suPPorting BcM trAining
And AwAreness
Stephanie Jackson outlines how training and awareness
have become an integral part of the overall BCM
programme at Citi
B
usiness continuity planning is training and awareness efforts, we are better management teams. The benefit of such
incorporated in all aspects of positioned as a company to work through tabletop exercises comes from bringing
Citi’s operational procedures and interruptions to keep our business running.” together all of the business and site-specific
technologies. To provide the highest level professionals who drive the organisation’s
of uninterrupted service, our organisation is The training curriculum coordinated response. Senior management
committed to providing effective business With over 275,000 employees in more than plays a key role in our operational
continuity through a designated corporate 100 countries, Citi’s business continuity planning and their regular participation
head of business continuity and a core responsibilities are managed through a in our tabletop exercises across the globe
of BCM professionals who design and network of trained professionals operating demonstrates their commitment to our
implement our BCM strategy. within every business unit throughout the programme and the importance of these
A key part of our business continuity corporation. All of our BCM professionals learning opportunities for Citi’s BCM
strategy is a dedicated, global professional must go through required training that professionals.
training and awareness programme. As is developed and implemented by our In addition to the live tabletop exercises
global training manager for the business programme. that provide hands-on practice, we design
continuity programme, I have been given The training curriculum is based on and develop online, web-based training
the opportunity to develop the programme our business continuity standards for that incorporates role-based interactivity.
to ensure that both BCM professionals and core competencies and underscores the The majority of our online BCM training
Citi employees understand their roles and specific requirements of the roles and and awareness initiatives are rich-media,
responsibilities in the event of any kind of responsibilities of a business continuity interactive courses that place the learner
business disruption. professional at Citi. To that end, all of our in simulations of ‘real-life’ learning events.
The quality and success of our BCM training courses incorporate critical This learning strategy drives home the
programme is directly attributed to senior thinking into their basic structure so that importance of thinking critically and
management’s commitment to ensuring our professionals learn to react and respond responding to the circumstances presented
that business continuity principles are to the situations they may encounter. within the standard requirements of the
embedded within our culture. Don Throughout the group, the training programme.
Callahan, our chief administrative officer, and awareness programme develops and In all of our training materials, we
recognises BCM training as necessary for manages both basic and advanced live incorporate not only the experience of
an effective organisational strategy: “Citi’s tabletop exercises that facilitate the practice our subject matter experts, many of whom
office of business continuity is central to and analysis of emergency event planning have received honours by professional and
our preparedness efforts. Every day, this and response. Most recently, we designed governmental organisations, but also our
team of outstanding professionals plans and deployed a tabletop exercise that, like senior level management. Their presence
for and executes on ways to prepare our all of our tabletop exercises, emphasises and participation in these learning activities
staff around the world to better respond communication between all BCM lends visible proof to our network of
to unplanned events. As a result of their teams during an event, including senior BCM professionals that their directives
20  Continuity  November/December 2009
Cont Nov/Dec 09_insides.indd 20 27/11/09 14:13:11
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48