New version of ISO 22301:2019

A revised version of ISO 22301

ISO 22301:2019 was released on 31 October 2019. The purpose of the revision is to reflect ongoing changes and developments in the business continuity world, bringing greater value to those who implement the standard.

Overall, the changes can be considered small. No fundamental new requirements have been added. The three main areas of change include:

The structure of the standard has been revised to make it easier to read and implement, providing greater clarity about what is required.

The language and terminology associated with business continuity have been simplified and modified to improve clarity and consistency and to better reflect today's thinking in the business continuity world.

The use of High Level Structure (HLS) is further streamlined to remain in line and compatible with all other ISO management system standards.

For organizations that have already implemented standards based on HLS, the transition should be relatively straightforward compared to other recent transitions, such as for ISO 9001.

 

Transition timeline

The transition period is 3 years from 31 October 2019 (the starting date for the transition)

All ISO 22301:2012 accredited certificates will cease to be valid after 31 October 2022 (the end of the transition period)

Certification Bodies shall cease to conduct initial and recertification audits to ISO 22301:2012 18 months from the starting date, which is 30 April 2021.