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PRESS RELEASE
Inaugural Gifted Grades Awarded
Caversham, UK, November 27th 2009: The first BCI Gifted Grade Awards were presented at the Gala Dinner (part of the BCM World Conference and Exhibition) on 11th November.
The Gifted Grade Awards are an initiative of the BCI’s Board and Membership Council to enable the Institute to show appreciation to individuals, both members and non-members, who have made a significant contribution to either the Institute or the BCM community or both. Full details on how the Awards are defined and approved can be found on the BCI website at http://www.thebci.org/GiftedGrades.pdf
The highest accolade of Honorary FBCI was given to Chris Green in recognition of his Chairmanship of the Institute between 2006 and 2008 and leadership of the BCM-1 Committee on the development of the British Standard BS25999.
Two Honorary MBCIs were awarded. The first to Bruce Mann, Head of the UK Civil Contingencies Secretariat, for his championship of BCM and thereby increasing business resilience. The second to Mike Osborne for his contribution, over the past 20 years, to profile raising of BCM as a discipline through debate and publishing many articles in trade journals and national papers on business continuity policy and solutions.
For his work as the Committee Manager for Risk, BCM and Security at the British Standards Institution, Dave Adamson was awarded the BCI Achievement Award. He has been instrumental in the development and progression of BS25999 both parts 1 and 2 which undoubtedly further established Business Continuity Management as a recognised discipline, raising awareness of BCM and enhancing the authority of BCM practitioners. His colleague, John Hele, works in BSi Management Systems and his dedication has raised the awareness of what the Institute has to offer in terms of professionalism and certification for individuals. Through his efforts he has helped to increase BCI membership substantially in many areas throughout the world.
The three BCI Merit Awards were given to Bill Hannan MBCI for his work in establishing the BCI Australian Chapter, to Geoff Howard for his significant contribution to both the industry and the Institute through his recent development work in China on behalf of the BCI and to Dr Edgar Frank MBCI who has been the BCI Area Representative for Malaysia for many years. His dedication to both the subject matter and the Institute has undoubtedly increased awareness of BCM in his region and inspired many new members to the join the BCI
Finally the Alan Reed Education Award for 2008 was awarded to Rachel Lawley AMBCI. The BCI Certificate examination is marked on a scaled score of 0-500 and Rachel achieved a very impressive 471 which was the highest score attained by any candidate who took the examination during 2008.
Click here for photographs of the above people.
PRESS RELEASE
Manufacturing hit hardest by supply chain failure according to new BCI report
Caversham, UK, October 29th 2009: New research published today by the Business Continuity Institute and supported by Zurich Insurance reveals that manufacturing is being hardest hit by supply chain failure. Manufacturers have reported a 58% increase in disruption to their supply chains over the last 12 months; this compares to 35% across all industry sectors. The report on the research entitled “Supply Chain Resilience” surveyed 201 organizations across all sectors, industries and locations where they had operations.
The objective of the research was to understand levels of supply chain disruption being experienced, the impact of the disruption and what organizations were doing to tackle the problem and, in particular, the extent to which the Business Continuity Management (BCM) methodology was being used to deal with the impact of such disruption.
A leading cause of the disruption has been the financial failure of suppliers but failure of IT and telecom system suppliers and disruption through adverse weather events have taken their toll as well. The main impact for manufacturing has been delayed product availability, with loss of revenue and productivity compounding the problem. In terms of tackling supply chain vulnerabilities, manufacturers have also recorded that they find it much harder to get their supply chain to meet their business continuity needs compared with other sectors such as the financial services sector.
The research also revealed that businesses with off-shore suppliers and outsourcers experienced above average levels of disruption; while international businesses with operations in Middle East, Africa and Latin America reported significantly higher levels of disruption and increased occurrences of contract suspension through force majeure invocations.
Lyndon Bird FBCI, international and technical director at the BCI, commented: “We’re now seeing the downside of years of outsourcing, extended supply chains and focus on core competency; organizations are now much more vulnerable to supply chain disruption than in the past. While companies have banked the cost savings, this research indicates they have still to make the corresponding investment in resilience. The economic recession, in particular, is exposing vulnerabilities and dependencies through supplier insolvencies, reduced capacity and the tightness of credit markets. Business continuity management provides a robust and proven approach to prepare an organization for and protect against disruption in its supply chain.”
Ends.
