Business Continuity

The Scottish Funding Council requires that the institutions it funds should confirm in their annual financial statements that they have an effective system of internal control, including an on-going process for identifying, evaluating and managing significant risks.

The University Court has therefore adopted a risk management strategy , whose aims are:

• to embed a culture of risk management throughout the University
• to motivate staff to take ownership of risks
• to control the organisation's risk management programme through monitoring and other techniques

The strategy is implemented through a Risk Management Monitoring Group, chaired by the University Secretary, with representation from the Colleges and Student and Academic Support Services. In accordance with the strategy, the Monitoring Group has developed an institutional risk register, which is kept under regular review. It has also devolved the process of risk identification and evaluation to all Colleges and support services in the University, which produce their own local risk registers. The Monitoring Group regularly reports to the Audit Committee.

Advice may be obtained from designated contacts regarding legal and other compliance issues relevant to risk management.

Risk management also encompasses disaster recovery planning and business continuity management, and the Risk Management Monitoring Group has developed a set of Guidelines for managing a crisis. The University's Risk Management Monitoring Group has approved a policy statement on business continuity management.

Additionally, all Colleges and support services are expected to maintain up-to-date disaster recovery plans in the form of a template approved by the Risk Management Monitoring Group. Presentation slides from the Business Continuity Sponsor (Mr Gordon Davies) are provided for further guidance on the development of Business Continuity Plans.