Glossary/Exam Flashcards
1
Q
What are Boundaries in the context of systems?
A
Boundary - delineates what is considered inside or outside of a system.
2
Q
What is chaos?
A
Chaotic - refers to a kind of order without periodicity (that is, without being cyclical or periodic). Some deterministic systems (where there is only one possible next state of the system given its current state and the rules governing it) which are highly sensitive to initial conditions are capable of generating apparently random behaviour - a paradigm known as the butterfly effect.
3
Q
What is Co-evolution and why is it important?
A
Co-evolution - Reciprocal influence; entities evolving in the context and under the influence of other entities and circumstances. Co-adaption is similar. There is a need to consider co-evolution between social and technical components as a process in pursuit of organisational objectives. Lack of proper consideration of co-evolution between the social and the technical can result in legacy systems.
4
Q
What are complex adaptive systems?
A
Complex adaptive systems - are systems that not only are capable of exhibiting emergent behaviour at different levels in the hierarchy through self organisation, but that also display self organising adaptation; modifying themselves in response to changing conditions. Put simply, CAS are capable of learning to adapt to new situation and therefore display creativity, making them highly robust, especially to environmental factors. A notable example of such as system, arguably the epitome of such systems, is you; every human is an, extremely advanced, complex adaptive system.
5
Q
What is complexity in IS systems?
A
Complexity - In terms of IS, describes systems that: give rise to unpredictable behaviour, involve many components; interactions; and feedback loops, have decentralised control, and are non-decomposable into their constituent subsystems. In contrast to simple systems that have: predictable behaviour, few components; interactions; and feedback loops, centralised control, and are decomposable into their constituent subsystems. Note, complicated systems can be confused with complex systems, however, they differ in that ultimately they can be decomposed into their subsystems.
6
Q
What is the edge of chaos?
A
Complex systems belong to Class IV and are said to exist at the edge of chaos, that is, in the region between Class II and Class III systems. It has been argued that one of the principle characteristics of systems belonging to Class IV is creativity, the ‘edge of chaos’ lying between periodic order and chaotic disorder. Creativity should here be understood in its technical sense – the production of structures that can survive and propagate for an arbitrarily long time.
7
Q
What is emergence?
A
Emergence - the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and that properties and behaviours emerge from systems, sometimes unexpectedly. A system displays emergence when properties emerge at higher levels that are not present in the individual components. Local dynamics at the component level generate global dynamics at the emergent level while emergent global dynamics constrain local dynamics.
8
Q
In the context of systems, what is the environment?
A
Environment - in a systems context, anything that is relevant to a system, but outside of it.
9
Q
What is evolutionary change?
A
Evolutionary - Incremental change over time.
10
Q
What is failure in IS?
A
Failure - A failed IT system does not meet the objectives of the organisation that uses it or the objectives of the other key stakeholders.
11
Q
What is the Formal System Model (FSM)?
A
Formal System Model (FSM) - The FSM is a key part of the Systems Failures Approach. It defines a formal model into which systems should be able to fit. Comparing systems to this model can be
an effective way to identify issues with the design. In particular, various points of failure.
12
Q
What is feedback?
A
Feedback - feedback is when the output of a system is looped back into the input in some way. Feedback can be used to help systems adapt and can be positive (reinforcing) or negative (dampening). Feedback can help systems to exist at the edge of chaos and therefore exhibit creativity.
13
Q
What is Hierarchy/Level?
A
Hierarchy/Level - an important part of understanding systems is that they are nested; systems contain subsystems that contain further subsystems. The selection of what constitutes the system being examined, the components that comprise it, and the environment in which it operates, defines the level at which analysis takes place.
14
Q
In terms of systems, what is interconnectedness?
A
Interconnectedness - Describes the level of interconnection between and within systems.
15
Q
What are the levels of analysis and what methods are used to explore them?
