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Business Continuity Checklist

Use this Business Continuity Checklist to organise the key tasks and next steps. Prepare a practical plan for keeping critical business operations running during outages, disruptions or other unexpected events

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STEP 1 OF 2Getting Started

Work through this step at your own pace.

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Identify the business activities that must continue during a disruption. To do
List critical people, suppliers, systems and dependencies for those activities. To do
Identify likely disruptions relevant to your location and operation. To do
Document essential contact information and escalation paths. To do
Identify backup access to critical files, systems or equipment. To do
Review backup procedures and test whether important information can be restored. To do
Define temporary work locations or communication methods where relevant. To do
List alternate suppliers or operational options for critical dependencies. To do
Document how customers and staff will be informed during a disruption. To do
Test the plan periodically and update it after major business changes. To do
CHECKLIST GUIDE · PRACTICAL ADVICE

Business Continuity Checklist: What to Know Before You Begin

Prepare a practical plan for keeping critical business operations running during outages, disruptions or other unexpected events.

Before You Start

You cannot plan for every disruption, but you can identify what the business cannot afford to lose access to. List critical activities, people, suppliers and systems, then decide how those essentials could keep working if something goes wrong.

Important Tips

  • Keep the continuity plan practical enough that someone can use it under pressure.
  • Prioritize the few processes that would cause the greatest disruption if unavailable.
  • Do not rely on a backup until you have tested restoration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What belongs in a continuity plan?

Focus on critical operations, people, systems, suppliers, communications, backups and practical alternatives.

How often should it be tested?

Review and test it periodically and after significant changes to systems, staff or operations.

Who should know the plan?

People responsible for critical functions should know their roles and where the current plan is stored.