The Business Continuity Strategist and Planning Lead Manager course is a Behaviour specialisation, integrated into the Business Continuity & Resilience line, aimed at professionals who need to define business continuity strategies and translate those strategies into executable solutions, plans and procedures.
Quick Access: Introduction· Why this course exists· What this course enables· Frameworks and standards· Value· Objectives· Target audience· Programme· Assessment & Certification· Other information· Benefits· Logistics· Registration
Upcoming dates
Confirmed dates.
Synchronous, live training. Interaction with the trainer and the group.
Live Online • next edition
Live Online • base price
Language: available in Portuguese or English
Training: practical and case-study based
Exam: 2h
SPECIALIST LEVEL — advanced competences to address critical challenges in the area.
Why this course exists
To bridge the critical gap between analysis — risk and impact — and validation — exercises and tests — ensuring executable strategy and planning.
In many organisations, business continuity does not fail because risk has not been identified or because a BIA has not been performed, but because: continuity strategies are not clearly defined; the selected solutions are inconsistent or unrealistic; plans and procedures exist only “on paper”; teams and activation criteria are not formalised; and there is no clear governance of continuity capability.
The Business Continuity Strategist and Planning Lead Manager course exists to enable professionals to design, structure and govern business continuity in a consistent and defensible way, before validation through exercises and below crisis management.
What this course enables you to do
Interpret
Correctly interpret disruptive risk and Business Impact Analysis (BIA) inputs, recognising practical limitations and ambiguity in outputs.
Define
Define continuity strategies aligned with impact priorities and tolerances, with clear success and acceptability criteria.
Select
Select and combine continuity solutions suited to the organisational context, ensuring coherence between requirements, strategy and solution.
Structure
Design the architecture of plans and procedures (ISO 22301 — 8.4), teams, roles, responsibilities and activation criteria, with governance and minimum traceable evidence.
Frameworks, standards and best practices addressed throughout the course
ISO 22332 — Guidelines for Business Continuity Plan Development (anchor)
ISO 22301 / ISO 22313 — BCMS framework (context)
ISO 22317 — Business Impact Analysis (interface)
ISO 22398 — Exercisability and future validation (interface)
ISO/IEC 27031 — ICT Readiness for Business Continuity (interface)
NIST SP 800-34 / NIST SP 800-53 (selected families) — complementary
Value for the organisation
- Reduces failures between analysis — risk/BIA — and real capability, through executable strategies and plans.
- Establishes coherence and discipline between requirements, strategies, solutions and plan architecture.
- Strengthens governance: roles, activation criteria, metrics and minimum traceable evidence.
- Creates a solid basis for future validation through exercises, tests and internal audits.
Introduction
The Business Continuity Strategist and Planning Lead Manager course is a Behaviour specialisation course in business continuity, aimed at professionals who need to define strategies and translate them into executable solutions, plans and procedures.
The course directly addresses clauses ISO 22301:2019 — 8.3 and 8.4, using ISO 22331 and ISO 22332 respectively as normative anchors.
The Business Continuity Strategist and Planning Lead Manager course focuses on the organisation’s continuity capability, not on mere document production, ensuring that strategies and plans are coherent, governable, exercisable and aligned with the business, creating the basis for future validation through exercises and tests.
Important note: this course is a specialised training course. Course ≠ certification. Certification is a separate process, with its own rules.
General Objectives
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Interpret disruptive risk and BIA as strategic inputs, recognising limitations and ambiguity in outputs.
- Define continuity strategies aligned with impact priorities and tolerances.
- Select realistic solutions coherent with the organisational context.
- Structure the architecture of continuity plans and procedures (ISO 22301 — 8.4).
- Define teams, roles, responsibilities and activation criteria.
- Integrate strategy and plans into organisational continuity governance, with minimum traceable evidence.
- Ensure that plans are exercisable and prepared for future validation through exercises.
- Prepare for future certification assessment, where applicable, based on scenarios and contextual decision-making.
Target Audience
- Professionals with responsibilities in Business Continuity Management and Resilience.
- Professionals involved in continuity planning and operational governance.
- Risk management, GRC and compliance professionals focused on continuity.
- Managers responsible for critical operations and operational continuity.
- Senior consultants in business continuity.
Prerequisites
There are no mandatory formal prerequisites. Fundamental knowledge of business continuity is recommended; familiarity with risk and BIA concepts is recommended but not mandatory; practical or training experience in the area is valued.
However, other specific requirements may apply, where relevant, depending on the quotation or proposal presented.
