| Response to ‘Taking business continuity training and education forward’
Colin Gordon’s article, 20th April 2004, raises some interesting issues regarding business continuity training and education to which I would like to add. The subject of ‘taking business continuity training and education forward’ is one that I have a particular interest in and I am constantly looking for new ideas on how this might be achieved. Therefore I have read the article with much interest. It offers some interesting suggestions, to which I have also given much consideration. I would like to highlight that there are education events currently available, that do deliver the learning outcomes the article expresses a desire for. Survive is the leading provider of business continuity training and education events in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Survive has dedicated much effort to provide a training and development programme that meets the requirements of Survive member organisations and the wider business community. We would agree with the statement that “true learning can only come from experienced business continuity practitioners passing on knowledge and sharing skills”, this is the purpose of Survive as a business continuity user group and training provider. All Survive training course presenters are leading experts in their fields with experience in delivering business continuity training programmes, many of whom are also Members and Fellows of the BCI. I also agree that “to develop and deliver high quality business continuity management (BCM) training takes time”. Survive has provided business continuity training and education since 1989. The research, logistics and administration required in providing a comprehensive programme of training and development courses are considerable. Survive’s dedicated team has many years experience in delivering training and education events to ensure quality training courses are available for both individuals new to BCM and those with experience. Survive also provides a range of "practical training courses for business continuity managers to attend that walks them through the stages of the BCM lifecycle". In response to the question "is there a solution?" I believe there are many different solutions for different individual and organisational training requirements. The programme of training and education events offered by Survive allows delegates and organisations to pick and chose their own development paths to meet their specific and often immediate training requirements. Gaining management support is a hurdle that BCM mangers need to leap on a regular basis. It is Survive’s experience that the market for business continuity training courses has changed considerably in the UK during the last 15 years. In recent years the responsibility for BCM has notably widened within most large UK organisations, individuals from which make up the bulk of UK business continuity training course attendee’s. Individuals are often temporarily seconded to be involved in a specific project or element of a BCM programme and require training only on a subject that supports their specific role. Many individuals, in large organisations, have responsibility for business continuity as one of many roles they perform in their job. A risk assessment is more often now conducted by a different individual or team that has responsibility for developing crisis management plans or crisis communications or even a business impact analysis. Individuals change roles within large organisations with increasing regularity, and this has implications for the success of a 12 month training programme. This situation, however, is slightly different in Australia and New Zealand. The training courses offered by Survive in the UK, Australia and New Zealand reflect the requirements of Survive member organisations in these countries. Survive constantly reviews and strives to improve the training courses offered and regularly welcomes comment regarding course content and venue location from members and the BC industry in general. For a full list of Survive training events visit: http://www.survive.com/Training/ Got a comment? E-mail editor@continuitycentral.com to have your say. Please state if you are happy to have your comments published as we continue this important debate. Further reading: Business
continuity training is generally inadequate
•Date:
5th May 2004 •Region: Various •Type:
Article •Topic: BC
general |
