Every organization faces the question: what happens if things go wrong? BCP provides a structured answer. It outlines how an organization can continue operating during and after a disruption - whether caused by a cyber incident, a power outage, or the sudden unavailability of a key site or supplier. A BCP project typically starts by gaining a clear picture of what needs to be protected most. This might stem from a prior BIA, or from a direct request by management to address specific continuity challenges or regulatory expectations. From there, the focus shifts to turning insights into action: defining concrete procedures, responsibilities, and recovery strategies that are practical and aligned with the organization’s priorities.
Scope and preparation
Every BCP project starts with defining the scope: which entities, processes, and scenarios will be covered, and what the ultimate continuity objectives are. The scope depends on the organization’s priorities and risk appetite. It can range from IT system outages and supply chain interruptions to site unavailability or workforce shortages. During this phase, stakeholders across departments are engaged to ensure a shared understanding of what “critical operations” truly mean and what level of downtime is acceptable.
Scenario development
Once the scope is clear, the next step is to develop realistic disruption scenarios. These scenarios help translate abstract risks into tangible situations. For example, a data center outage, a warehouse fire, or the sudden unavailability of key staff. By visualizing how these scenarios would unfold, organizations can determine what resources, processes, and decisions would be needed to maintain or restore operations. This phase lays the groundwork for defining practical and scenario-based response measures.
Response and recovery planning
For each scenario, the team defines step-by-step response procedures: who takes charge, how decisions are made, how communication is handled, and which recovery measures must be triggered. This is where preventive and detective controls come together with operational crisis response. This phase includes initial budget considerations to ensure that the planned continuity measures and recovery targets are financially realistic.
Typical topics include:
- Activation of crisis and communication teams.
- Roles and responsibilities during disruption.
- Alternative processes, systems, or sites.
- Recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery priorities.
Validation and alignment
Once the draft plan is developed, it is reviewed and validated with management and key stakeholders. This step ensures that the BCP reflects operational realities rather than theoretical assumptions. Collaboration between IT and the business side is particularly essential, as continuity depends on both technology and people. BCP developed in isolation - whether purely from a business or IT perspective - risks overlooking critical dependencies or business continuity risks.
Testing and continuous improvement
Once the BCP is in place, the work doesn’t stop there. Implementing the plan effectively requires close collaboration with stakeholders across departments to ensure that roles, responsibilities, and procedures are clearly understood. KPMG supports organizations throughout this process - from facilitating workshops and aligning different business units, to helping coordinate and execute tabletop exercises, simulations, and live drills. These tests should be performed periodically (e.g. annually) to ensure that the plan remains accurate, actionable, and embedded in day-to-day operations. Testing is essential to validate how the plan performs under real-world pressure and often reveal valuable insights for improvement. BCP is not a one-time exercise but an ongoing cycle of implementation, testing, learning, and strengthening resilience.
