Des O'Callaghan FBCI: Why you should upgrade your membership to FBCI

• 25 Feb 2022
• Desmond

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Des O'Callaghan FBCI, Lead Assessor for the BCI, writes to encourage those members currently holding the AFBCI (Associate Fellow) grade to consider upgrading to Fellow level if you are a contributor or influencer in the sector.

You will be aware that the AFBCI grade is being withdrawn 3 months from now, effective from 24th May to be precise. Those who do not upgrade will revert to MBCI at that time. When the board-approved changes to membership structure were announced in May 2019, it was decided to allow 3 years for suitably qualified members to upgrade to Fellow. At the same time, the criteria for FBCI were simplified to provide a wider range of community contributions eligible to be considered in an upgrade application. 

Periodic reminders have been sent to all AFBCI holders, but so far less than half have applied to upgrade. Of course, there is nothing automatic about upgrading. FBCI candidates must have sufficient qualifying contributions to be considered and not all members are necessarily contributors, or influencers to the profession outside of their employed role. However, I encourage those AFBCIs who are contributors not to wait too much longer to make your upgrade application.      

Contribution criteria

Contribution is what sets Fellows apart. It means demonstrating professional leadership in business continuity above and beyond the accomplishments of the day job. With regards to community contribution, under the streamlined criteria there are many types and it is entirely up to the applicant to choose which ones to be considered. There is a basic, quantitative requirement of 120 hours of contribution spread across 9 categories, over the past 5 years. The distribution of the 120 hours between the years does not matter, as long as a minimum of 30 hours are within the last 12 months.

The 9 categories of contribution are quite varied and it is again up to the candidate to select which ones will be considered in the application. The hours could be concentrated in a single category, spread across all 9, or anything in between. My recommendation is to select your 3/4 strongest categories, as long as they accumulate to the 120 hours quantitative requirement. Applicants meeting that requirement will proceed to a 1-hour panel interview, in which 3 senior FBCI assessors will review and discuss the contributions with the applicant to form a qualitative assessment. Having 3 or 4 categories under discussion is typically sufficient to demonstrate breadth of contribution, while having too many categories covered can have the effect of diluting the quality of the application.

What are these contribution criteria? Simply described:

1. Pro-Bono continuity / resilience-related work for a non-profit
2. Presenting on BCM or related disciplines at a recognized educational insitution
3. Mentoring – through a formal, structured process (whether BCI or other)
4. Published articles on relevant subject matter in journals or on social media platforms
5. Support of BCI thought leadership efforts; (e.g. content reviews, BCAW, courses)
6. Industry development outside BCI activities (e.g. standards, roles in other associations)
7. Speaking at BCI / other conferences, program committees, facilitator roles
8. BCI Assessor, BCI Auditor or BCI Awards judge
9. BCI governance roles: e.g. main board, chapter leadership, next practice group member

All of these are described in more detail in the application itself, with explanation of the kind of evidence needed to support the contribution items selected. As applicable, role names, dates or examples should be provided.

The application process can take up to several weeks to reach the interview stage, but it is a worthwhile experience and professionally healthy, regardless of the outcome. Central Office staff are always helpful in guiding applicants through the process and ensuring the application itself is viable and suitably prepared.

Opportunity for growth

While I have written this particularly for AFBCIs, because of the looming upgrade deadline, I hope others will read it too, as everything is equally relevant for MBCIs who may be eligible for and deserving of Fellow designation, if they have the contribution component. No longer is “time served” a pre-requisite for fellowship. I personally know there are many significant contributors out there among MBCIs who would be very deserving FBCIs and I encourage you to consider that next step in your professional growth.