A
Levels of analysis - the organisational context is split into levels for analysis. These are: the macro/far external context, the micro/immediate work context, and the meso/near external context and near internal context. STEEPLE is generally used to analyse the macro and ‘upper’ meso contexts (the external contexts), while resource analysis and personal analysis are used to analyse the lower meso (near internal) and micro (immediate work) contexts respectively. Finally SWOT is often used to analyse the entire organisation context.
16
Q
What are linear systems?
A
Linear systems - obey the superposition principle (in systems theory the idea that sum of the net response to multiple stimuli is the sum of the response to those systems individually) and therefore if we break the system down and study all its parts in isolation we can fully understand it and its outputs.
17
Q
What are non-linear systems?
A
Non-linear systems - do not obey the superposition principle and therefore we cannot understand them by understanding all of their component parts. The behaviour of such systems more about the properties of the interaction between the parts than properties of the components themselves.
18
Q
What are open systems?
A
Open systems - Systems in which the boundary is porous.
19
Q
What is the organisational context?
A
Organisational context - The organisational context is the sphere in which a professional works. It is made up of four zones, counting down: the far external context, the near external context, the near internal context, and the immediate work context. These zones are divided in half by the organisational boundary, between the near external context and the near internal context. Both the near internal context and the immediate work context fall within the organisational boundary, while the other two fall outside it.
20
Q
What is personal analysis?
A
Eh?
21
Q
What is power?
A
Power - The module identifies three different types of power: dispositional - a set of abilities, agency based - the ability to bring about change or cause events, and facilitative - the ability to achieve goals and get stuff done. Both Hobbes and Lukes interpret power as the ability of an agent to do things, while both Foucault and Machiavelli see power as relational, something that a given person has over another, and as a hierarchy.
22
Q
What is resource analysis?
A
Eh?
23
Q
What is scientific reductionism?
A
Scientific reductionism - The idea that complex systems can always be reduced to their constituent subsystems, in order to make them easier to study.
24
Q
What is Self-organisation?
A
Self-organisation - Refers to the ability that some systems have to organise themselves or their components into more ordered forms without the influence of outside agency. Agile systems are often touted as having the benefits of self organisation due to reduced micromanagement and control.
25
What is simulation?
Simulation - The process of modelling the results of inputs into a system via computer modelling.
26
What is a sociotechnical system?
Sociotechnical - Systems are made up of both social aspects, organisations and people, and technical aspects, both hardware and software.
27
What are stakeholders?
Stakeholders - anyone with an interest in the success or failure of the system; anyone that holds a stake in the system.
28
What is STEEPLE? What are the dimensions? How is each dimension examined? And when is it useful?
STEEPLE - analysis examines each of the Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political, Legal, and Ethical aspects of the organisational context in turn. For each dimension the most salient facts are identified, then they are analysed in terms of threats or opportunities, and finally they are prioritised according to their impact, significance, risk, and the resources available. STEEPLE is seen as a useful way to understand the organisational environment and as a way to ensure that a good range of factors have been considered in an analysis.
29
What are structures in terms of power?
Structures - in terms of power, frameworks, such as legal, financial, governmental, or educational spheres in which individuals can exercise power.
30
What are sub-systems?
Sub-systems - systems within systems.
31
What is success?
Success - The accomplishment of an aim or purpose.
32
What is a successful system?
Successful system - Meets the objectives of the organisation that uses it and the objectives of the other key stakeholders. Note that the clearer the objectives of the system are the easier it becomes to assess the success of the system.
33
What is SWOT analysis?
SWOT analysis - examines a set of opportunities (O) and threats (T), often gleaned from a prior STEEPLE analysis, against a set of strengths (S) and weaknesses (W). This is done on a 2 by 2 grid by asking the questions: How do I use these strengths to take advantage of these opportunities? How do I overcome the weaknesses preventing me from taking advantage of these opportunities? How do I use these strengths to reduce the risk and impact of these threats? How do I address the weaknesses to combat these threats?
34
What is a system?
System - An organised set of component technologies, people, and organisations combined for a purpose
35
What is the systems Failures Approach?
