Business Continuity Audit Preparation - Course Description

A workshop to prepare yourself for internal or external BCP and DR audits and assurance initiatives

 

Are you ready for the Business Continuity Audit?

 

 

 

Presented by Rinske Geerlings, CBCP (DRII)

 

This workshop gives you hands-on experience and is a confidence builder for those who are faced with the challenge of Business Continuity (BC) or Disaster Recovery (DR) audits.   It assists in reviewing your own orgaisation’s BC capability and DR processes.

This workshop assists your organisation with assurance and compliance/certification:

 

  • Prepare for formal organisational certification/compliance with ISO/PAS 22399, BS25999, AS HB221:2004, Sarbanes-Oxley and/or Basel II
  • Prepare for organisational (self) assessment and benchmarking initiatives in regards to NFPA 1600, ITIL and COBIT.

Standards

This programme has been developed in accordance with international standards and guidelines including:

 

  • BS25999
  • AS HB221:2004
  • NFPA 1600:2007
  • ISO/PAS 22399
  • APS222/GPS232 (APRA)
  • DS4 (COBIT)
  • ITSCM (ITIL)
  • Sarbanes-Oxley and Basel II.

Learning Outcomes

  • Understand how to review the organisation’s BC/DR processes
  • Improve your preparedness for BC/DR audits and assurance initiatives
  • Be better equipped for any Business Continuity audit consulting work
  • Understand in what ways BC/DR audits can be challenging
  • Learn how to present findings and recommendations to senior management
  • Know how to avoid common mistakes and pitfalls in relation to BC audits

Benefits of compliance with BCM/DR standards

  1. Meet regulatory compliance (APRA, Sarbanes-Oxley, Basel II, Government etc)
  2. Achieving insurance premium discounts
  3. Allowing for competitive advantage when responding to Requests for Tender
  4. Reducing risks, and improving the capability of your organisation to continue critical activities ‘no matter what’
  5. Providing shareholders, customers, employees, 3rd parties and general public with confidence in your business
  6. Ensuring common terminology/language about BCM/DR across your organisation
  7. Enhancing motivation of your teams to perform well in regards to BC/DR testing and documentation
  8. Increase control over BC/DR processes and improve ability to measure progress.

IT Service Continuity vs Business Continuity Governance

Historically, IT has been the area of focus in terms of Disaster Recovery.  However, a broader, whole-of-business approach is now becoming mandatory and regularly audited by government authorities, for example in the finance/insurance industry.  But also in other industries, we see an increase in organisations needing to comply with Business Continuity standards and guidelines.

Who Should Attend?

  • Business Continuity Manager
  • Disaster Recovery Co-ordinators
  • Auditors
  • Assurance Professionals
  • Consultants
  • Risk Managers
  • IT Managers
  • Service Continuity Managers
  • Business Managers
  • Crisis Managers
  • Analysts
  • Security Managers
  • OH&S Specialists
  • Premises Managers
  • Financial Auditors
  • Senior Executives
  • Compliance Managers/Staff

Pre-Requisites

No prior knowledge required. This workshop is useful regardless of the experience level of the participant. 

 

  • To those who have well-developed plans and knowledge, this workshop will enhance their preparedness for auditors coming in. 
  • Those with limited or no knowledge about Business Continuity will gain understanding of the benefits to have solid plans in place and the aspects to focus on.

Special Features

Bring your organisation’s plan and relevant standard(s)
Along to the workshop, you are invited to bring your own organisation’s BC Plan and BC standards documentation, as part of the day you will be able to learn from other participants and their experiences with BC/DR audits.

 

Confidentiality
No team member to buddy up with, or confidentiality requirements preventing you from being able to share real-life plan contents during the workshop?  Not to worry - You will greatly benefit from the examples provided by the presenter about the aspects that internal/external assurance professionals tend to concentrate on, and what the ‘real life’ issues are for each standard.

 

Best practice focus
Practical examples provided by the presenter from across industries will assist in getting the most useful advice on how to tackle audit related issues in the most efficient and effective way.

 

Prevent wasting time and effort!
Specialised knowledge of how to best address audit issues, review your organisation’s BC/DR processes, analyse your organisation’s needs and limitations and communicate agreed procedures to management is needed in order to prevent a waste of substantial time and energy.  This course will assist you in being efficient and effective in relation to Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery assurance initiatives, whilst ensuring buy-in and support from all levels of the organisation.

 

Follow-up with a 3-day in-depth course
Subsequent to this 1-day workshop, an in-depth 3-day BCM course will provide participants with all the necessary tools to develop a sound BCM process for their organisation, which will help satisfy the requirements as highlighted during BC audits.