In today’s unpredictable business environment, having a robust continuity plan is essential for ensuring uninterrupted service and safeguarding customer trust. This Business Continuity Management Audit Work Program is designed to help organizations evaluate and enhance their preparedness for disruptive events. This tool provides practical guidance to identify vulnerabilities, refine recovery strategies and align continuity efforts with industry best practices. By using this resource, businesses can strengthen their operational resilience while demonstrating a commitment to reliability and risk management.

This audit tool includes two sample programs. Sample 1 focuses on the foundational aspects of business continuity, guiding users through the initial steps such as gathering critical documentation, reviewing policies and assessing disaster recovery measures. It emphasizes the importance of defining the audit’s scope and addressing key operational dependencies. Sample 2 takes a deeper dive into evaluating the effectiveness of continuity planning, emphasizing areas such as control maturity, risk mitigation, leadership oversight and testing protocols. With tiered objectives, it equips examiners to assess both enterprisewide strategies and specific business functions, ensuring a thorough review of risk readiness and continuous improvement processes.

Audit steps include:

• Determine management’s consideration of newly identified threats and vulnerabilities to the organization’s business continuity process.
• Ensure that the risk assessment and BIA have been reviewed and approved by senior management and the board.
• Determine management’s consideration of newly identified threats and vulnerabilities to the organization’s business continuity process.