Course Title: Develop and maintain business continuity plans

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2015

Course Code: BUSM6397C

Course Title: Develop and maintain business continuity plans

School: 650T Vocational Business Education

Campus: City Campus

Program: C6102 - Advanced Diploma of Business (Public Relations)

Course Contact : Sally Parrott

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5175

Course Contact Email:sally.parrott@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Alain Grossbard

alain.grossbard@rmit.edu.au

99255522

Nominal Hours: 60

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

This unit is for individuals working in positions of authority who are approved to implement change across the division, business area, program area or project area.

This unit addresses the knowledge and processes necessary to develop and maintain business continuity requirements. Business continuity awareness and planning help the organisation to identify barriers and/or interruptions, and to determine how the organisation will achieve critical business objectives (even at diminished capacity) until full functionality is restored.

The focus is on risk and vulnerability assessment, business impact assessments, and business continuity and communication plans.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

BSBCON601A Develop and maintain business continuity plans

Element:

1. Conduct risk and vulnerability assessments

Performance Criteria:

1.1. Identify the relationship between corporate risk and the organisation's business continuity management framework
1.2. Analyse and determine internal and external risk context by collecting information that relates to the organisation's priorities, operations and environment
1.3. Analyse and identify potential internal and external sources of disruption to the organisation's priorities, operations and environment

Element:

2. Develop and report on the business impact assessment/s

Performance Criteria:

2.1. Identify the organisation's critical business functions and their dependencies and interdependencies , and analyse and evaluate risks through the business impact assessment /s
2.2. Develop risk and disruption scenarios through the business impact assessment/s
2.3. Validate risk and disruption scenarios through the business impact assessment/s
2.4. Analyse, validate and report on the outcomes of the business impact assessment/s to management

Element:

3. Develop, implement and report on risk treatments

Performance Criteria:

3.1. Develop and implement risk treatments
3.2. Participate in risk treatment review
3.3. Report on risk treatment review to management and relevant appropriate personnel
3.4. Update risk treatment review in line with feedback provided by relevant personnel

Element:

4. Determine interdependencies and develop response strategies

Performance Criteria:

4.1. Develop the organisation's emergency response , continuity and recovery strategies
4.2. Consult and seek endorsement on the organisation's emergency response, continuity and recovery strategies from management and other appropriate personnel
4.3. Identify and manage synergies and conflicts in resource availability and access in conjunction with management
4.4. Coordinate the organisation's emergency response, continuity and recovery strategies

Element:

5. Establish the business continuity plan

Performance Criteria:

5.1. Consult relevant personnel and seek support for the development of the organisation's business continuity plan /s
5.2. Ensure content of business continuity plan is comprehensive and meets, where applicable, the requirements of regulations, standards, industry practice and geographical dispersion
5.3. Document and analyse feedback received through consultation and finalise business continuity plan
5.4. Demonstrate accountability for the organisation's business continuity plan/s

Element:

6. Establish the communication plan within the organisation's planning framework

Performance Criteria:

6.1. Identify stakeholders and determine objective and scope of communication plan for periods before, during and after disruptions occur
6.2. Determine organisation’s communication capabilities in line with objectives and scope, and identify gaps and options for meeting shortfalls
6.3. Develop and implement across the organisation, appropriate risk and incident monitoring, reporting and escalation processes

Element:

7. Deliver business continuity professional development activities

Performance Criteria:

7.1. Promote the application of the business continuity management framework and plan to all relevant personnel on an ongoing basis
7.2. Provide staff with appropriate information relating to the cyclical review process of the business continuity management plan
7.3. Conduct business continuity management plan exercises in line with the organisation's policies and procedures
7.4. Conduct post exercise debriefs, complete post exercise reviews and update business continuity strategies and plans as required
7.5. Manage and record staff learning and development in relation to the business continuity management framework in accordance with organisational requirements, and framework policies and procedures
7.6. Report on the outcomes of staff learning and development, and business continuity framework exercises to relevant personnel

Learning Outcomes


This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to work within the business continuity framework to develop and implement business continuity plans in order for an organisation to manage risk and ensure business resilience when faced with a disruptive event.


