WIREDGOV

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:

1. adapt to avoid harm or loss and exploit opportunities during change
2. lower impacts when disruption does occur
3. demonstrate faster recovery
4. reduce likelihood of significant disruption
5. protect reputation
6. 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.