Competencies for Executive Business Crisis and Continuity Managers

The reality of business is that increasing and dynamic natural, technological and human induced threats, business complexity, government regulation, corporate governance requirements, and media and public scrutiny demand a comprehensive and integrated approach to business crisis and continuity management (BCCM). Given the lack of a widely accepted framework for an enterprise wide BCCM program with an understanding of functional relationships and an inventory of the program specific competencies necessary for effective job performance, program success can be left to chance in spite of the noblest intentions. This manuscript describes the research methods and the findings that contribute to the understanding of the organizational functions supporting the management of disruptive (crisis) events and the continuity of operations, the inter dependencies of these functions, and a prioritized inventory of competencies required by an executive level individual and/or organizational unit responsible for coordinating the functions into a comprehensive and integrated program supporting the entire organizational enterprise.