Notes for the editor:
• A copy of the main report is available to the media on request. A summary of the report is available to download from here: http://www.thebci.org/supplychainsummary.pdf
• For interviews please contact Lee Glendon +44 7800 552240 or lee.glendon@thebci.org
About Business Continuity Management
Business Continuity Management (BCM) identifies potential threats to an organization and the impacts to business operations that those threats, if realized, might cause. It provides a framework for building organizational resilience with the capability for an effective response that safeguards the interests of key stakeholders, reputation, brand and value-creating activities.
About the Business Continuity Institute
Based in Caversham, United Kingdom, the Business Continuity Institute (BCI) was founded in 1994 and leads on the development of best practice in Business Continuity Management. The BCI also contributes to relevant legislation and standards. It has some 4,800 members in over 80 countries active in an estimated 2,500 organizations in private, public and third sectors. The BCI Partnership, established in 2007, is the corporate body within the BCI with over 60 member organizations. For more go to www.thebci.org.
PRESS RELEASE
BCI Continuity & Resilience Awards India presented
30th September saw the inaugural Business Continuity Institute 'Continuity & Resilience Awards' ceremony in Mumbai. The winners were:
Business Continuity Manager of the Year:
Daman Dev Sood
Most Effective Recovery of the Year:
JWT India
Data Centre Recovery of the Year:
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd
Specialist Continuity / Recovery Company:
Omnitech InfoSolutions Ltd.
Continuity & Recovery Initiative in Public Interest:
Ziqitza Healthcare Limited (1298)
Industry Personality of the Year:
Vijay Magan
Special Recognition:
Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust
The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower
Ziqitza Healthcare Limited (1298)
Vishnu Dattaram Zende.
The Awards were supported by Deloitte.
Photographs taken at the event are available here.
PRESS RELEASE
BCI: Boardrooms need a simple, transparent method of risk oversight
Caversham, September 15th, 2009: On the anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the Business Continuity Institute publishes a discussion paper on how risk oversight and transparency can be improved for non-executive directors and shareholders through applying business continuity management practices.
Entitled “Risk management is dead, long live risk management”, the BCI paper (1), which has been positively reviewed by the UK’s Institute of Directors (2), argues that traditional approaches to risk management have become too complex thereby undermining the value that a broadly-balanced board can bring to a company.
The paper argues that there is a need for a Corporate Impact Policy that considers the dependencies and vulnerabilities of a business around the seven areas of disruptive impact which include reputation, finance, supply chain and people. The paper also covers the case of a financial institution, Euroclear Bank, that applied business continuity management to successfully weather the collapse of Lehman Brothers.
In short, if used effectively, business continuity management helps the board focus on some key questions:
- The company’s business and operating model
- Key value creating products and services
- Key dependencies such as critical assets and processes
- How the company will respond to a loss or threat to any of the above
- What the main threats are today and what is on the horizon
- Evidence that the resulting business continuity plans will work in practice.
Lyndon Bird FBCI (3), international and technical director at the BCI, commented:
“The failure of risk management systems was only a single contributor to the financial crisis – broader issues of internal control and remuneration systems also played their part. Whatever the causes of the crisis, this paper asserts that more complexity is not going to solve the problem. Complexity is the enemy of understanding. Companies need to pause and reflect on what information is needed at board level before simply investing in more tools and specialists.
“The business continuity management framework has the advantage of simplicity and provides non-executive directors with the tools to ask the right questions. The development of a Corporate Impact Policy would provide a much clearer direction to the company’s underlying businesses and provide easier oversight at board level.”
Ends.
Notes for the editor:
About Business Continuity Institute (BCI)
Based in Caversham, United Kingdom, the Business Continuity Institute (BCI), was established in 1994 to ‘promote the art and science of business continuity management’ to assist organizations in preparing for and surviving minor and large-scale man-made and natural disasters. The Institute enables members to obtain guidance and support from their fellow practitioners, as well as offers professional training and certification programmes to disseminate and validate the highest standards of competence and ethics. The BCI also contributes to relevant legislation and standards.
It has some 4,800 members in over 80 countries active in an estimated 2,500 organisations in private, public and third sectors.
The BCI Partnership, established in 2007, is the corporate body within the BCI with over 60 member organisations including BT, BSI Management Systems, Continuity Shop, Marsh, Milton Keynes Council, BP, SunGard, BAE Systems, Community Resilience UK, Continuity SA, EADS, Garrison Continuity, HBOS/Lloyds Banking Group, Prudential, PwC, Royal Mail, and the UK Government’s Cabinet Office.
