‘Plans are nothing; planning is everything’. This famous quote from Eisenhower, military supremo and later President of the United States, needs some further explanation – but it’s worth paying attention for anyone who wants to put solid business continuity in place. Eisenhower’s meaning was that while you need a plan, the plan must remain flexible and open to any required changes; and that the process itself of planning is as valuable as the documents it produces along the way. This is a fundamental theme of the one-day DRI course on Business Plan Exercise, Audit and Maintenance (BCOE-800) that also includes further related topics.

Besides emphasising the need to maintain business continuity plans and planning, the BCOE-800 course also discusses the requirements to exercise and test them. The timeliness and quality of the response of a business continuity team depends on practical experience of putting those plans into action. The course therefore covers a range of testing and exercise programs. It includes training on how to develop them for your organisation and how to communicate the results for subsequent improvement. At the same time, participants review audit processes related to BC planning and best practice for developing plans that are synchronised with the strategic direction of their enterprise or organisation.

Auditors, coordinators of business continuity and disaster recovery actions, and business unit heads are among those who will find this practically oriented course valuable. More than books and theory, it puts business continuity planning firmly into the context of real business life and its constant change. You’ll come away with the information needed to make sure that business continuity measures stay sufficient, plans remain current, and other members of the organisation receive timely reminders and refreshers through appropriate business continuity plan tests and exercises.