Systems Failures Approach - A way of thinking about systems in terms of their contexts and socio-technical nature for the purpose of understanding why they fail and how to prevent failure. The
systems failure approach consists of seven stages: Pre-analysis, identification of significant failures, system selection, system modelling, comparison, further analysis, synthesis.
36
What is systems thinking?
Systems thinking - The study of systems and their nature.
37
What is technology?
Technology - The product of design and craft based on accumulated knowledge for the purpose of solving a problem.
38
What was Era 1 and what were its key characteristics?
Era 1 (1960s-70s) was the so called pre-methodology era. Probably the most common method was the waterfall/iterative method. Focuses on operations research backdrop, scientific/OO, emphasis on precision.
39
What was Era 2 and what were its key characteristics?
Era 2 (late 70s to early 80s) was the early methodology era. Arguably the most influential method was SLDC. In era 2 emphasis towards process, data, and behaviour linked in a lifecycle, and the imposition of a rational structure on human activity. An emphasis on getting requirements done, if you get the requirements right everything flows from there. An emphasis on functional requirements (technical requirements) over user requirements (often ill defined).
40
What was Era 3 and what were its key characteristics?
Era 3 (late 80s to 90s) was the methodology era. In era 3 designers began to focus on the messy side of IS in practice; the sociotechnical aspects. This led to the rise of sociotechnical thinking and Soft Systems Methodology. Large and complex methods focusing on understanding human activity in systems, and allowing human activity to impose order on logical processes. Sociotechnical systems are prominent.
41
What is Era 4 and what are its key characteristics?
Era 4 (2000s+) became the post methodology era. Era 4 is in many ways a reaction to era 3, with many organisations throwing off complex methods in favour of more adaptable approaches. Era 4 has led the the rise of new methods such as AGILE and SCRUM, while older methods such as SSM and SSADM are still being used. While it is still poorly defined, because we are living in it, fourth era methods seem to be lightweight and team focused, while modular design, and adaptability are the main focuses.
42
What, simply, is the story of the Eras of IS methodology?
The story of the eras is, 1:precision->2:data/process/behaviour->3:structure/sociotechnical->4:people/teamwork/modular.
43
What is Agency?
Agency - in terms of power, the ability of someone or something to act as a cause to exert effect on its environment. In the module, systems and organisations are considered able to posses agency.
44
What is AGILE?
Agile - is in some ways a reaction to older era 3 methods. Agile uses an interactive ‘time-boxing’ approach to emphasise adaptability, speed, and change. Agile strongly emphasises teamwork and collaboration. The modular nature of the agile time box approach allow a level of experimentation and adaptation. For example, if the work completed in a time box, once presented to the client, is not actually useful, it can easily be abandoned at little cost. This is intended to allow sufficient flexibility for systems to meet the moving target of evolving requirements specifications.
45
What is availability?
Availability - is the probability that a system will be functioning at any given time, sometimes expressed as ‘mean time between failures’ and or ‘mean time to repair’. A = MTBF/(MTBF + MTTR)
46
What is captology?
Captology - is the study of Computers as persuasive technology. Captology is interested in how computers can be used to change attitudes and behaviours.
47
What is computer ethics?
Computer ethics - is the study of the ethical dilemmas and circumstances that arise in computing. There has long been a debate about whether computer ethics is special and original in some way or simply the outworking of more traditional ethics in a different set of circumstances. Those in favour cite concepts such as logical malleability, ubiquity, and invisibility as reasons why computer ethics is unique.
48
What is consequentialist ethics?
Consequentialist ethics - also known as, teleological ethics, sees morality as the net of the sum of the consequences of an action. Consequentialist ethics is problematic because there is always insufficient information to make such a judgement, to be able to make an accurate judgement of the net effect of an action would require omnipotence, and crucially because of its historical tendency to excuse the most brutal and barbaric of actions in the name of the “greater good.”
49
What is corporate social responsibility?
Eh?
50
What is The Critical Approach?
Critical - In terms of the “critical approach” describes approaches that attempt to reshape society to put power in the hands of the disadvantaged. This thinking has its roots in Karl Marx.
