Overview
ISO 22301 is the international standard for Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS). It provides a framework to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disruptive incidents so critical operations continue within predefined timeframes. The current edition, ISO 22301:2019, follows the harmonized structure (clauses 4–10) and is often implemented alongside ISO 27001, IT disaster recovery programs, and operational risk frameworks.
What it covers
- Context, interested parties, and BCMS scope (clause 4)
- Leadership, business continuity policy, and roles (clause 5)
- Business impact analysis (BIA) to identify critical activities, dependencies, and recovery time and point objectives
- Risk assessment focused on threats that could disrupt prioritized activities
- Continuity strategy and resource requirements: people, facilities, technology, suppliers
- Business continuity plans, incident response procedures, and communication protocols (clause 8)
- Exercising and testing, performance evaluation, and continual improvement (clauses 9–10)
How we help
Implementation, audits and maintenance.
Implementation
We start with a business impact analysis to identify critical activities, maximum tolerable periods of disruption, and recovery time and point objectives. We then assess continuity risks, design the BCMS and strategy, develop recovery and incident response plans, define roles, and prepare the organization for certification. Plans are practical, owned by the business, and realistic to execute under pressure.
Audits
Internal BCMS audits against ISO 22301:2019, readiness assessments that review documentation and exercise results, and Stage 1 and Stage 2 certification support. We help turn exercise findings into evidence of plan effectiveness.
Maintenance
Regular plan testing and exercises, plan updates as the organization or its risks change, surveillance audit preparation, and management review facilitation so recovery capability stays current.
Typical outcomes
What you have at the end
- A documented BIA with clear RTOs and RPOs
- Continuity strategy aligned to critical activities and available resources
- Tested recovery plans and incident response procedures with defined roles
- Exercise records that demonstrate plan effectiveness
- An evidence package ready for the ISO 22301 certification audit
Relevant credentials
Who does the work
BC — Business Continuity Management Systems
BSI · Exemplar Global–certified module · Aug 2022Typical engagement
From gap analysis to certification.
Gap analysis
Current-state assessment against the standard and your obligations.
Risk assessment
Identify what could go wrong and plan how to treat it.
Governance & process design
Roles, policies and processes sized to how you operate.
Implementation & controls
Hands-on support designing and evidencing controls.
Internal audit & readiness
Independent internal audit and Stage 1 / Stage 2 preparation.
Training
Build capability so your team can run the system.
Related services
Often implemented together
Information Security
Build and certify an ISMS, from risk assessment and Annex A controls to Stage 2.
Learn more → ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018Service Management
An SMS for reliable, measurable IT and service delivery.
Learn more → ISO · CMMI · NISTGovernance, Risk & Compliance
Governance and control frameworks aligned to ISO, CMMI and NIST.
Learn more →Ready to start on ISO 22301?
Preparing for ISO certification, tightening governance, or need an independent assessment? Tell us where you are and we’ll map the route.
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