For more information, visit http://www.thebci.org
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Zachary Stopa
The Business Continuity Institute
(703) 637-4378
zachary.stopa@thebci.org
The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) Launches Online
Self-Assessment Tool for Business Continuity Professionals
BCIscope provides exam simulation supported by Knowledge Gap Assessment and Personalized Study Plan to earn Top Business Continuity Certifications
Caversham, September 8, 2009– The Business Continuity Institute (BCI), the non-profit global leader in educating and certifying business continuity professionals throughout their careers, today announced the launch of a new online self-assessment tool known as BCIscope. The tool aims to enable business continuity professionals and individuals to assess their knowledge of The Business Continuity Institute’s Good Practice Guidelines (GPG), a taxonomy of business continuity topics that serves as the foundation for the CBCI certification.
BCIscope provides a simulation of the BCI certification exams. Questions used in this self-assessment are designed to closely mirror those from the actual certification exam and newer questions developed by BCI certified subject matter experts. At the conclusion of the simulation assessments, the test taker will receive a score based on the official algorithm comparable to what is used in the actual exam, helping them assess their overall exam readiness.
“BCIscope is beneficial to both certification candidates and employers,” said Lyndon Bird, FBCI, Technical Director of the BCI, “It helps candidates focus their study efforts more precisely and enhances their comfort level prior to sitting for the official certification exam. For employers, BCIscope is an indispensable management tool, providing an objective, low-cost way to assess their staff’s business continuity knowledge, skills and abilities.”
BCIscope offers a personalized reporting system with learning progress indicators that provides insight into a candidate’s knowledge strengths and weaknesses, as well as a readiness gauge that pinpoints the candidate’s comprehension level of the specific areas of the the Business Continuity Institute’s Good Practice Guidelines (GPG). These features allow candidates to efficiently identify their knowledge level in each of the domain/knowledge areas and focus their study efforts on areas that need the most attention.
“Candidates seeking the industry recognized BCI certificate can now find out where they stand in the various areas of the GPGs and what areas they need to focus their study efforts by assessing their knowledge using BCIscope” said Mano Paul, AMBCI, CSSLP, CISSP, President and CEO of Express Certifications, a BCI affiliate company that developed BCIscope.
Paul further mentioned that “Combined with robust reporting and a personalized study plan that is generated based on performance, candidates can use BCIscope to focus on weaker areas, and optimize their learning experience.”
Developed to meet the increased visibility of business continuity planning and the critical need for certified professionals, BCIscope is available in three formats: as a one-off purchase by any individual, as a subsidized or voucher purchase tailored for organizations needing bulk access for their personnel, and as a part of a bundle for corporations who purchase an education program or other services from the BCI.
Lyndon Bird was keen to point out that “Those early in their careers wanting to progress to a higher level or those looking to make the transition from another field into business continuity will find BCIscope a powerful career enabler. By allowing candidates to assess their skills and knowledge, it gives them some level of much-needed comfort as they take that critical career step toward certification. The BCIscope assessment tool is part of our continuing commitment to support the continued growth of BCM and to provide services to business continuity professionals throughout their careers.”
The simulated exams can be purchased online in a variety of set depending on the number of questions the candidate chooses. For more information about BCIScope, you can visit the BCI website.
About The Business Continuity Institute
Based in Caversham, United Kingdom, The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) was established in 1994 to
“promote the art and science of business continuity management” to assist organizations in preparing
for and surviving minor and large‐scale man‐made and natural disasters. The Institute enables members to
obtain guidance and support from their fellow practitioners, as well as offers professional training and
certification programs to disseminate and validate the highest standards of competence and ethics. It
has more than 4,800 members worldwide in c90 countries.
For additional information on BCM education and certification please visit www.thebcicertificate.org . For information on membership, please visit http://www.thebci.org
PRESS RELEASE
BCI welcomes new guide for HR professionals on BCM
Caversham, 7th September 2009 - The Business Continuity Institute working with the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development have produced a joint guide for Human Resource professionals to help them understand their role and contribution to an organisation’s business continuity management programme. The guide includes case studies from Abbey, Melton Borough Council and BT, as well as check-lists and practical tips for pandemic planning. The guide also outlines what HR departments should be doing to ensure their own continuity when faced with significant disruption.
Lyndon Bird FBCI commented: “We were delighted that CIPD recognised the importance of risk and business continuity management planning as part of an HR professional’s competence and we have enjoyed working with them to develop this guide. Business recovery can’t occur without employees, so a business continuity plan that fully considers the people impact of the disruption will help to minimise business losses.”
Ends.
Notes:
1) The press release from CIPD can be found here:
http://www.cipd.co.uk/news/_articles/employers-warned-to-review-swine-flu-plans.htm
2) A copy of the guide is available to members of the Business Continuity Institute from the members’ area on the website.
