Introduction

Structure

Business Continuity Management: Building resilience in public sector entities is divided into two sections, the Guide (this section) and the Workbook. Both sections are structured according to the seven elements of a better practice business continuity management program identified by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO). Figure 1 depicts the structure of the better practice guide.

Figure 1 - Structure of the better practice guide

Key Concepts

Business continuity management is an essential component of good public sector governance. It supports and sustains the entity’s business strategy, goals and objectives in the face of disruptive events.²

There are a number of interrelated activities that work together to prevent and manage a significant business disruption event. These include:

• business continuity management (encompassing Information Technology (IT) disaster recovery);
• risk management;
• emergency response management; and
• incident management.
  

The integration of these activities is a success factor for building entity resilience. These activities provide the tactical, strategic and operational response to a business disruption. Figure 2 depicts the relationship between these key concepts.

Figure 2 - The relationship between risk, emergency response, incident and business continuity management in managing a business disruption

_{Note: These management activities are scalable, depending on the operating context of the entity. It may be that in small, non-complex or less time-critical entities, some or all of these activities are combined. In entities that are large, complex, or geographically dispersed, the use of separate emergency response, incident management and business continuity management teams increases the need for clear roles and responsibilities, and effective communication.}

_{Business continuity management is the focus of this guide.}

² _{A disruptive event may be an acute, creeping, or sustained event. A fire is an example of an acute disruptive event, a series of minor IT system failures culminating in the failure of a large or primary system is an example of a creeping disruptive event, and a pandemic is an example of a sustained disruptive event.}