Business continuity management standard ISO 22301 revision

The ability of an organization to continue operating during a disruption has never been more important. So it’s no surprise that ISO 22301, the internationally recognized standard for a business continuity management system (BCMS), is being updated to make sure it remains relevant to today’s business environment.

As the first ISO standard based on the High Level Structure (HLS), it has a strong foundation that now aligns with many other internationally recognized management system standards such as ISO 9001 quality management and ISO/IEC 27001 information security management. However there are areas of improvement highlighted by users, particularly around less prescriptive procedures and updated terms and definitions, that need considering to ensure it remains relevant in a changing business landscape.

• Content in clause 8 has been reordered, duplication removed and terminology is simplified and more consistent
• References to risk appetite have been removed
• Introductory guidance information has been removed and placed in ISO 22313 the BCMS guidance document
• More specific focus on planning for changes to the BCMS
• Less prescriptive procedures and documentation requirements
• Business continuity strategy is more clearly expressed as “Business continuity strategy and solutions”
• Business continuity plans now clearly link to supporting the teams and people that will respond to a disruption

The anticipated benefits of the updated ISO 22301 standard include: