The Computer Society of Kenya

Since 1986

Last week, I discussed the need for local organisations to create business resilience plans. In response to this article, I received a number of comments on the same topic and a number of readers requested that I address the top reasons why business continuity programmes fail and how to address these gaps.

Most business resilience programmes fail is because most organisations manage business continuity programs in silos with poor coordination, no communication, and limited collaboration.

In some cases, you will find the roles are defined within individual job descriptions but are not co-ordinated at the senior management level.

The problem with building business continuity programs in silos is that it becomes almost impossible to enforce any kind of consistency across departments and different functions, hence the need for a well and clear co-ordinated business communication programme which incorporates all departments and key stakeholders.

Business continuity programmes fail because most organisations consider business continuity a technology problem that falls under the ICT department and as such should be addressed by ICT.

The success of a business continuity programme requires special skills from different departments and these roles are inevitably linked together through common processes such as risk assessments and/or business impact analysis.

Business continuity programmes should operate across business lines and must see risk both strategically and operationally across the organisation.

Most organisations never test their plans on an on-going basis to ensure its applicability.

Organisations develop very good business continuity plans but they never exercise these plans; which means they have no idea if they will work or assume they will work in the event of their application during a disaster.

Organisations need to involve as many stakeholders as possible in regular tests to ensure that the plans remain current and in case of a disaster, their plans will enable business continuity.

Most organisations don’t review their continuity strategies and plans.

Before developing business continuity strategies and plans, it is always advisable to conduct a business impact analysis and a risk assessment.

There are organisations that go through this process during the initial business continuity programme development stage but rarely go back to update these programmes based on changes in the business.

Business processes and risks change, therefore it is important for organisations to periodically perform a business impact analysis and risk assessment.

There are organisations that have established business continuity programs with little or no support from senior management and the board of directors.

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