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BS 25999

BS 25999 is the British Standard that specifies requirements for Business Continuity Management (BCM).

BS 2599 is the world's first BCM standard and has been developed to help organisations minimize the risk of such disruption due to major disasters or even minor incidents and to ensure continued business operations in case of such an event. BS 25999 has been developed by a broad based group of world class experts representing a cross-section of industry sectors and the government to establish the process, principles and terminology of BCM.

Continued business operations in the event of a disruption, whether due to a major disaster or a minor incident, is a fundamental requirement for any organization. BS 25999 assists in putting BCM fundamental measures in place to keep the business going during the most challenging and unexpected circumstances:

  • continuing to manage the business.
  • ensuring Client needs are me;
  • protecting reputation;
  • protecting staff;
  • providing the ability to continue operating;

BS 25999 provides a basis for:

  • developing;
  • implementing;
  • understanding.

BCM within the organization. It contains a comprehensive set of requirements based on BCM best practice and covers the whole BCM lifecycle.

BS 25999 follows the Deming Cycle for continuous improvement;

BS 25999 is suitable for any organization, large or small, from any sector.

It is particularly relevant for organizations which operate in high risk environments such as:

  • finance;
  • public sector
  • telecommunications;
  • transport;

where the ability to continue operating is paramount to the organization itself, its customers and stakeholders.

The BS 25999 standard is comprised of two parts:

  • Part 1, the Code of Practice - provides BCM best practice recommendations and guidance for implementation;
  • Part 2, the Specification - provides the requirements for a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) based on BCM best practice. Certification is undertaken against Part 2.

Two other standards that provide assistance in the BCM arena are:

International and British Standards can be purchased from the British Standards Institutive Shop (BSi)