9 - Exercising, maintenance, audit and self-assessment of the BCM culture. Without testing the BCM response an organization cannot be certain that they will meet their requirements. Exercise, maintenance and review processes will enable the business continuity capability to continue to meet the organizations goals.

Section 10 - Embedding BCM into the organizations culture. Business continuity should not exist in a vacuum but become part of the way that the organization is managed.

The contents of the specification (BS 25999-2) are as follows:

Section 1 - Scope. Defines the scope of the standard, the requirements for implementing and operating a documented business continuity management system (BCMS)

Section 2 - Terms and Definitions. This section describes the terminology and definitions used within the body of the standard

Section 3 - Planning the Business Continuity Management System (PLAN). Part 2 of the standard is predicated on the well established Plan-Do-Check-Act model of continuous improvement. The first step is to plan the BCMS, establishing and embedding it within the organization.

Section 4 - Implementing and Operating the BCMS (DO) Actually implement ones plans. This section includes a number of topics that are found in Part 1 although Part 1 should only be used for general guidance and information. Only what is in Part 2 can be assessed.

Section 5 - Monitoring and Reviewing the BCMS (CHECK) To ensure that the BCMS is continually monitored the Check stage covers internal audit and management review of the BCMS

Section 6 Maintaining and Improving the BCMS (ACT) To ensure that the BCMS is both maintained and improved on an ongoing basis this section looks at preventative and corrective action

What is Business Continuity Planning?

Business continuity planning (BCP) is the creation and validation of a business continuity plan for how an organisation will recover and restore critical functions after a disaster or incident.

BCP is working out how to stay in business local, regional or national levels and include fires, floods, and pandemic illnesses in the event of disaster. Incidents can occur on local, regional or national levels and include fires, floods, and pandemic illnesses.

The development of a BCP system can have five main phases:

1. Analysis
2. Solution design
3. Implementation
4. Testing and organisation acceptance
5. Maintenance

Each of these has many elements that are tailored to the needs of an organisation.

The Benefits of Implementing BS 25999

There are widespread benefits of BS 2599 including the following critical areas:

1. Delivery - Following a disruption it provides a rehearsed method of restoring the ability to supply critical products and services to an agreed level and timeframe
2. Resilience - Proactively improves resilience when faced with the disruption of an organisation’s ability to achieve key objectives
3. Management - Delivers a proven capability for managing a disruption and protecting (and enhancing) reputation and brand

Further benefits include cost savings, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and identifying opportunities for improvement.

Why Seek Certification to BS 25999?

• Registration to BS 25999 by an accredited certification body shows commitment to customers in providing confidence that the business can still function irrespective of unforeseen circumstances/interference.
• It demonstrates the existence of an effective business continuity system that satisfies the rigours of an independent, external audit.
• A certificate for BS 25999 enhances company image in the eyes of customers, employees and shareholders.
• It also gives a competitive advantage to an organisation’s marketing.

How do you Start To Implement BS 25999? What is Involved?

• Identify the requirements of BS 25999 and how they apply to the business involved.
• Establish business continuity objectives and how they fit in to the operation of the business.
• Produce a documented business continuity policy indicating how these requirements are satisfied.
• Communicate them throughout the organisation.
• Evaluate the business continuity policy, its stated objectives and then prioritise requirements to ensure they are met.
• Identify the boundaries of the management system and produce documented procedures as required.
• Ensure these procedures are suitable and adhered to.
• Once developed, internal audits are needed to ensure the system carries on working.

Assessment to BS 25999

Once all the requirements of BS 25999 have been met, it is time for an external audit. This should be carried out by a third party certification body. The chosen certification body will review the business continuity manuals and procedures. This process involves looking at the company’s evaluation of business continuity and ascertains if targets set for the management programme are measurable and achievable. This is followed at a later date by a full on-site audit to ensure that working practices observe the procedures and stated objectives and that appropriate records are kept.
After a successful audit, a certificate of registration to BS 25999 will be issued. There will then be surveillance visits (usually once or twice a year) to ensure that the system continues to work. This is covered in more detail in ISOQAR’s ‘Audit Procedure’ information sheet.