Details of Learning Activities

Portfolio of class activities.Either working as an Individual or in small groups, you will be required to do sections of a business plan activity relevant to the lecture and submit the responses by the end of the class. The activity is usually between 100 to 300 words long and there will be between 5 activities that need to be submitted. The activities will analyse and describe current or past business pan processes using concepts and tools as well as apply skills in finding information using online resources, books, and journals.
An oral test will be assessed on the competency achieved from answering the questions presented on the test.

Oral Test. This is a test of questions related to the course content covered from series of lectures and activities performed throughout the semester. It is to be completed by the student at a set time (8 minutes) on Week 11. During that time will need to answer 8 questions randomly from a pool of 22 questions. The test will cover students’ knowledge, skills in business concepts and strategic thinking. It will be tested based on lecture notes and activities covered during the semester.

Major Assignment and Presentation– Business and Continuity Plan Report

Student will be required to develop a business plan and write a report. Hand-outs and Blackboard will be provided with a set of instructions as to what is required and expected from the student’s assignment. It is an individual report covering what the student has learnt from meeting and discussing business plan. The report will be 1500 words. This will be followed by a five minute oral and visual presentation to the class
 


Teaching Schedule

Week
Week Commence 2014 Topics
6 July Course Induction
13 July Overview and importance of a Business Plan
20 July Understanding the Business Plan
27 July The Business Profile
3 August The Marketing Plan
10 August The Production Plan
17 August The Purchasing Plan
24 August The Personnel Plan

Mid Semester Break
31 August to 4 September inclusive

7 September The Financial Plan
14 September The Financial Plan
21 September Overview of the near completed Business Plan 
28 September Think Tank Assessment
5 October Major Assignment preparation
12 October Major Assignment submission
19 October Return final assessment and schedule any resubmission for next week
26 October Interviews/Assessment feedback/resubmissions
 


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

Nil


Overview of Assessment

Students must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of a particular competency to be deemed competent. Assessment methods have been designed to measure achievement of each competency in a flexible manner over a range of assessment tasks.

Assessment will incorporate a variety of methods including assignments, journals, presentation and written or test. Students are advised that they are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate their assessment work to their teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.
 


Assessment Tasks

This course is co-delivered and co-assessed with Develop and Implement a Business Plan (BUSM 6247C)

Assessment Task 1: Portfolio of class activities

Either working as an Individual or in small groups, you will be required to do sections of a business plan activity relevant to the lecture and submit the responses by the end of the class. The activity is usually between 100 to 300 words long and there will be between 5 activities that need to be submitted. The activities will analyse and describe current or past business pan processes using concepts and tools as well as apply skills in finding information using online resources, books, and journals.
An oral test will be assessed on the competency achieved from answering the questions presented on the test.

Assessment Task 2: Oral Test. This is a test of questions related to the course content covered from series of lectures and activities performed throughout the semester. It is to be completed by the student at a set time (8 minutes) on Week 11. During that time will need to answer 8 questions randomly from a pool of 22 questions. The test will cover students’ knowledge, skills in business concepts and strategic thinking. It will be tested based on lecture notes and activities covered during the semester.

The grade for this assessment task is worth 20% of your overall grade in this course.

Assessment 3 Major Assignment and Presentation– Business and Continuity Plan Report

Student will be required to develop a business plan and write a report. Hand-outs and Blackboard will be provided with a set of instructions as to what is required and expected from the student’s assignment. It is an individual report covering what the student has learnt from meeting and discussing business plan. The report will be 1500 words. This will be followed by a five minute oral and visual presentation to the class
 


Assessment Matrix

The detail assessment matrix will be included in the course guide in RMIT Blackboard

Other Information

Nil

Course Overview: Access Course Overview