Most organisations are moving toward ‘incident-agnostic’ planning, preparing for effects rather than causes. That’s according to the latest report from the Business Continuity Institute (BCI).
Businesses are increasingly focusing on the effects of disruption – whether cyber threats, extreme weather or energy outages, among others – rather than trying to predict every possible cause. This view of resilience as an ongoing, organisation-wide capability is teased out in the Continuity and Resilience Report 2025, sponsored by Riskonnect, a risk management platform. BCI researchers found that most businesses are formalising resilience as a stand-alone function. The report described the resilience manager of the future as ‘more assertive and managerial’ setting it apart from business continuity (BC); while the role of the BC manager appears to be shifting back toward an operational focus.
What they say
Maria Florencia Lombardero Garcia, Thought Leadership Manager BCI, in a foreword to the 60-page document noted that ‘resilience professionals are expected to be masters of readiness’. She said: “Organisations are increasingly distinguishing between business continuity and resilience, not only to meet regulatory requirements but to deliver real outcomes. Combined with the shift toward incident-agnostic planning, this signals a move from paperwork to practical capability. Board engagement and resourcing are rising as awareness grows of the value of BC and resilience, particularly in a context of mounting volatility and disruption. The priority now is to convert that momentum into executable readiness across people, processes, and technology, so organisations are better prepared for the challenges of today and tomorrow.”
More businesses have a dedicated person for managing resilience efforts, according to the report. Meanwhile, for the BC manager problem-solving tops the list of essential attributes; though long standing good practices such as developing plans
and procedures still hold value. Whether business continuity or resilience, technology continues to play a vital role as supporting efforts, typically with team collaboration tools and emergency notification software. As for whether to have ‘scenario-specific’ or ‘incident-agnostic’ plans, the report concludes that ‘threats are more diverse and complex, working conditions are different and people’s mindset has changed, perhaps leading to increased mental and physical fatigue’. The report points to BCI members and others when asked having a preference for ‘preparing for the effects of disruptions rather than attempting to anticipate every possible cause’.
Further reading
The report is freely downloadable from the BCI website; you have to sign up and do not have to be an Institute member.
Conference
The BCI’s annual global hybrid conference runs on November 11 and 12, in person at the Leonardo Royal London Hotel Tower Bridge.
