Course title
BCLE 1000 Introduction to Business Continuity Planning Intensive 10-Day course

Who should take this course
Targeted for newcomers to the Business Continuity (BC) industry, or for professionals who want the most in-depth introduction to the Professional Practices for Business Continuity Professionals.

Pre-requisites
No specific pre-requisites are associated with this course. However, general understanding and experience in business continuity principles will be beneficial.

Description
The Professional Practices for Business Continuity Professionals are the skills, knowledge and procedures BC professionals must know to lead their organizations through a comprehensive BC planning process that results in an effective business continuity plan. This 10-day course includes 72 hours of instruction followed by the Qualifying Exam. Instructors take participants through DRI International’s BC planning model to illustrate the skills, knowledge and procedures required for each stage of BC planning. The course explores each planning stage in-depth using case examples, course exercises, participant work experiences and lessons learned. Upon completion of the course participants will know: 1) the strategic purpose of each BC planning stage along with the knowledge, skills and procedures needed to accomplish it; 2) industry terminology; 3) the respective planning roles of the BC planner, the business components and senior management, and 4) resolutions to common roadblocks. These are essential elements of the DRI International Qualifying Examination. Participant feedback suggests that the BCLE -1000 course is the most comprehensive preparation for the Qualifying Exam, particularly for newcomers to the field.

Course learning objectives
Chapter 1: BCM Program Development and Project Management Principles
Chapter 1 contains an introduction followed by 4 lessons. You will learn how to establish the need for a business continuity program in your organization and how to obtain management support. You will also learn how to organize the program and manage the process. This chapter identifies the requirements and imperatives of project management methodologies required to develop an enterprise-wide Business Continuity Program.

Chapter 2: Data Gathering
This chapter introduces the basic concepts of Risk Management and develops familiarity with the methodologies and models used in the Business Continuity Management profession, by providing an understanding of what a risk assessment is all about, why a risk assessment is important to a business continuity program, the elements of a risk assessment, and how these are utilized to build a business continuity program. It also introduces the reasons for and value of conducting a Business Impact Analysis. The student will understand methodologies, terms and definitions such as Mission Critical business processes, Recovery Time Objectives (RTO), and Acceptable Exposure to Loss. Chapter 2 contains 7 lessons plus an introduction.

Chapter 3: Developing Business Continuity Strategies
Chapter 3 contains 5 lessons plus an introduction and introduces the student to the challenges of selecting the appropriate strategies for mitigation and for the recovery of business processes, critical functions, operations and the supporting information technologies within the specified recovery time objective. It defines alternative strategies, assesses the strengths and weaknesses of strategies and methodologies for presentation to management. We will identify the process steps involved in the analysis and strategy determination. This will be directly linked and supported by the data gathering activities accomplished during the risk assessment and BIA.

Chapter 4: Developing Business Continuity Plans
The business continuity plan is made up of many components and this chapter will closely look at each of these components over 12 separate lessons, beginning with roles and responsibilities. One purpose of this chapter is to provide an understanding of the emergency management structure and the planning necessary to manage a crisis for your organization. Chapter 4 introduces identification, escalation, and notification procedures that are part of building emergency response procedures. It covers the challenges of reviewing and coordinating emergency evacuation programs in place in organizations, or working with the responsible areas to develop or enhance existing programs. Life safety procedures, emergency response procedures, and plan activation procedures are reviewed in detail. Specifically, you will learn how to lead your organization in implementing an action plan structure and mobilizing in response to an emergency. It will focus on procedures for activating the Emergency Operations Center and corresponding command centers, securing the area, assessing the damage, and salvage and restoration activities. All plans must include communication elements and this chapter is designed to assist the student in making al the necessary preparations for managing an emergency. It focuses on how to develop procedures that will allow you to effectively communicate with all audiences, to identify and train spokespersons, to develop key messages, and to work effectively with the media. Chapter 4 also examines coordination with external agencies and addresses compliance issues with applicable statutes or regulations. The student will learn to apply communication techniques, investigate partnering, and also review the Incident Command System. It also addresses compliance issues with applicable statutes or regulations. The student will understand terminology, priorities of first responders, and how to interface with emergency agencies. In order to develop the actual BCM plan document you will need to lead your organization in several decisions on the approach, methodology and the plan document structure. We will address and discuss these issues to allow you as the planner to facilitate your organization in making these determinations. Experienced planners recognize that the plan document that best meets the needs of the organization and the personnel are most comfortable with using will be the plan document structure that is successful. This chapter will conclude with the elements of plan administration and plan documentation.

Chapter 5: Implementing the Business Continuity Plan
This chapter is designed to assist the student in developing the elements of a BCM training and awareness program that will create and maintain organizational awareness and enhance the skills required to develop, implement, maintain, and execute all Business Continuity initiatives. The student will learn to differentiate the needs of demographic groups and teams within the BCM program. Students will also learn and apply various techniques to improve the timeliness and quality of the BCM team response. Interactive activities will help students to enhance the resiliency of their programs through the use of testing and exercising their business continuity plans. Once plans are developed they need to be maintained. Chapter 5 also assists in developing processes to maintain the currency of continuity capabilities and the plan document in accordance with the organization’s strategic direction.