PRESS RELEASE
The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) expands number of credential exam centers worldwide
VIENNA, Va., July 27th, 2009.
BCI Partners with PES and Prometric to Increase Exam Locations to 400-Plus in 75 Countries
– The Business Continuity Institute (BCI), a leader in setting and validating standards of professional competence and ethics in business continuity management, today announced an agreement with testing services leader Professional Examination Service (PES) and its delivery partner Prometric that expands the number of exam locations for BCI’s professional certificates to more than 400 in more than 75 countries.
Through Prometric’s worldwide computer-based test delivery network, BCI now has professional certificate exam centers in Africa, China, Europe, India, Japan, Latin America, Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Canada and the U.S. Exams are offered on an ongoing basis in the morning and afternoon with limited evening and weekend sessions. For a complete list of exam test locations, visit http://www.thebcicertificate.org/intapc_locations.html.
PES, a non-profit corporation dedicated to ensuring the quality of credentialing processes, will now oversee exam development, scoring and psychometrics, and ensure the ongoing integrity of the BCI examinations.
“BCI is pleased to be working with Prometric and PES because they can assist in managing the administration of our credential on a truly international scale,” said Lorraine Darke, executive director of BCI. “The BCI Certificate, leading to the CBCI, is the cornerstone of our professional membership, and an international network of high-quality examination venues will ensure growth in BCI membership and the professional community of business continuity practitioners.”
Linda Waters, Prometric’s vice president for associations business, said, “Prometric has unmatched expertise in expanding credentialing programs internationally, and we look forward to working closely with PES to meet the delivery needs of BCI on a global basis.”
PES President Dr. I. Leon Smith added, “Working closely with clients to develop and maintain valid, defensible credentialing assessments, and ensure the ongoing integrity and security of their intellectual property is perhaps PES’s highest calling as a mission-driven, not-for-profit credentialing services company. We are delighted to be partnering with BCI in this endeavor.”
BCI also announced the launch of its revised portal (www.thebcicertificate.org) with a new design and additional content, including educational resources for those studying for a BCI certificate exam and an industry events calendar.
For more information about the BCI certification and education opportunities, please contact education@thebci.org.
About Business Continuity Institute (BCI)
Based in Caversham, United Kingdom, The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) was established in 1994 to “promote the art and science of business continuity management” to assist organizations in preparing for and surviving minor and large-scale man-made and natural disasters. The group enables members to obtain guidance and support from their fellow practitioners, as well as offers professional training and certification programs to disseminate and validate the highest standards of competence and ethics. It has more than 4,000 members worldwide in more than 85 countries. For more information, visit http://www.thebci.org.
About PES
Since 1941, Professional Examination Service (PES) has provided a full range of assessment and advisory services to organizations across a broad range of professions, in support of professional licensure and certification, training, and continuing professional education. As a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the public welfare through credentialing, PES specializes in the delivery of tailored services that meet the unique needs of each client. To learn more, visit PES online at http://www.proexam.org.
About Prometric
Prometric, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ETS, is the recognized global leader in technology-enabled testing and assessment services. Its comprehensive suite of services, including test development, test delivery and data management capabilities, allows clients to develop and launch global testing programs as well as accurately measure program results and data. Prometric reliably delivers and administers more than seven million tests a year on behalf of 450 clients in the academic, professional, healthcare, government, corporate and information technology markets. It delivers tests flexibly via the Web or by utilizing a robust network of more than 10,000 test centers in 163 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.prometric.com.
PRESS RELEASE
Swine Flu – BCI warns against complacency.
CAVERSHAM, June 15th 2009.
With the WHO raising its alert level to 6, its highest level, the BCI is warning against complacency among businesses in bringing forward their continuity planning to deal with the potential impact of the virus. In a recent survey of its membership - professionals responsible for business continuity planning within organisations - over 60% were working in international organisations that were dealing with the impact of the virus in other countries. The survey showed that national governments and the World Health Organization were the primary sources of information to inform advice given to staff and the development of corporate policies around swine flu. Only 40% admitted that they were well prepared for the impact of swine flu while over 55% felt that had “a bit more to do”.
Commenting, the BCI’s Lyndon Bird FBCI, stated:
“Thankfully the virus has not proved to be as severe as at first indicated, however the WHO and other medical experts are making it clear that we should be preparing for a second wave of this virus that could be much more virulent. Organisations have had a wake-up call and our survey shows that even among the better prepared organisations there is more to do. It is essential that organisations use this time well to bring their plans up to scratch, validate them and make sure they are in the best possible position to deal with any second wave of this virus and thereby minimise its economicand human impact.”
