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Organisations are increasingly recognising the challenges of business interruptions caused by natural hazards, climate change, global conflicts and pandemics, as well as man-made crises that can disrupt operations. To address these challenges, businesses in both the public and private sectors are seeking strategies to enhance their resilience to ensure they can anticipate, adapt and recover quickly from such disruptions.

 

This led to the development of a new landmark standard on organisational resilience by the International Standards Organisation (ISO). This standard, ISO 22336:2024 Organisational Resilience – Resilience Policy and Strategy, was published in October 2024 and provides organisations with comprehensive guidelines that includes how to:

  • formulate a resilience policy
  • develop a strategy to achieve resilience objectives
  • priorities for implementing resilience initiatives
  • establish coordinated capabilities to enhance resilience.

This standard also provides guidance on identifying risks and implementing proactive tactics to maintain long-term resilience. It supports organisations in shaping their vision and strategic direction without becoming complacent about past or present successes.

The ISO standard is designed for organisations across all industries and sectors, providing a flexible framework that can be applied at any stage of an organisation's lifecycle. It complements existing standards referenced across the Victorian public sector and VMIA, including those for risk management, business continuity, crisis management and safety management. As an overarching standard, it integrates with key management systems, including governance, compliance, cybersecurity, financial control, and more.

Standards Australia is currently reviewing this ISO standard and is expected to adopt it as an Australian Standard in the first half of 2025. While ISO standards aren’t legally mandated, they’re often considered essential in various industries. Once implemented, this new standard will provide a globally recognised set of guidelines to help organisations establish resilience policies and strategies, ensuring they are well-prepared to navigate disruptions and enhance long-term sustainability.

Behind the scenes

The work to develop this standard was led by Pete Gervasoni, an internationally recognised expert in organisational and community resilience. Pete is also the lead educator in risk management at VMIA.

The development of the new ISO standard on organisational resilience took more than three and a half years, involving intense collaboration and dedication from experts from around the world. Pete played a pivotal role, leading a team of 25 global experts from multiple continents including the USA, UK, India, Mexico and South Africa, to develop a standard that will support organisations and governments in formulating a resilience policy and strategy.

In this video, Pete shares his experience and journey throughout the development of this important standard, highlighting the challenges, breakthroughs, and teamwork that made it all possible.