Programme
Business Continuity Strategist and Planning Lead Manager framework and common continuity language
Strategic inputs: risk, impact and continuity requirements
Principles and criteria for continuity strategy (ISO 22301 — 8.3)
Definition and prioritisation of strategies and solutions
Selection and combination of continuity solutions
Architecture of plans and procedures (ISO 22301 — 8.4)
Plans, teams, governance and continual improvement
Consolidation, integration and preparation for assessment
Exam(s) and Certification
Exam “Certified Business Continuity Strategist and Planning Lead Manager”
The exam covers the following competence domains:
- Domain 1: Business Continuity Fundamentals and Framework (BCMS)
- Domain 2: Strategic Inputs — Disruptive Risk, BIA and Continuity Requirements
- Domain 3: Continuity Strategies (ISO 22301 — 8.3)
- Domain 4: Continuity Solutions — Selection, Combination and Trade-offs (ISO 22331)
- Domain 5: Architecture of Plans and Procedures (ISO 22301 — 8.4 / ISO 22332)
- Domain 6: Governance, Roles, Responsibilities, Metrics and Evidence
- Domain 7: Integration, Coherence and Preparation for Validation (interface with exercises)
Language(s): Portuguese and English (please contact BEHAVIOUR for availability in other languages).
Duration: 2 hours (120 minutes).
Format: Multiple-choice questions, scenario-based and related to the competence domains.
Number of questions: 90 questions.
Pass mark: 700/1000 points.
Results: Pass or Fail.
Issuing entity: Behaviour (legal entity), through its certification service Behaviour Certification Services.
Retake: 1 free retake within a maximum period of 2 months after the release date of the exam result.
Certification
After passing the exam and signing the agreement / Code of Ethics, the candidate may apply for one of the three levels, according to experience:
- Certified Business Continuity Associate (CBCA): no previous experience required.
- Certified Business Continuity Strategist and Planning Manager (CBSPM): 2 years of professional experience in areas such as Business Continuity, Operational Resilience, Risk Management, Operations, Information Security, GRC, Service Management and/or continuity planning and governance functions.
- Certified Business Continuity Strategist and Planning Lead Manager (CBSPLM): 5 years of professional experience, including effective responsibility in defining continuity strategies, designing solutions, architecting plans and procedures, BCMS governance and functional/technical leadership in continuity and resilience.
A Certificate and a Digital Certification Badge will be issued to participants who successfully complete the certification exam and satisfy all requirements of the certification for which they are applying. Certification is issued by Behaviour (legal entity), through its certification service Behaviour Certification Services.
Behaviour® professional certification is an own certification scheme with international market recognition. The scheme is designed and operated based on good practices for personal certification, principles of impartiality and exam quality, and applicable international references, including the principles of ISO/IEC 17024.
Certification programmes are valid only for individuals, not companies, and the award and maintenance of certification depend on the exam result, professional experience and compliance with the applicable agreement / Code of Ethics.
If the professional does not comply with the agreement / Code of Ethics, certification is not granted or is revoked.
Other Information
General Information
- Training available in Portuguese or English.
- Online training materials available in Portuguese or English, with online access, in accordance with the awarded conditions.
- Practical step-by-step implementation methodology.
- Behaviour digital Training Attendance Certificate with 24 CPD/CPE credits.
- Online Certification Exam, in Portuguese or English. The exam may be taken up to 2 months from the course start date.
- If the candidate does not pass the exam, they are entitled to one free retake within a maximum period of 2 months from the release date of the initial exam result.
- Digital Certification Diploma and Digital Certification Badge after passing the exam and completing the application process. This process has no associated cost.
Trainer(s)
Benefits
View benefits
- Real capability to design and structure business continuity: strategy → solutions → plans.
- Coherent strategies and plans, aligned with risk and impact.
- Solid preparation for validation through exercises and internal audits.
- Professional differentiation in continuity planning and governance.
Logistics
Useful information
- Live Online (synchronous time): 09h30–17h30 (Lisbon time), with lunch break and short breaks
- Classroom (synchronous time): 09h30–17h30 (Lisbon time), with lunch break and short breaks
- 21 hours of synchronous training, distributed across 3 consecutive days
- Estimated 3 hours of guided autonomous work, intended for content consolidation and exam preparation, carried out flexibly outside synchronous sessions
- Requirements: computer with stable internet, browser, PDF reader and audio/video
Hotels in Lisbon
Frequently Asked Questions
Objective answers to the most common questions about the Business Continuity Strategist and Planning Lead Manager course and its position in the business continuity lifecycle.
Does this course replace ISO 22301 training?
Do I need to have BIA and risk assessment already completed to attend?
Is the focus on writing plans?
What is the difference between this course and Business Continuity Exercise Program Manager or Crisis Management?
Is certification automatic at the end of the course?
For general questions about registration, delivery modes, exams, certification and recertification, please consult the BEHAVIOUR® FAQs.
Registration
Complete the form to request your registration for the preferred edition. Check the upcoming dates.
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If you would like help to frame the course within your professional or organisational context, contact us and we will indicate the most suitable path.
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Companies: request a proposal
For team registrations, we provide volume conditions and a proposal tailored to the organisational need.
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This course may be attended by individual professionals. It may also be integrated into capability-building paths for teams responsible for strategic definition, solution design and integrated continuity and resilience planning.