51
What is dependability?
Dependability - in terms of redundant systems, refers to a subjective judgement of the level that a system can be depended on. As an imprecise subjective measurement ‘dependability’ is often divided into a number of more specialised characteristics – for example, ‘reliability’, availability, ‘safety’, ‘security’ and ‘maintainability’.
52
What is diversity?
Diversity - in terms of reliability, diversity is about using systems that are as divergent from each other as possible for parallel redundancy, to attempt to prevent situations arising where the input that causes the failure of the primary system then causes the subsequent failure of the backup systems. This can happen when backup systems are identical to the primary system. Designers attempt to ensure diversity by using completely different hardware and software, all the way down to the materials used, the design teams, and even the design methods, and more.
53
What is emancipatory?
Emancipatory - refers to the emancipatory approach; an approach to developing systems dedicated to human emancipation.
54
What is the ETHICS approach?
ETHICS - Effective Technical and Human Implementation of Computer-based Systems. The key feature of ethics is participation; getting the stakeholders involved. The ethics approach consists of 8 key steps. The first four of which can be are executed in parallel. These steps are: Set human objectives, set efficiency objectives, specify human alternatives, specify technical and admin alternatives, match as sociotechincal alternatives, rank alternatives in terms of ability to meet steps 1 and 2, consider resources; costs; and restraints, select the best sociotechnical solution.
55
What is IS methodology?
IS methodology - is the study of methods used to accomplish IS projects.
56
What does jurisdiction mean?
Jurisdiction - refers to the area in which a given law or legal structure is enforced.
57
What is maintainability?
Maintainability - is a measurement of how easy a system is to maintain and keep in good order.
58
What does metadata mean?
Metadata - is simply data about data.
59
What does method mean?
Method - refers to a particular procedure for accomplishing something. Methods provide a systematic plan for the translation of a theory into practice. Methods are important for IS because they include a series of steps to follow, a set of techniques to use in those steps, a set of tools such as software, a training scheme to bring everyone to a standard of proficiency, and a fundamental philosophy that directs the phases.
60
What does methodology mean?
Methodology - refers to the study of methods.
61
What are Multi methods?
Multi method - refers to methods that are themselves amalgamations of other methods. This approach grew out of the Third Era (late 80s to 90s), along with which many other methods such as OO and SSADM. The third era had an emphasis on methods, methodology, and structure. This often led to very high method and management overhead for the sake of reliability, repeatability, strong management control and accountability, and better linkage to organisational requirements. To some extent, this can be characterised as changing IS projects from technical projects into organisational undertakings.
62
What is non-consequentialist ethics?
Non-consequentialist ethics - also known as deontological ethics, systems usually follow a prescriptive set of laws which state which actions are themselves right or wrong regardless of the consequences. In practice non-consequentialist ethics sees human beings as ends in and of themselves.
63
What is Normative ethics?
Normative ethics - is the study of ethical action that investigates the question that arise when considering which actions are moral.
64
What is Operational Research?
Operational Research - is an approach to solving problems that begins by understanding the whole system and then attempting to understand the effects of modifying one component. In IS systems methodology operational research is considered the pre-methodology age and the First Era (1960s-70s).
65
What does organisation mean?
Organisation - refers both to concrete organisations and also to the more abstract concept of organisation, the means by which activities are organised.
66
What is participation in terms of the ETHICS approach?
Participation - In terms of socio-technical systems, participation is about getting the stakeholders in the system involved in its design.
67
What is persuasive technology?
Persuasive technology - is technology that is designed or appears to be designed to change peoples attitudes and behaviours. Computer based persuaders have certain advantages, such as: not needing to rest, being more anonymous, being able to process massive amounts of data, being scalable (able to be copied and distributed), increasing ubiquity. It is worth noting that to persuade something first has to be believable; either by being trustworthy or by holding expert power.
68
What are professional bodies?
