Business Continuity Online Education (BCOE)

This course introduces Professional Practice One: Program Management and establishes the foundational elements of an effective business continuity program. Learners will explore the purpose and value of business continuity program management, including key concepts such as risk awareness, impacts to critical functions and processes, recovery strategy development, training and awareness, and exercising and testing. The course emphasizes the role of the business continuity professional in building the business case for program adoption, securing leadership support and funding, and developing documentation to sustain ongoing commitment. Participants will also examine best practices for coordinating and leading program implementation across the organization. A knowledge check is included to confirm understanding of core program management concepts and the professional’s responsibilities in establishing and maintaining a business continuity program. (Course access will expire 90 days after purchase date.)

This course addresses Professional Practice Two: Risk Assessment and focuses on identifying and evaluating risks that may affect an organization’s resources, processes, operations, and reputation. Learners will examine how to assess the probability and potential impact of identified risks to determine their significance and prioritize mitigation efforts. The course highlights the role of the business continuity professional in collaborating with leadership and risk management stakeholders to establish an agreed-upon risk assessment methodology, conduct organization-wide information-gathering activities, and evaluate the effectiveness of existing controls. Participants will also learn how to document and present risk and vulnerability assessment findings, recommend risk treatment options, and seek leadership approval to define the organization’s risk appetite as the foundation for an ongoing risk assessment process. A knowledge check is included to reinforce understanding of risk assessment principles and the professional’s responsibilities in supporting informed decision-making. (Course access will expire 90 days after purchase date.)

This course covers Professional Practice Three: Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and focuses on identifying, prioritizing, and analyzing an organization’s critical functions, processes, and dependencies to understand the consequences of disruption. Learners will examine how to assess both qualitative and quantitative impacts to the organization, its services, and affected stakeholders, and how to retain BIA data to support incident response and decision-making. The course emphasizes the role of the business continuity professional in defining BIA objectives, scope, criteria, and methodology; analyzing collected data to establish recovery time objectives (RTOs), recovery point objectives (RPOs), and required resources; and identifying gaps between current capabilities and organizational requirements. Participants will also learn how to document and present BIA findings to leadership and gain formal acceptance of recovery priorities and objectives. A knowledge check is included to validate understanding of BIA concepts and the professional’s role in enabling effective recovery planning. (Course access will expire 90 days after purchase date.)

This course focuses on Understanding Professional Practice 4: Strategy Selection and Implementation, guiding learners through the process of translating risk assessment and business impact analysis (BIA) results into actionable continuity and recovery strategies. Participants will learn how to evaluate resilience gaps, analyze critical business functions and dependencies (including third-party providers), and align operational and technology recovery strategies with defined recovery time and recovery point objectives. The course also addresses supply chain considerations, protection of vital records, cost-benefit analysis of recovery options, and the development of strategy recommendations for leadership approval. A knowledge check is included to validate comprehension of key concepts and ensure learners can apply strategy selection principles in real-world scenarios. (Course access will expire 90 days after purchase date.)

This course addresses Professional Practice Five: Incident Preparedness and Response and focuses on preparing organizations to effectively manage incidents that may threaten life, property, operations, or the environment. Learners will explore common incident types and their potential impacts, as well as the principles of establishing and maintaining response capabilities through an incident management system that supports command, control, and coordination of response, continuity, and recovery activities. The course emphasizes the role of the business continuity professional in identifying hazards and regulatory requirements; assessing the availability and capabilities of internal and external response resources; conducting resource needs assessments; and evaluating incident preparedness and response plans based on risk and vulnerability. Participants will also examine how to recommend, implement, and coordinate an incident management system, engage response personnel and external agencies, and obtain formal leadership approval of response plans and procedures. A knowledge check is included to reinforce understanding of incident preparedness concepts and the professional’s responsibilities in supporting effective response operations. (Course access will expire 90 days after purchase date.)

This course focuses on Professional Practice Six: Plan Development and Implementation and addresses the documentation and execution of business continuity and recovery plans used during an incident. Learners will examine how approved continuity and recovery strategies are translated into actionable plans that enable the organization to continue functioning during disruptive events. The course emphasizes the role of the business continuity professional in defining plan structure and documentation standards, coordinating the development of recovery plans for operational areas and supporting infrastructure, and selecting appropriate plan types based on organizational needs. Participants will also explore how to establish exercise and testing criteria to validate that plans achieve intended objectives and support effective response and recovery. The course concludes with guidance on publishing and maintaining plan documentation. A knowledge check is included to confirm understanding of plan development principles and implementation responsibilities. (Course access will expire 90 days after purchase date.)

This course addresses Professional Practice Seven: Awareness and Training Programs and focuses on building organizational capability through effective business continuity training and awareness initiatives. Learners will examine how structured awareness and training programs prepare personnel to respond to disruptive incidents in a calm, efficient, and coordinated manner. The course emphasizes the role of the business continuity professional in defining program objectives and components; identifying and prioritizing training and awareness requirements across organizational functions; and developing an appropriate methodology to support consistent delivery. Participants will also explore how to identify, develop, or acquire training tools and resources, as well as how to oversee and evaluate the delivery of awareness and training activities to ensure program objectives are achieved. A knowledge check is included to validate understanding of training and awareness principles and the professional’s responsibilities in building organizational readiness. (Course access will expire 90 days after purchase date.)

This course covers Professional Practice Eight: Business Continuity Plan Exercise/Test, Assessment, and Maintenance and focuses on sustaining and improving organizational readiness through structured validation and governance activities. Learners will explore how to establish a comprehensive exercise and testing program to evaluate the effectiveness of business continuity strategies and plans, as well as how to implement a formal plan maintenance program to ensure continued relevance and accuracy. The course emphasizes the role of the business continuity professional in defining appropriate governance, establishing audit processes, and analyzing exercise and test results. Participants will also learn how to develop written recommendations, including revisions to strategies and plans when desired outcomes are not achieved. A knowledge check is included to confirm understanding of exercise, assessment, and maintenance principles and the professional’s responsibilities in continuous improvement of the business continuity program. (Course access will expire 90 days after purchase date.)

This course addresses Professional Practice Nine: Crisis Communications and focuses on developing and maintaining effective communication capabilities during disruptive incidents. Learners will examine how to design, implement, and sustain a crisis communications plan that supports timely, accurate, and coordinated communication with internal and external stakeholders. The course emphasizes the role of the business continuity professional in defining communication strategies, training crisis communications team members on their roles and responsibilities, and validating plan effectiveness through exercises and testing. Participants will also explore best practices for reviewing and updating the crisis communications plan on a regular basis to reflect exercise outcomes, regulatory requirements, and organizational changes. A knowledge check is included to reinforce understanding of crisis communications principles and the professional’s responsibilities in supporting informed and effective stakeholder communications. (Course access will expire 90 days after purchase date.)

This course addresses Professional Practice Ten: Coordinating with External Agencies and Resources and builds on the incident preparedness and response principles introduced in Professional Practice Five. Learners will examine how to establish policies, procedures, and coordination mechanisms that align organizational response activities with applicable public-sector authorities and private-sector resources. The course emphasizes the role of the business continuity professional in identifying incident response procedures consistent with established incident management practices, understanding applicable preparedness and response guidelines, and recognizing the agencies and organizations with jurisdiction or response authority. Participants will also explore best practices for coordinating response efforts with external agencies and resources to ensure effective command, control, and communication during incidents. A knowledge check is included to validate understanding of interagency coordination concepts and the professional’s responsibilities in integrating external partners into incident response activities. (Course access will expire 90 days after purchase date.)