Context of the Organisation for ISO 22301 Business Continuity

ISO 22301 Clause 4 - Context of the Organisation

Clause 4 is where the business continuity management system starts. It asks the organisation to look outward at the issues and parties that could affect its ability to keep operating, then turn those findings into a defined scope for the management system itself. The clause splits into four sub-clauses, each covered in its own article below.

Sub-clauses of ISO 22301 Clause 4

Clause 4.1 - Understanding the Organisation and Its Context requires the organisation to identify the internal and external issues that affect its ability to deliver the intended outcomes of the BCMS. The work behind this clause feeds directly into scope, risk assessment and the priorities that shape the rest of the management system.

Clause 4.2 - Understanding the Needs and Expectations of Interested Parties asks the organisation to identify the parties relevant to the BCMS and their requirements, including any applicable legal and regulatory requirements relating to the continuity of products and services.

Clause 4.3 - Determining the Scope of the Business Continuity Management System requires the organisation to define the boundaries of the BCMS - which parts of the organisation, which products and services - and to record the scope as documented information.

Clause 4.4 - Business Continuity Management System requires the organisation to establish, implement, maintain and continually improve a BCMS, including the processes needed and their interactions, in line with the requirements of the standard.