Professional bodies - the bodies/organisations that govern given professions. Generally they are responsible for maintaining professional standards, through exams and yearly assessments for example, as well as seeing forth profession codes of conduct and representing the profession to the wider societal and governmental spheres.
69
What are professional codes?
Professional codes - these are the ethical constructs that govern given professions. An early example of such would be the hippocratic oath.
70
What is professionalism?
Professionalism - implies specialist skills and knowledge, up-to-date competence, professional responsibility and accountability.
71
What are professions?
Professions - are careers that demand a given level of excellence as well as continued development and a commitment to behaving ethically in the pursuit of wider societal gain.
72
What is redundancy?
Redundancy - is spare capacity, often parallel capacity, that can be used to replace failed components. Simple parallel redundancy, synchronous duplex/hot standby, is where the outputs of identical parallel components are compared to see if either has erred. Cold standby is where one of the parallel systems is normally inactive, usually the components take turns to reduce wear, and activate if there is a failure.
73
What is reliability?
Reliability - is the probability, over a given time period, that a system will continue to function as required by the user. Reliability can be expressed in ways such as the number of failures in a thousand hours.
74
What is safety?
Safety - is a judgement of the risk a system poses to its users.
75
What is SCRUM?
SCRUM - is a cyclical IS method derived from AGILE and arguably SLDC that emphasises inspection and adaptation. SCRUM consists of the SCRUM master and the team members; the master is the local SCRUM expert and is responsible for clearing any obstacles in the way of the team practicing scrum; the members are the other necessary experts required for the specific application, such as developers, designers, and sales personnel. The SCRUM technique consists of the SCRUM stack where all of the required tasks are compiled and the scrum sprint where the task are completed, demonstrated and reviewed. The scrum sprint consists of the: sprint planning meeting, where the tasks from the stack that are to be completed in this sprint are analysed and committed to; the SCRUM 
76
What does security mean?
Security - is a judgement of the resilience of a system to accident or attack.
77
What is Soft Systems Methodology?
Soft Systems Methodology - is about understanding the rich complex messiness of the problem. It focuses on understanding messes, often vague, and creating a rich factual and subjective picture of the mess. This leads to analysis, which leads to identifying the relevant systems, then a comparison is conducted between the model created and the actual system with emphasis on correcting discrepancies, beneficial changes are then identified, and finally changes are made.
78
What was the Systems Development Life Cycle? (SLDC)
Systems Development Life Cycle - is the defining method of the Second Era (late 70s to early 80s). It is a circular method similar to the waterfall method in its phases. These phases are: analysis, design, coding, testing, maintenance, and planning.
79
What is virtue ethics?
Virtue ethics - also known as aretaic ethics, unlike consequentialist and non-consequentialist ethics, virtue ethics concentrates on the morality of the agent rather than the morality of the action itself. The importance of various actions is defined by how much they increase or decrease certain virtues within the agent.
80
What does waterfall mean in terms of IS systems methodology?
Waterfall - is the most enduring of all IS methods. The steps are: defining requirements, design, implementation, verification, maintenance.
81
The eras of IT systems themselves, not their methodology?
The eras of IT systems - Data processing to improve operational efficiency by automating information-based processes (1960s). Management information systems to increase management effectiveness by satisfying their information requirements (1970s). Strategic information systems to improve competitiveness by changing the nature or conduct of business (1980s onwards).
82
What is insourcing?
Insourcing - is the reverse of outsourcing, which is to say that it is the practice of bringing a business unit or process back ‘in-house’.
83
What are legacy systems?
Legacy systems - arise from inappropriate co-evolution and broken or insufficient relationships between the people, each other, and the technology. There are three facets to legacy systems: lack of ownership, lack of syntactic comprehension (I. E. An old language that no-one programs in anymore), and out of date methodology. There are six ‘solutions’ to legacy systems: discard them, outsource them, leave them alone, continue current maintenance, encapsulate them, and reverse engineer them. The last two are often collectively known as re-engineering. The renaissance method defines these at the higher level of: scrap it, leave it, re-engineer it, and replace it. The renaissance method asses these options against a two by two grid: technical quality vs business value.
