Business Continuity - Being Prepared for an Ever Increasingly Disruptive World
Tracks
Norfolk Room
| Tuesday, July 15, 2025 |
| 12:05 PM - 12:25 PM |
Overview
Matt Shaw, Ministry of Business Innovation And Employment
Details
Key Presentation Learnings:
1. Understanding the value of business continuity management at a systems-level (rather than an individual agency level)
2. Key things to think about in developing and implementing a robust business continuity management system
3. Understand how cognitive biases influence and challenge building robust business continuity arrangements
Speaker
Mr Matt Shaw
Head Of Emergency Management And Business Continuity
Ministry of Business Innovation And Employment
Business Continuity - Being prepared for an ever increasingly disruptive world
Abstract
The purpose of this presentation is to highlight systems-level thinking in relation to business continuity planning. I intend to showcase why business continuity management is critical to enabling government agencies and companies to continue to function in disruptive events. The primary focus will be on applying a public service lens to continuity thinking and planning.
Often, we talk about "activating our BCPs" in an event, but then these plans often fall short of our expectations and will ultimately fail to work if truly stretched. So, why are our plans often not as good as we require, and what can we do about them? I will explore both the challenges in creating good plans (including biases that influence decision makers) and share observations from many years of experience, of what good planning entails. As part of that I'll discuss my view on why the BCP itself, is often the weakest element of a robust business continuity management system.
Additionally, I would like to showcase many of the initiatives we've developed in the NZ public service to help enhance agency BC arrangements and resilience; and to build a network to support practitioners.
Often, we talk about "activating our BCPs" in an event, but then these plans often fall short of our expectations and will ultimately fail to work if truly stretched. So, why are our plans often not as good as we require, and what can we do about them? I will explore both the challenges in creating good plans (including biases that influence decision makers) and share observations from many years of experience, of what good planning entails. As part of that I'll discuss my view on why the BCP itself, is often the weakest element of a robust business continuity management system.
Additionally, I would like to showcase many of the initiatives we've developed in the NZ public service to help enhance agency BC arrangements and resilience; and to build a network to support practitioners.
Biography
Matt Shaw (MBCI) has worked as Business Continuity and Emergency Management professional for over 17 years in some of New Zealand's largest central government departments. In addition to his day job building BC and resilience at MBIE, he is the Chair of the Government Continuity Reference Group and is leading system continuity level work across NZ's central government. This is all in aid of helping the NZ government continue to function and deliver critical services in disruptions and particularly in a catastrophic-level event.
