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Organisational resilience
Organisational resilience is the ability of organisations, infrastructure, and communities to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, adapt, and thrive amidst disruption and evolving conditions. It enables them to continue delivering critical services, safeguarding people and assets, and achieving strategic objectives — not just in times of crisis, but sustainably over the long term.
It is not a single plan or function, but a dynamic, organisation-wide capability built on leadership, strong governance, effective risk management, and a culture that values continuous learning and adaptability.
The British Standards Institution (BSI) is the national standards body of the UK. BS 65000:2022 is a British Standard Code of Practice for organisational resilience.
It provides guidance on achieving enhanced resilience by integrating various functions and capabilities, including risk management, business continuity, and security. The BSI defines organisational resilience as:
“The ability of an organisation to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and adapt to incremental change and sudden disruptions in order to survive and prosper.”
As well as securing better outcomes during disruptions, there is substantial evidence that highly resilient organisations can also greatly benefit during periods of stability.
The BSI Code of Practice on Organisational Resilience (BS 65000:2022) describes how they are able to:
- adapt to avoid harm or loss and exploit opportunities during change
- lower impacts when disruption does occur
- demonstrate faster recovery
- reduce likelihood of significant disruption
- protect reputation
- have stronger recovery
It serves as a guiding framework rather than a compliance standard, making it practical for organisations seeking to embed resilience into business-as-usual operations.
Building resilience aligned with national priorities
The UK Government Resilience Framework and the National Risk Register underpin organisational resilience by providing a structured, risk-informed approach to preparedness, response, and long-term adaptation.
The UK Government Resilience Framework and the National Risk Register help organisations to identify vulnerabilities, build capabilities to manage shocks, and strengthen relationships across sectors, communities, and supply chains.
In short, organisational resilience is about being ready for the unexpected, responsive in the moment, and stronger afterward – ensuring trust, service delivery, and national confidence in times of uncertainty.
Empowering organisations to anticipate, adapt, and thrive in an uncertain world
The UKRA works with organisations to provide a deep understanding of organisational resilience principles and how to apply them within their sector, ensuring alignment with relevant standard and best practice.
Together, we will support you to strengthen your adaptive capacity, governance, risk management, and crisis response – enabling you to proactively manage disruptions.
Through interactive learning, real-world case studies, and facilitated exercises, you’ll build the confidence to lead resilience initiatives, embed resilience thinking across your organisation, and drive continuous improvement in business continuity, crisis leadership, and long-term sustainability.
Organisational resilience training
Embedding and Embracing Business Continuity (Class)
Business Continuity Foundation (Class)
The BCI Good Practice Guidelines (CBCI) (Web)
Business Continuity Foundation (Web)
The BCI Good Practice Guidelines (CBCI) (Class)
Business Continuity Foundation (Class)
The BCI Good Practice Guidelines (CBCI) (Web)
Need help with your organisational resilience?
Our team can work with you to develop customised training, exercising and advisory packages to support your organisational resilience journey.
Here are some resources you may find helpful
Resilience & Emergencies National Occupation Standards
Nationally recognised standards to define the skills, knowledge and performance expected of those working in resilience and emergency roles.
NCSC Exercising Page
The National Cyber Security Centre’s website provides advice and guidance, including on planning cyber exercises.
Exercise in a Box
Exercise in a Box is a free resource which helps organisations find out how resilient they are to cyber attacks and practise their response.
VCSEP Exercising
VCS Emergencies Partnership’s website provides a collection of exercises, which organisations can adapt and tailor to their needs.
Exercising Best Practice Guidance
Guidance on what local planners need to consider when developing flexible plans for evacuation and shelter.
Lessons Management Best Practice Guidance
Guidance for the identification, prioritsation, implementation, and embedding of lessons from exercises and emergencies
JESIP Testing & Exercising
JESIP’s (the Joint Emergency Service Interoperability Programme) Testing & Exercising page provides a range of resources including an Exercise Assurance Framework, an Umpire Evaluation Sheet and a Multi-Agency Debrief Template.
JESIP Joint Doctrine
JESIP Joint Doctrine (Edition Three) continues to provide a common way of working together to save lives and reduce harm in an emergency.