In March the results of the 2009 Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Business Continuity Survey, which has been supported by Cabinet Office (CCS) was published.
Security departments however are not the main drivers of BC planning in their organisations: IT teams are still most commonly involved, then FM, risk management, HR, and finance.
As Bruce Mann Director of Civil Contingencies Secretariat, at the Cabinet office wrote in the foreword: "It is easy to put off attending to risks and let business continuity preparations slip down the agenda. This short sightedness can be extremely costly. A failure to provide adequate protection could mean more than a minor headache lasting a few hours or days: it could mean a loss of trade to competitors and the eventual failure of an organisation."<br><br>Most common common disruptions according to the survey over the past year: 40 per cent of organisations suffered disruption due to a loss of IT. Other key sources of disruption were extreme weather, loss of people, loss of telecommunications, and utility outages.<br><br>The Institute’s 2009 report marks a decade of research on the subject. The tenth survey suggests a pressing need for UK organisations to guard against disruption and to be wary of complacency towards possible risks.<br><br>The survey shows that just over half, or 52 per cent of organisations across the UK have a business continuity plan (BCP) – the highest level recorded by the survey. However, the percentage of managers reporting that continuity is regarded as important in their organisation has fallen over the past year from 76 per cent to 64 per cent.<br><br>There are many risks that can affect an organisation’s ability to continue their day to day business, and these can affect organisations of all sizes, across all sectors, both directly and indirectly. By following the recommendations contained in this document and by drawing on the help and advice set out at the back of the report, you will be making a first step to mitigate the impact an incident will have on your organisation. This is not only good news for your organisation but for national resilience as a whole.<br><br>The report was prepared by Vidal Kumar and Patrick Woodman of the Chartered Management Institute. The Business Continuity Survey 2009 is downloadable –
