BCP Objectives & Scope Statement Template

Introduction

Business continuity has become a vital measure for businesses of any industry. Essentially a BCP is aimed at ensuring that the organization can still deliver its critical products and/or services during unforeseen disruption, disaster, or emergency. The BCP's effectiveness is dependent on an objective and a scope statement clearly defined and articulated since that will trickle down into the continuity strategies and actions that the organization will employ. 

Purpose Of The Business Continuity Plan Objectives

The objectives of the Business Continuity Plan are a statement defining the aims towards which the business continuity effort is directed. The typical aspirations of the BCP objectives statement being drawn up by an organization would usually include:

• Ensuring operational resilience and continuity of critical business functions during and after a disruption. 
  
  
• Safeguarding of assets, including data, infrastructure, and personnel.
  
  
• Minimizing operational downtime and financial loss. 
  
  
• Compliance with relevant legislation and standards (e.g., ISO 22301). 
  
  
• Preservation of brand reputation and stakeholder confidence. 
  
  
• Ensuring safety and wellbeing of employees. 
  
  
• Facilitating effective communication during a crisis. 
  
  
• Providing a framework for a structured recovery that prioritizes Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs).

Why Are Business Continuity Planning Objectives Important?

There are many reasons to have specific objectives for business continuity:

1. Provides a high-level outline of plan intent and recovery goals.
   
   
2. Defines the boundaries, answering what the plan is limited to and what it excludes.
   
   
3. Guides the organization toward restoring critical operations per pre-defined RTOs and RPOs.
   
   
4. Aligns recovery efforts with applicable regulatory or contractual requirements.
   
   
5. Improves coordination between teams and ensures effective resource allocation.
   
   
6. Articulating the scope statement for a business continuity plan

A BCP scope statement clearly defines the coverage areas of the plan in departments, locations, business units, systems, processes, etc. It communicates clearly to the exclusion of misinterpretation about the applicability of the plan.

Elements That A BCP Scope Statement Should Constitute

• Organizational Boundaries: Indicate the inclusion of sites, departments, and business units. The scope may be limited to IT systems or the entire enterprise, for example. 
  
  
• Critical Functions: Specify which processes or services are given priority for continuity; for instance, customer support, financial transactions, supply chain management, or data protection. 
  
  
• Geographical Coverage: State whether the BCP is local, regional, national, or global. 
  
  
• Limitations and Exclusions: What does not fall under this definition is, for instance, the 'non-critical' operations, physical sites, or specific types of incidents. 
  
  
• Assumptions: Conditions baseline, such as availability of resources; roles of staff; or approaches to alternate facilities. 
  
  
• Dependencies: Reference reliance on suppliers, vendors, or other third parties for business operations, as well as the management of any disruption in these third parties.

Strategic Steps On How To Write An Effective BCP Objectives & Scope Statement

1. Review Business Environment - Analyze the overall structure of your organization, dependency amongst other divisions, and risk landscapes. Gather key stakeholders to have a diverse perspective.

2. Define Objectives - Clearly state the outputs for continuity planning based on measurable outcomes such as minimum downtime allowed, priority processes, and compliance goals. 

3. Clarify Goals - Outline which departments, processes, facilities, and geographic area will be included within the plan. Point out exclusions to lessen misinterpretations. 

4. Document Risks and Hypotheses - Describe the expected risks, planning assumptions, and possible dependencies. Clearly state any operational or technological assumptions for recovery plans. 

5. Obtain Executive Approval - Submit objectives and scope for senior management review and sign-off as this creates wide-ranging support and resource commitment. 

6. Commence Communication and Monitoring - Dissemination of this statement across the organization and along with its addition in awareness training will also assist in being kept up to date for any changes in operations or emerging threats.

Conclusion 

A solid BCP Objectives & Scope Statement underpins business continuity planning and better prepares organizations for such situations with confidence and agility. Actionable objectives and realistic scope ensure that continuity efforts resonate with strategic goals, regulatory mandates, and operational realities. These facilitate organizational resilience, streamline crisis response, and subsequently lead to ongoing development of business continuity systems.