Routes to professional recognition of competence
with the
Business Continuity Institute
Until 2008 the BCI existed only as a membership organisation where
understanding of, and competence in, business continuity management was
reflected in the seniority of membership grades ie Associate (ABCI), Specialist
(SBCI), Member (MBCI) and Fellow (FBCI). All members within these professional
grades have had to demonstrate knowledge and experience of working as a
business continuity practitioner (or in an associated discipline for SBCI).
In 2007 the Business Continuity Institute introduced the BCI Certificate which
presented the opportunity of offering a credential, not linked to membership,
which proves understanding of the principles and methodology of business
continuity management. Candidates for the BCI Certificate need to demonstrate a
thorough understanding of the Business Continuity Institute’s Good Practice
Guidelines (GPG). Experience of working as a business continuity practitioner is
not a prerequisite to sit the examination although experienced practitioners may
find it beneficial to draw upon their experience.
New Credential - CBCI
From April 2008 the BCI introduce the post nominal credential of:
CBCI (Certified by the Business Continuity Institute)
Awarded to successful candidates who achieve a “Pass” or a “Pass with Merit” in
the BCI Certificate examination.
CBCIs will have the opportunity to be placed on a register of those holding this
credential (an annual fee is payable). They will also be invited to apply for
professional membership of the Business Continuity Institute if they are able to
demonstrate sufficient practical application of their knowledge.
Professional Grades of BCI Membership
From April 2008 all new applicants for professional grades of membership and
upgrades between the grades are required to hold the BCI Certificate.
Experience criteria to allow entry into professional membership have been
changed and the Specialist (SBCI) category has been overhauled to enable it to
better reflect the roles of those working within associated disciplines.
10 Professional Certification Standards become 6
The Business Continuity Institute has a long established set of 10 competencies
that applicants for professional grades of the Institute have been assessed
against.
These required skills are the ability to: Initiate and Manage the need for a
Business Continuity Management (BCM) Process or Function; Conduct a Business
Impact Analysis; Carry out Risk Evaluation and Control; Develop Business
Continuity Management Strategies; Establish Emergency Response and
Operations; Develop and Implement Business Continuity and Crisis Management
Plans; Raise Awareness and develop Training Programmes; Maintain and Exercise
Business Continuity and Crisis Managements Plans; Establish Crisis
Communications capability; and Establish procedure and policies for
Co-ordination with External Agencies.
Applicants for professional membership will still need experience within these
fundamental skills but, to maintain consistency with the BCM Lifecycle, they have
been mapped against different stages of the Lifecycle and are now presented as 6
Certification Standards. A subject overview is outlined below:
1. BCM Policy and Programme Management
Establishing the need for a Business Continuity Management (BCM) Process,
including: resilience strategies, recovery objectives, business continuity and
incident management plans, obtaining management support for such a process.
Organising and managing the formulation of the function or process either in
collaboration with, or as a key component of an integrated risk management
initiative.
Developing, co-ordinating, evaluating and creating plans and procedures to
communicate with external stakeholders, including the media, during incidents.
2. Understanding the Organisation
Business impact analysis (BIA):
Identifying the impacts resulting from disruptions and disaster scenarios that can
affect the organisation and developing techniques that can be used to quantify and
qualify such impacts.
Establishing critical functions, their recovery priorities and inter-dependencies so
that recovery time objectives can be set.
Risk evaluation and control:
Determining the events and environmental surroundings that can adversely affect
the organisation and its facilities with disruption and/or disaster and understanding
the damage such events can cause.
Establishing the controls needed to prevent or minimise the effects of potential
loss.
Providing cost-benefit analysis to justify investment in controls to mitigate risks.
3. Determining Business Continuity Management strategies
Determining and guiding the selection of alternative business recovery operating
strategies for continuation of business within recovery time and/or recovery point
objectives, while maintaining the organisation’s critical functions.
Delivering solutions for continuation of business within the recovery time and/or
recovery point objectives, whilst maintaining the organisation’s critical functions.
Developing, coordinating, evaluating and creating plans and procedures to
communicate with internal stakeholders during incidents.
The provision of post-incident support and guidance for employees and their
families.
4. Developing and Implementing a BCM Response
Developing and implementing emergency response procedures for responding to
and stabilising the situation following an incident or event.