PRESS RELEASE
UK economy ill-prepared for Flu Pandemic – BCI demands action
BCI, Caversham, UK, 27th April 2009
Any swine flu epidemic will hit the UK economy hard at a time of weakness caused by the recession. Barely a third of UK organisations have a plan in place to deal with staff absences and a majority of companies state they have weak or no plans for flu pandemic (1).
Lyndon Bird FBCI, Director at the Business Continuity Institute commented: "While we all hope that the swine flu pandemic does not become a reality, we are not well enough prepared to deal with the impact of any significant outbreak. Flu pandemics will bring extended staff absence both through direct illness and the closure of schools and child care facilities.
“While larger businesses will have major challenges in keeping their businesses open, it is smaller businesses that we are most concerned about. We are calling on the Government and local authorities to provide a coherent response to enable swift access to vaccines for those organisations most vulnerable to prolonged staff absences”.
Note
- “A decade of living dangerously”. The Business Continuity Management Report 2009. The Chartered Management Institute.
PRESS RELEASE
Business Continuity and the G20
CAVERSHAM, 1st April 2009 We have contacted our members who are responsible for the Business Continuity Plans of businesses in London affected by the protesters.
We have found out that they are all currently very busy!
The latest research indicates that 65% of London-based organisations are likely to have a Business Continuity Plan, however that still leaves 35% without a plan to handle the disruption to their business operations caused by an event such as the G20 protests. The impact of losing two days’ trade is going to be felt most keenly in small retail businesses.
Some actions that our members are taking:
- Taking all appropriate precautions to protect their people, assets and customer service.
- Ramping up security at local sites in the protest zone and along routes of marches.
- Given advice to staff to work from home and avoid London if at all possible.
- Put Business Continuity Management plans and teams on standby should they be required.
PRESS RELEASE
UK economy loses £11.1 billion a year to major disruptions
The Business Continuity Institute estimates 0.8% of UK GDP is lost due to lack of Business Continuity Management
CAVERSHAM, 24th March 2009 – The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) today announced that it has estimated that the UK economy is losing £11.1 billion a year, the equivalent to 0.8% of UK GDP, to major disruptions due to lack of Business Continuity Management within organisations based in the UK.
Further to the recent Chartered Management Institute’s ‘A Decade of Living Dangerously’ report, the BCI researched key findings across 17 causes of major disruptions to calculate, for the first time, the cost impact to the UK economy. The figure shows that organisations are still not looking seriously at Business Continuity Management to provide a solid framework for managing the impact of potential disruptions and significantly reduce the cost impact to the UK economy.
“In the current economic downturn, customers and suppliers will inevitably go out of business and it is vital that an organisation understands its dependency on critical suppliers. The lack of availability to essential products can have a serious impact on business. Disruptions to the supply chain will be one of the main business continuity concerns for 2009 and will run way into 2010” comments Lyndon Bird FBCI, Technical Director, the BCI. “The BCI has recognised this risk and feels it is important to help advise organisations of all sizes to build a simple and workable plan that will help them overcome and recover from the pressures of an interruption faster.”
The BCI works to help organisations develop greater resiliency against major operational disruptions and will this week help raise the awareness of Business Continuity Management through the annual, Business Continuity Awareness Week. A survival guide and on-line assessment survey, ‘Weathering Difficult Economic Times’ have been designed to help organisations of all sizes evaluate existing Business Continuity Management strategies.
To download and complete the BCI’s online self-assessment survey and survival guide, please click here: http://www.thebci.org/bcmsurvivalguide.html
About Business Continuity Institute (BCI)
Based in Caversham, United Kingdom, The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) was established in 1994 to “promote the art and science of Business Continuity Management” to assist organisations in preparing for and surviving minor and large-scale man-made and natural disasters. The Institute enables members to obtain guidance and support from their fellow practitioners, as well as offers professional training and certification programmes to disseminate and validate the highest standards of competence and ethics. It has more than 4,500 members worldwide in more than 85 countries. For more information, visit http://www.thebci.org
BSI's Partnership with the BCI
BSI has partnered with the Business Continuity Institute to promote the highest standards of professional competence and commercial ethics in the provision and maintenance of business continuity planning and services. Click here for more details.
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PRESS RELEASE
12th February 2009
BCI comment: Lessons to be learned from the widespread and prolonged disruption to UK business due to adverse weather
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