BCI Communication & Client Relations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a business continuity incident, a client asks for an update but the situation is still evolving with no confirmed facts. What is the best approach?
- Delay all communication until full facts are known
- Acknowledge the situation, share what is known, and commit to a follow-up timeline (Correct answer)
- Refer the client to the media for updates
- Provide speculative information to reassure the client
Correct answer: Acknowledge the situation, share what is known, and commit to a follow-up timeline
Acknowledging the situation and committing to a follow-up timeline maintains trust even when full facts are unavailable.
Question 2: Which BCI Good Practice Guidelines (GPG) principle most directly governs how organizations communicate their BC capabilities to clients?
- Embedding BC in organizational culture (Correct answer)
- Supply chain continuity management
- Business impact analysis
- Exercising and testing
Correct answer: Embedding BC in organizational culture
Embedding BC in organizational culture includes transparent communication of BC capabilities to stakeholders and clients.
Question 3: A BC manager must communicate a revised Recovery Time Objective (RTO) to a key client after reassessment. What should the communication include first?
- The technical reasons for the change
- The impact on the client's contractual SLAs (Correct answer)
- An apology for the previous RTO being incorrect
- A list of alternative vendors
Correct answer: The impact on the client's contractual SLAs
Leading with SLA impact directly addresses the client's primary concern before explaining technical details.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a communication log during a BC incident?
- To track media coverage of the incident
- To record all communications for post-incident review and accountability (Correct answer)
- To replace verbal briefings with written records
- To satisfy insurance requirements only
Correct answer: To record all communications for post-incident review and accountability
A communication log provides an auditable record of all stakeholder interactions for post-incident review and lessons learned.
Question 5: A client relationship manager discovers that a subcontractor failure could disrupt service to a key client within 48 hours. Who should be notified first?
- The media relations team
- Senior leadership and the BC team simultaneously (Correct answer)
- The subcontractor's management
- The client, before internal teams
Correct answer: Senior leadership and the BC team simultaneously
Senior leadership and the BC team must be engaged first to assess options before external communication is made.
Question 6: Which communication channel is generally most reliable during a wide-area disaster when primary infrastructure is compromised?
- Corporate email system
- Satellite phone or out-of-band communication tool (Correct answer)
- Social media platforms
- Landline PBX system
Correct answer: Satellite phone or out-of-band communication tool
Satellite phones and out-of-band tools operate independently of local infrastructure, making them most reliable during wide-area disasters.
Question 7: A client requests to be included in a BC exercise as an observer. What is the most appropriate response from a BC professional?
- Decline to protect proprietary recovery procedures
- Allow limited participation after reviewing what can be shared without exposing sensitive data (Correct answer)
- Require the client to sign an NDA and then grant full access
- Postpone the exercise until the client visit can be fully accommodated
Correct answer: Allow limited participation after reviewing what can be shared without exposing sensitive data
Allowing limited participation after a sensitivity review balances transparency with protection of proprietary information.
BCI Communication & Client Relations 2
During a business continuity incident, a client asks for an update but the situation is still evolving with no confirmed facts.
What is the best approach?