What is certification?

Certification is when an independent third party visits an organisation, assesses their Business Continuity Management (BCM) system to ensure it complies with BS 25999 and issues a certificate to show that the organisation abides by the principles set out in the standard, so following industry best practice. Typical steps in the certification process will include:

Optional gap analysis

Just how robust is your BCM system? If you’re unsure, choosing to have an assessor or a consultant look over your system before the formal visit could save you time and money.

The assessment

This will be conducted on site at your premises.  The assessment visit is undertaken to check that what you say you do meets the requirements of BS 25999-2. Once approved, the auditors will return at defined intervals to make sure your BCM system continues to meet the requirements of BS 25999. The stages of the assessment are usually as follows:

• Application for assessment accepted, audit assigned
• Documentation reviewed
• Certificated audit completed
• Non-conformances cleared (if applicable)
• Certification reviewed and certificate issued
• Maintenance audits held at agreed periods
• Re-certification audits performed as required