Operational Resilience And Business Continuity For Financial Stability Training Course

Introduction

Operational resilience and business continuity are critical components of a stable and secure financial system. In an era marked by increasing threats such as cyberattacks, natural disasters, pandemics, and geopolitical tensions, financial institutions must develop robust strategies to anticipate, prevent, and recover from operational disruptions. Effective resilience frameworks ensure that financial institutions can maintain core operations, protect stakeholder trust, and uphold financial stability during crises.

The Operational Resilience and Business Continuity for Financial Stability course equips participants with the tools to identify vulnerabilities, design proactive strategies, and implement recovery plans that enhance resilience. Through practical case studies, global best practices, and regulatory insights, this course emphasizes the importance of collaboration between financial institutions, regulators, and key stakeholders in building a resilient financial ecosystem capable of withstanding operational shocks.

Target Audience

This course is tailored for:

• Financial Institution Executives: Risk managers, operations leaders, and decision-makers.
• Central Bank Officials: Supervisors and policymakers overseeing financial stability.
• Regulators and Supervisors: Professionals enforcing resilience and continuity standards.
• IT and Cybersecurity Experts: Specialists managing technological risks and operational resilience.
• Business Continuity Planners: Professionals designing and implementing recovery frameworks.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will:

Understand Operational Resilience Frameworks

• Explore principles and frameworks for ensuring resilience in financial institutions.
• Identify critical operations and key interdependencies across financial systems.

Develop Effective Business Continuity Plans (BCPs)

• Learn to design, test, and implement comprehensive BCPs.
• Build strategies for rapid recovery from disruptions, minimizing impact on stakeholders.

Strengthen Crisis Management and Response Capabilities

• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and communication protocols during crises.
• Manage internal and external stakeholder expectations in high-pressure scenarios.

Address Cybersecurity and Technological Risks

• Mitigate risks from cyberattacks, system failures, and data breaches.
• Integrate technology solutions to enhance monitoring and recovery capabilities.

Align with Regulatory Requirements and Global Best Practices

• Ensure compliance with resilience and continuity standards (e.g., Basel, ISO 22301).
• Learn from global case studies of successful operational resilience strategies.

Prepare for Emerging Risks and Future Challenges

• Anticipate risks from evolving threats such as climate change and digital transformation.
• Adapt resilience strategies to align with a rapidly changing financial landscape.

This course empowers financial professionals, policymakers, and operational leaders to build robust frameworks that ensure operational continuity and financial stability, safeguarding trust and resilience in an uncertain world.

Module 1: Introduction to Operational Resilience in Financial Systems

• Definition and scope of operational resilience.
• The role of resilience in maintaining public and market confidence.
• Regulatory emphasis on operational continuity in financial systems.

Module 2: Key Principles of Business Continuity Planning (BCP)

• Identifying critical functions and dependencies.
• Risk assessment and impact analysis.
• Steps to build and maintain an effective BCP.

Module 3: Identifying and Managing Critical Functions

• Mapping critical processes and services.
• Dependencies on third-party vendors and systems.
• Prioritizing recovery efforts for critical functions.

Module 4: Scenario Analysis and Stress Testing for Resilience

• Designing realistic stress scenarios.
• Assessing the impact of disruptions on operations.
• Incorporating findings into resilience planning.

Module 5: Crisis Management Frameworks

• Roles and responsibilities during a crisis.
• Crisis communication protocols.
• Post-crisis evaluation and learning.

Module 6: Cybersecurity and Technology Resilience

• Identifying and mitigating cyber risks.
• Building IT redundancy and data backup systems.
• Cyber incident response and recovery planning.

Module 7: Regulatory and Compliance Requirements

• Overview of global resilience frameworks (e.g., Basel, ISO 22301).
• Compliance with national and international regulations.
• Reporting and audit requirements.

Module 8: Third-Party Risk Management and Resilience

• Evaluating and monitoring third-party risks.
• Ensuring service continuity through vendor contracts.
• Mitigating risks in outsourced operations.

Module 9: Business Impact Analysis (BIA)

• Conducting a comprehensive BIA.
• Quantifying financial, operational, and reputational impacts.
• Prioritizing recovery objectives based on BIA findings.

Module 10: Developing a Resilient Culture

• Training employees on resilience and continuity plans.
• Promoting a culture of preparedness and accountability.
• Leadership’s role in fostering resilience.

Module 11: Communication Strategies During Disruptions

• Building transparent communication frameworks.
• Engaging with stakeholders during crises.
• Managing media relations and public perception.

Module 12: Recovery and Restoration Planning

• Setting recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs).
• Coordinating recovery efforts across teams and systems.
• Post-crisis evaluation and restoration strategies.

Module 13: Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

• Conducting periodic resilience audits.
• Lessons learned from disruptions and near-miss events.
• Adapting plans to changing risks and organizational needs.

Module 14: Resilience in the Context of Climate and Environmental Risks

• Identifying physical and transitional climate risks.
• Building resilience against natural disasters and extreme weather events.
• Case studies of climate-related disruptions.

Module 15: Future Trends in Operational Resilience and Business Continuity

• Leveraging AI and automation for resilience.
• Addressing geopolitical risks and global interdependencies.
• Innovations in resilience and continuity planning.

Learning Outcomes

By completing this course, participants will:

1. Understand the key principles and frameworks of operational resilience and business continuity.
2. Identify and manage critical functions to maintain financial stability during disruptions.
3. Develop robust business continuity plans tailored to organizational needs.
4. Address cybersecurity, technology, and third-party risks comprehensively.
5. Build effective crisis management and communication strategies.
6. Prepare for emerging risks, including climate-related and technological disruptions, to ensure long-term resilience.

This course equips financial professionals, policymakers, and operational leaders with the expertise to design, implement, and maintain robust resilience and continuity frameworks, safeguarding financial stability in an evolving risk landscape.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org  Tel: +254 702 249 449

Training Venue

The training will be held at our Skills for Africa Training Institute Training Centre. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, and buffet lunch.

Visa application, travel expenses, airport transfers, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Skills for Africa Training Institute certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org  Tel: +254 702 249 449

Terms of Payment: Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 5 working days before commencement of the training.