A Decade of Living Dangerously - Business Continuity Management (March 2009)

CMI's tenth survey into business continuity management among UK organisations, based on a survey of 1,012 managers.

Published: March 2009

Author: Patrick Woodman and Vidal Kumar

ISBN: 0-85946-407-5

Price: Free - available for download. Hard copies also available on request.

CMI's 2009 report on Business Continuity Management marks a decade of research on the subject. The tenth survey reveals a pressing need for UK organisations to guard against disruption and to be wary of complacency towards possible risks.

Supported by the Cabinet Office, the survey shows that 52 per cent of organisations across the UK have a business continuity plan (BCP) - the highest level recorded by the survey. However, the percentage of managers reporting that continuity is regarded as important in their organisation has fallen over the past year from 76 per cent to 64 per cent. Electronic attack (58 per cent) and human disease (57 per cent) represented the two greatest concerns facing organisations.

Additional Guidance

For managers interested in finding out more about business continuity and how to ensure preparedness in the event of a disruption, the links below signpost useful information and resources.

The Emergency Planning College, which is part of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat, runs courses on risk assessment and business continuity management.

For practical help, the Civil Contingencies Secretariat has developed, in partnership with stakeholders, a Business Continuity Management Toolkit to help organisations implement BCM.

The DirectGov website also provides a range of information on business continuity for businesses and for voluntary organisations.

CMI members can also access a checklist on the subject by entering 'business continuity management' into the subject search here.