Define the critical functions
- List the few activities that must continue for the business to operate safely and serve customers.
- For each activity, decide the maximum tolerable downtime and who owns the decision.
- Map the dependencies: people, premises, power, internet, suppliers, data and equipment.
- Write one realistic manual or alternative process for each critical function.
- Keep essential contacts available offline and agree who communicates with staff, customers and suppliers.
Plan for loss, not one disaster
Continuity planning is stronger when it asks what happens if a critical resource becomes unavailable, rather than trying to predict every possible cause.
Test the plan
Run a short tabletop exercise: assume one critical dependency has failed. Record what becomes unclear, then fix those gaps before a real incident. Current NCSC guidance similarly emphasises understanding critical services, dependencies, feasible workarounds and exercising plans.
Keep it operational.
A continuity document is useful only if the people who need it can find it, understand it and use the fallback when normal systems are unavailable.
A continuity document is useful only if the people who need it can find it, understand it and use the fallback when normal systems are unavailable.
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Reviewed against current cited sources: 28 October 2026.