Establishing and managing an Emergency Operations Centre to be used as a
command centre during the emergency.
Practical experience in handling incidents/emergencies.
Designing, developing and implementing business continuity and incident
management plans that provide continuity within recovery time and/or recovery
point objectives.
5. Exercising, Maintenance and Review
Pre-planning and coordinating plan walkthroughs/exercises.
Evaluating, updating, improving and documenting the results of exercises.
Developing processes to maintain the currency of continuity capabilities, business
continuity and incident management plans in accordance with the organisation’s
strategic direction.
Establishing appropriate policies and procedures for coordinating incidents,
continuity and restoration activities with external agencies whilst ensuring
compliance with applicable statutes and/or regulations.
Practical experience in dealing with external agencies.
6. Embedding Business Continuity Management within the
Organisation’s Culture
Preparing a programme to create and maintain corporate awareness and enhance
the skills required to develop and implement the business continuity management
programme or process and its supporting activities.
ABCI to AMBCI
Associate members of the BCI were previously given the post nominal designation
of ABCI. From April 2008 this will become AMBCI in recognition that they have
now become Statutory Members giving them the same voting rights and
eligibility to stand for office as all other categories of professional membership.
Revised entry criteria for AMBCI are:
Hold the CBCI at “Pass” or “Pass with Merit”
One years full time experience as a business continuity practitioner*
Provision of 2 referees**
* this is self-certified by completing an application form and the submission of a
comprehensive cv – between 5 and 10% of applications will be audited to confirm
eligibility
** between 5 and 10% of references will be taken up
SBCI
From April 2008 the previous discipline based Specialist Faculties of Crisis and
Emergency Management; Human Resources; Information Security; Insurance;
Physical Protection and Security; Property and Facilities Management; PR and
Media Management; Risk Management; Salvage and Restoration; and Technology
Recovery have been replaced with 6 new skills based Faculties which reflect
stages within the BCM Lifecycle:
Faculty
Faculty
Faculty
Faculty
Faculty
Faculty
of
of
of
of
of
of
Policy and Management
Analyst
Strategic Services
Response, Planning & Support
Exercising & Auditing
Education & Training
Revised entry criteria for SBCI are:
Hold the CBCI at “Pass” or “Pass with Merit”
Two years full time experience either as a specialist business continuity
practitioner or in a related discipline*
Professional membership of, or certification, by a relevant professional
body in an associated discipline**
Provision of 2 referees***
* this is self-certified by completing an application form and the submission of a
comprehensive cv – between 5 and 10% of applications will be audited to confirm
eligibility
** current documentation must be provided
*** references will be taken up in all cases
MBCI
Applicants for the senior grade of Member (MBCI) need to demonstrate practical
application of their knowledge by submitting a further professional application
form which will be scored assessed by a panel of their peers appointed by the
BCI’s Membership Council.
Revised entry criteria for MBCI are:
Hold the CBCI at “Pass with Merit”
Three years full time experience as business continuity practitioner
Completion and submission of evidence which supports and demonstrates
this experience (this is the evidence that will be scored assessed)
Provision of 2 referees*
* references will be taken up in all cases
FBCI
Applicants or nominations for Fellowship of the BCI are accepted MBCI or SBCI
with appropriate experience and responsibility. Direct entry into FBCI is not
accepted. A minimum requirement of 6 years experience as a business continuity
practitioner is required.
FBCI should not be perceived as an automatic step from MBCI or SBCI but should
reflect a higher level of responsibility, specific experience and a significant
contribution to BCM and the BCI.
Summary of BCI Credentials and Membership Grades
FBCI (Fellow BCI)
3 years additional senior
responsibility
MBCI (Member BCI)
Pass with Merit
3 years
experience
2 years additional
experience
4 years additional senior
responsibility
1 Year
SBCI (Specialist BCI)
2 years experience
(total)
AMBCI (Associate Member BCI)
1 Year experience
CBCI (Certified by BCI)
Examination pass
Examination success entitles award of certificate and entry onto list of certificate holders
Subject to re-examination after 3 years unless there is an upgrade to AMBCI, MBCI or SBCI.
All professional grade BCI Members will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to CPD.
Affiliates and Students – Non-professional membership