84
What is maintainability?
Maintainability - is the ease with which a given system or component can be maintained after delivery.
85
What is maintenance?
Maintenance - is the process of modifying a software system or component after delivery to production.
86
What is offshoring?
Offshoring - is the practice of moving a business unit or process in a foreign country.
87
What is outsourcing?
Outsourcing - is the practice of contracting a business unit or process to a third party.
88
What is planned evolution?
Planned evolution - evolutionary/iterative change in an organisation or system that is intended and designed for. Planned evolution should be regular, normal, and systemic in a successful system. It is worth noting, that because planned evolution takes place slowly the outcome is often unpredictable. The planned evolution cycle: Evaluation>Examination>Decisions>Preparation.
89
What is punctuated equilibrium?
Punctuated equilibrium - an evolutionary model that implies long periods of relative stability punctuated by sudden and short periods of massive change. In my opinion, merely a clever attempt to account for the gap in the amount of change visible both today and in the fossil record, with what would be necessary for evolution; in other words, it is simple a way to avoid the problem raised by a lack of evidence.
90
What is rapid prototyping?
Rapid prototyping - is the practice of producing a working prototype or wireframe as quickly as possible and then delivering it to the users for review, initiating a rapid iterative approach allowing for on the go corrections. AGILE is an example of a rapid prototyping method.
91
What is software re-engineering?
Software re-engineering - is a one off process of re-writing software on a different platform, often with a different language and or method, that will still work the same way. That is technical re-engineering; functional re-engineering refers to a similar process, but where the behaviour is changed.
92
What is supply chain management?
Supply chain management - is the process of setting up distribution channels across organisations so that everyone, from suppliers to clients, can coordinate their business processes to minimise cost and maximise effectiveness.
93
What is unplanned evolution?
Unplanned evolution - evolution within a system or organisation that is not planned for.
94
What is Delphi? How does it work? And what is it useful for?
Delphi - is a forecasting method that is built around an assembled panel of experts in the given subject. Each of the panelists is asked to list the achievements in the area of study that they think will be achieved. These are compiled into a master list, which is distributed to the panelists once again, to assign a likelihood to each item on the list being achieved by a given set of points in the future. The list is then sent out again, with the panelists able to see the other answers (although not who gave them), for revision. The panelists are then asked to re-estimate. The rounds continue in this way until stability or a consensus is reached. The weaknesses of delphi are: conflicts of interest for the panelists, the lack of non-expert views, that it is time consuming, its tendency towards being over-optimistic. Delphi is seen as useful for understanding long term trends.
95
What are discontinuities?
Discontinuities - are significant trends that effect the world be disrupting the linear patterns of change. They are the reason that the future is not like the past only more so, but rather inherently unpredictable.
96
What are driving forces?
Driving forces - are the key environmental factors that will influence an organisations future. STEEPLE is a common way to analyse and define relevant driving forces.
97
What is environmental scanning?
Environmental scanning - is the process of understanding a systems environment
98
What is scenario planning? What are the two main methods covered in the module text? And what makes a scenario planning analysis good?
Scenario planning - refers to explicit analysis and statement of a set of possible futures, often in some detail, for the purpose of informing decisions and thinking in the present. Good scenarios should: be extrapolated from the present and be recognisable to the user; plausible to all users, even those that disagree with their conclusions, if benefit is to be had; be internally consistent, although this can be contentious; challenging; imply direct consequences for the users actions. Scenario planning (the Davis method): defining the focus; assemble the stakeholders; identify and analyse the driving forces; build storylines and select the most relevant; develop the selected storylines and analyse them, their links, and interactions. Scenario planning (the key uncertainties method): define driving forces; select the two most important; create a two by two matrix with the two key uncertainties and create four scenarios, one for each of the squares in the matrix.
99
What is strategic alignment?
Strategic alignment - is the idea that effective and efficient utilisation of IT depends on the alignment of business strategies and IT.
