BCM staffing
Sound analytical judgement: Alongside
stronger soft skills and broader, deeper
technical or subject matter knowledge,
we must add sound analytical judgement,
more so than many other professions,
since there is no ‘right answer’. Options
need to be identified and considered,
associated risks, costs, and feasibility need
to be assessed. What works well in one
organisation does not necessarily work
well in another. Whilst the overall aim of
business continuity should be to improve
the resilience of an organisation, how to
achieve this depends on the organisation
itself. In fact, even within an industry,
whilst there may be some typical priorities
and common processes, how they are
supported and where they run from will
vary dramatically. Significant innovation
and creativity, coupled with excellent
analytical judgement, is required to work
out what will work best and to achieve the Senior business continuity practitioners rightly see
most effective and efficient result.
Interestingly it is this requirement
stakeholder management and communication as the
for analytical judgement that causes
most important skills now required of them
significant issues for many who prefer to
have hard and fast rules. It is immensely Project and programme management: Most business continuity professionals need to
challenging, if not impossible, to define a be able to deliver programme and projects effectively. However, many fail to do so and this
set of useful standards that are appropriate undermines the credibility and the value of what we do.
to everyone. In fact, it is often hard enough It is often surprising to see how many try to deliver a project, the benefits of which will
to do it within a single organisation. To be significant, as a part-time activity mixed in with the rest of their day job. Even when they
this effect, business continuity standards have spent many hours convincing senior management to invest the time and money, the
should be treated as a good basis for a focus on execution and proper project discipline is lacking. As a result the project is poorly
business continuity programme, but not thought through, takes too long to deliver, fails to engage the organisation and ultimately
the comprehensive solution that is perfect fails to achieve the changes or benefits set out. If there is a project or programme to run,
for every organisation. BCM professionals then set aside the dedicated resources necessary and establish the appropriate disciplines.
need to use their own judgement to work
out what is required and appropriate in The future is bright
their organisation. This judgement is a vital In order to attract the talent required to drive the discipline forward, the discipline of
component of business continuity and business continuity needs to become a more recognised career path with clearly defined
is both what makes the solutions more roles and obvious opportunities. We as business continuity professionals need to support
effective and what makes the job more this by ensuring business continuity is a discipline that is easily understood by senior
interesting. management and seen to provide real value.
Jack of all trades: In practice, it is This must be supported further by continued improvements in recognised business
unlikely any one person will have the depth continuity training/qualifications. Understandably, the judgement component required in
of skills or experience required to cover all business continuity can make this difficult, but the BCI has started to raise the standards
the aspects required, so it is vital that the for their qualification. More needs to be done though to make this a truly valuable
business continuity profession attracts more qualification, particularly in the eyes of top graduates.
individuals from a diverse range of areas, Business continuity is already an attractive discipline. It provides great variety,
including more first rate graduates. unrivalled access to senior management, even at relatively junior levels, and one of the
Perhaps the most pressing of the gaps few opportunities to learn how an organisation works top to bottom and front to back. It is
right now is the lack of IT skills coming an excellent grounding for a great future and has therefore already attracted some highly
into the business continuity profession; talented individuals. However, attracting the best talent from a wider range of disciplines
traditionally, the subject had many must be a priority.
practitioners well versed in technology. Ensuring the organisation is better placed to absorb, respond to and recover from
Today, there are fewer and this issue needs disruptive challenges in the future is not easy but it is a message executives are willing
to be addressed urgently, particularly with to hear. Attracting the best talent is key to this and will ultimately ensure organisations
the ever more complicated technology become more resilient.
landscape. It is also an area where some
of the greatest efficiencies and returns on
investment can be achieved.
RiCk CuDWoRtH and CHRiS appS CBCi
e
The effective use of business continuity
rick cudworth is head of resilience and business continuity and chris apps is a senior consultant in
software can help drive efficiencies and
resilience and business continuity at Deloitte.
consistency across an organisation, but
rcudworth@deloitte.co.uk
too often the implementation is poor
capps@deloitte.co.uk
and the software selection or functional
www.deloitte.co.uk/resilience
©iStockphoto.com/lorrainedark
specification are flawed.
November/December 2009 Continuity
Cont Nov/Dec 09_insides.indd 15 27/11/09 14:12:43
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