Best Resources for Developing a Business Continuity and Disaster Risk Mitigation Plan

As someone responsible for employee safety and physical security, developing a robust business continuity and disaster risk mitigation plan is essential. When disruption inevitably strikes, thorough preparation and planning will enable your organization to minimize impacts and rapidly restore operations. This article provides key resources to guide you in creating an effective resilience strategy tailored to your company's people, assets, and facilities.

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As someone responsible for employee safety and physical security, developing a robust business continuity and disaster risk mitigation plan is essential. When disruption inevitably strikes, thorough preparation and planning will enable your organization to minimize impacts and rapidly restore operations. This article provides key resources to guide you in creating an effective resilience strategy tailored to your company's people, assets, and facilities.

FEMA

FEMA Business Continuity Plan TemplateFEMA's open-source template provides a helpful starting structure and content checklist for business continuity plans. Sections prompt users to define critical functions, address cyber vulnerabilities, outline contingency strategies, and more. You can customize the template for your organization's needs.

FEMA Business Continuity Plan Templatehttps://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/risk-management/business/bcp

International Standards Organization (ISO)

ISO 22301 Business Continuity Management StandardThis globally recognized standard from the International Organization for Standardization outlines best practices for implementing a BCMS. Certification demonstrates credibility but following the guidance without formal certification has value as well.

ISO 22301 Business Continuity Management Standardhttps://www.iso.org/iso-22301-business-continuity.html

Risk Management for Critical Infrastructure Protection Course

This free online course from Texas A&M Engineering provides in-depth training on assessing and managing risk for infrastructure protection. The material is geared toward public sector roles but concepts are transferable to private organizations too.

Risk Management for Critical Infrastructure Protection Coursehttps://teex.org/class/rmci/

Deloitte

Deloitte Insights on Operational ResilienceDeloitte's collection of research and articles on operational resilience provides data-backed thought leadership. Topics range from disruption readiness diagnostics to resilience-enhancing technologies like AI.

Deloitte Insights on Operational Resiliencehttps://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/value-of-resilience.html

McKinsey's Climate Risk and Response Assessments

McKinsey's Climate Risk and Response Assessments For organizations with facilities in areas prone to climate hazards, McKinsey provides crucial consulting and analytics services to evaluate exposure and craft mitigation strategies aligned to physical climate risk.

McKinsey's Climate Risk and Response Assessmentshttps://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/how-we-help-clients/climate-risk-and-response-assessments

As you work to develop and implement your continuity plan, start small by focusing on the most probable and high-impact disruption scenarios. Build an internal team of cross-functional stakeholders to shape the plan and promote buy-in across the business. With deliberate effort over time, your organization can become far more resilient in the face of mounting threats.