100
What is strategic information systems planning?
Strategic Information Systems Planning - (SISP) refers to strategic planning applied to IT. It is the process of deciding the objectives for organisational computing and potential computing applications.
101
What is strategic planning?
Strategic planning - detailed plans and analysis pertaining to a specific targeted goal, often a military one such as a specific campaign or battle.
102
What is technology forecasting?
Technology forecasting - is the process of attempting to predict future technological trends.
103
What is technology roadvmapping?
Technology roadmapping - is the process of building a model describing the way a given set of technologies is expected to develop over a given number of years. It is seen as especially useful and important to organisations that are focused around a single or small number of technologies.
104
What is Business Continuity Management (BCM) and how is it applied?
Business Continuity Management (BCM) - A management process designed to ensure the continuation of required operations for any organisation or business in the event of a disruption. It consists of a BIA (business impact analysis) followed by a risk assessment. Then on the basis of those a plan is formed for each of the critical activities necessary to achieve RTO’s. Finally, consideration is given to exercising, maintaining, and reviewing the BCM.
105
What is Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and what are its steps?
Business Impact Analysis (BIA) - is the process of identifying the key products and services, their maximum tolerable periods of disruption (MTPD), and their recovery time objectives (RTO). The steps are as follows:
- Step 1: list key products and services
- Step 2: identify the MTPD (Maximum Tolerable Period of Disruption) for each key product or service
- Step 3: identify the RTO (Recovery Time Objective) for each key product or service
- Step 4: document the critical activities necessary to achieve the RTO’s for the key products or services
- Step 5: quantify the resources necessary to achieve the RTO activities (Inc: people; premises; technology; data; and suppliers/partners)
106
What are the steps of a BCM risk assessment?
BCM Risk assessment
- Step 1: identify risks such as loss of systems, personnel, or facilities.
- Step 2: list the likelihood of each risk occurring.
- Step 3: list any arrangements for each risk already in place to combat it.
- Step 4: list any other arrangements that could be implemented to combat each risk.
- Step 5: assign a likelihood score to each risk.
- Step 6: plot the likelihood of each risk against the impact defined in the BIA
- Step 7: rank the risks and decide whether to treat, transfer, tolerate, or terminate them.
107
What is business resilience?
Business resilience - is the result of BCM and IRBC; a business that is robust and can survive and even thrive in the face of disaster.
108
What is the key uncertainties method and what steps does it follow?
Key uncertainties - is a part of the key uncertainties method of scenario planning. They are the two driving forces that are selected for 2x2 matrix and which inform the four short scenarios.
109
What is the Maximum Tolerable Period of Disruption (MTPD)?
Maximum Tolerable Period of Disruption - is the maximum length of time that a disruption to a key product or service can exist without causing damage to either the organisations reputation or its finances.
110
What is the Minimum Business Continuity Objective (MBCO)?
Minimum Business Continuity Objective - is the minimum level of services and or products required to achieve objectives during a disruption. It is either the level below which services must never drop or the level that must be achieved in a targeted amount of time.
111
What are the steps of the PDCA cycle?
Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) cycle - Plan: understand the problem and develop a solution that can be created relatively quickly. Do: implement the plan and use it. Check: observe the plan in operation. Act: based on the plan and your observation, define a revised problem scope for the next iteration of the cycle.
112
What is a Recovery Point Objective?
Recovery Point Objective - is the point in time from which data must be recovered after a disruption. In other words, it is the maximum amount of data, measured in time, that can be lost. For example, in financial transaction applications this is zero, as any loss of data means lost transactions which means lost money; lots of lost money.
113
What is a Recovery Time Objective?
Recovery Time Objective - is the target recovery time from disruption for a key service or product. It should the shortest possible amount of time and shorter than the MTPD with a margin for error built in. If this is not possible for a key product or service, the organisation needs to change something to make it possible.
114
What is the BCM risk matrix?
