Exercising and Testing Business Continuity Plans (BCCM-024) Training Course

Exercising and Testing Business Continuity Plans

A continuity plan that has never been exercised is little more than an assumption. Exercises reveal gaps in plans, build the confidence and skills of response teams, test…

5 daysClassroom or online

49Upcoming dates

12Cities

£2,250Fees from

Course overview

Introduction

A continuity plan that has never been exercised is little more than an assumption. Exercises reveal gaps in plans, build the confidence and skills of response teams, test technology and recovery arrangements, and provide evidence to boards, auditors and regulators that the organisation can respond when needed.

This Exercising and Testing Business Continuity Plans training course teaches participants how to design, run and evaluate exercises that deliver genuine value. Participants learn about different exercise types, from discussion-based walkthroughs to full live tests, how to write scenarios and injects, how to facilitate and control exercises and how to capture and act on lessons learned.

Participants design and deliver their own exercise during the course, gaining practical experience they can apply immediately.

Course Objectives

By the end of this training course, participants will be able to:

Explain the purpose and benefits of exercising and testing
Select appropriate exercise types for different objectives
Develop an exercise programme aligned with organisational risk
Set clear exercise aims, objectives and scope
Write realistic scenarios, injects and supporting materials
Facilitate, control and observe exercises effectively
Evaluate performance and capture lessons learned
Track improvement actions through to completion

Target Audience

This training course is suitable for a wide range of professionals, including:

Business continuity managers and coordinators
Emergency and crisis management planners
IT disaster recovery managers
Risk and resilience professionals
Training and exercise facilitators
Internal auditors assessing continuity capability

Training Methodology

The course is hands-on. Participants take part in several exercise formats, then work in teams to design a complete exercise including scenario, injects, timeline and evaluation criteria. Each team runs its exercise for the rest of the group and leads the debrief.

Target Competencies

Exercise programme planning
Scenario and inject writing
Exercise facilitation
Exercise control and observation
Performance evaluation
Improvement tracking

Course outline

1Day One: Principles of Exercising

Why exercises are essential for continuity capability
The difference between exercises and tests
Discussion-based, functional and full-scale exercises
Building a multi-year exercise programme
Standards and good practice for exercising
Common reasons exercises fail to add value
Experience: a short discussion-based exercise

2Day Two: Planning an Exercise

Defining aims, objectives and success criteria
Choosing participants, format and venue
Exercise planning team roles and timelines
Managing risks and safety during live exercises
Gaining management support and participation
Briefing participants without revealing the scenario
Workshop: planning an exercise for your organisation

3Day Three: Scenario and Inject Design

Building credible scenarios from real risks
Writing a master events list and timeline
Designing injects to test specific objectives
Media, social media and stakeholder injects
Creating supporting maps, documents and role cards
Adjusting pace and difficulty during the exercise
Workshop: writing scenario and injects

4Day Four: Running the Exercise

Roles of the exercise director, controllers and observers
Facilitation techniques for discussion exercises
Controlling the flow of live exercises
Observation and recording of performance
Handling unexpected events during exercises
Technology recovery tests and their evidence
Team delivery: running a designed exercise

5Day Five: Evaluation and Improvement

Hot debriefs and structured post-exercise reviews
Evaluating performance against objectives
Writing exercise reports with clear findings
Turning lessons into actions with owners and dates
Tracking actions and verifying closure
Reporting exercise results to management and auditors
Personal action plan for exercising and testing

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Exercising and Testing Business Continuity Plans course?

The course runs over 5 days of classroom training, usually Monday to Friday.

When is the next Exercising and Testing Business Continuity Plans course?

The next public date is 7 - 11 Dec 2026 in Barcelona. There are 49 upcoming dates in total.

Where is this course held?

Upcoming sessions run in Barcelona, Frankfurt, London, Rome, Vienna, Amsterdam, Cape Town, Dubai, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, Munich, Paris.

Can I take Exercising and Testing Business Continuity Plans online?

Yes. Every date can also be joined live online in a virtual classroom with the trainer, for £1,280 per participant. Choose "Live online" in the dates table when you register.

How much does the course cost?

Fees start from £2,250 per delegate, depending on the city. Fees include tuition and course materials.

Do participants receive a certificate?

Yes. Delegates who complete the course receive a London Leadership Management Innovation certificate of completion.

Can this course be delivered in-house for our team?

Yes. LLMI can tailor and deliver this course privately for your organisation at your premises or in one of our training cities.

Course information last updated 14 November 2026.

Exercising and Testing Business Continuity Plans

Course overview

Introduction

Course Objectives

Target Audience

Training Methodology

Target Competencies

Course outline

Dates and fees

Frequently asked questions

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