When coordinating a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS), a steering group should be established to oversee, advise and make recommendations…

An effective Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) steering group requires a holistic view of the organization. This is best achieved by including multi-disciplinary experts from various departments such as IT, HR, Operations, Finance, and Legal. This cross-functional representation ensures that all critical business activities, interdependencies, and operational nuances are considered during the BCMS establishment. This structure fosters organizational buy-in, ensures the BCMS is practical, and integrates business continuity into the organization's culture, aligning with the principles of good governance.

A. This composition is too narrow. It lacks the necessary business context, authority, and input from the departments the BCMS is designed to protect.

B. While top management provides crucial sponsorship and direction, a group composed solely of them may lack the detailed operational knowledge required for effective oversight.

C. External parties can provide valuable input but should not form the core steering group due to potential conflicts of interest and confidentiality concerns.

1. Business Continuity Institute (BCI)

Good Practice Guidelines (GPG)

2018 Edition. In Professional Practice 1 (PP1): Policy and Programme Management

Section 4.3

"Governance

" it is stated that a governance structure

often a steering committee

should be established with "representation from across the organization to ensure the BCM programme has the required authority and resources." This directly supports the need for a multi-disciplinary group.

2. ISO 22313:2020

Security and resilience — Business continuity management systems — Guidance on the use of ISO 22301. Clause 5.3

"Roles

responsibilities and authorities

" advises that the BCMS should be managed by individuals or a team with the appropriate competence

authority

and knowledge of the organization. This implies a multi-disciplinary approach to cover all organizational facets.

3. Herbane

B. (2010). The evolution of business continuity management: A historical review of practices and drivers. Business History

52(6)

978-1002. https://doi.org/10.1080/00076791.2010.511185. The paper discusses the shift of BCM from a technical

IT-focused discipline to a holistic

management-led process

which necessitates cross-functional involvement for effective governance and integration (p. 994).