The Risk Matrix is either a 2x2 or a 3x3 grid. The axis are impact and likelihood; low, medium, and high. Risks are analysed in the BCM risk assessment and ranked by likelihood against their impact as defined in the BIA section of the BCM. Depending on where they fall in the plot different actions can be taken: treat; transfer; tolerate; terminate.
115
What are the four BCM options for combating identified risks?
Treat: mitigating; modifying; treating; reducing risk.
Tolerate: accepting and retaining the risk.
Transfer: sharing the risk (usually through insurance).
Terminate: eliminating or avoiding the risk. The only way to entirely eliminate a risk is to terminate the activity that leads to it in the first place.
116
What are BCM exercises and what different kinds are there?
Exercising the BCM - BCM exercises exist for the purpose of practicing, iterations, and maintaining the BCM plan. They can be any of the following: targeted testing, discussion analysis, tabletop exercises (where a disruption is played out theoretically), and live exercises.
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What is the digital divide?
Digital divide - the gap or inequality between some groups (advantaged groups/developed nations/global north/white people/etc.) over other groups (disadvantaged groups/developing groups/global south/black people/etc.) in terms of effective access, access with the appropriate knowledge and experience, to technology.
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What are digital natives vs digital immigrants?
Digital immigrants - those who only gained effective access to IT/networked technology later in life.
Digital natives - those who have grown up with access to technology.
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What does digital inequality mean in terms of the digital divide?
Digital inequality - the digital divide as yet another social justice/critical thinking privilege vs disadvantage, that is relative.
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What is the global digital divide vs the local digital divide?
Global digital divide - the digital divide at the supra-national/global level; between nation states and national groups.
Local digital divide - the digital divide at the sub-nation/local level; between regions and classes.
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What does effective access mean?
Effective access - is access to IT/networked technology/any technology that includes everything perceived to be necessary to take full advantage of it. For example, proper training, acclimatisation, experience, and so on.
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In terms of the transformation process, what are macro operations vs micro operations?
Macro operation - the overall transformation process in the transformation model is referred to as the macro operation.
Micro operations - are smaller more detailed transformations within the macro operation of the transformational process.
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What is P3M and what are the definitions of each level within it?
P3M - is a hierarchy. The lowest level of which is the project; commonly work of a lesser scale combined to produce an output. The middle tier is the programme; commonly time limited work that combines projects with change management to deliver benefits. The highest tier is the portfolio; commonly a combination of projects and programme for a strategic objectives. This structure is not immutable in every scenario. For example, it is not unusual for projects to be directly part of programmes alongside portfolios, but not in them.
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What are predictive (plan driven) life cycles?
Predictive (plan-driven) life cycles - are projects where the life-cycle and scope are easy to define at an early stage. They exist at one end of the spectrum from plan-driven to adaptive.
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What are transformed resources vs transforming ones?
Transformed resources - resources that are input into the transformational model that are output in a new form; they have been transformed.
Transforming resources - resources that are input into the transformational model that are used to transform the transformed resources.
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What is the transformational model and what does it look like?
Transformational model - is an analysis model of operations management. The transformational model takes transformed and transforming resources as inputs, uses the transforming resources to transform the transformed resources in the transformation process, then releases the transformed resources as outputs. Finally, it returns feedback to the beginning of the cycle to give information, allowing the input to be adjusted.
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What is it to manage something?
Managing - is having some defined responsibility and authority over the planning, monitoring, and control of processes and resources geared to achieve a specific purpose in an organisational context.
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What are iterative (incremental) life cycles?
Iterative (incremental) life cycles - are when there is less certainty about a projects scope and activities, leading to multiple iterations to increase both understanding of the scope and functionality. It sits around the middle of the continuum from predictive life-cycles to adaptive.
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What are adaptive life cycles (change-driven/agile methods)?
Adaptive life cycles (change-driven/agile methods) - are when the scope is ill-defined from the beginning. They are both adaptive and iterative, but (AGILE) iterations are very rapid and fixed in time and cost. This approach applies to projects characterised by rapid change and that require high levels of user/client commitment and involvement.
