An ISO 22301 audit is a structured evaluation of your Business Continuity Management System (BCMS). It confirms that your organisation is resilient and able to continue operating during disruptions. Conducting regular audits ensures compliance with international standards and provides assurance to regulators, stakeholders, and customers.
The ISO 22301 standard sets requirements for organisations to manage risks and maintain continuity during crises. An audit checks if your BCMS complies with these requirements by reviewing documentation, processes, and preparedness exercises.
If you are already certified under other management system standards, such as ISO 9001 certification for quality or ISO 27001 certification for information security, adding ISO 22301 provides an integrated framework for resilience.
Any organisation that cannot afford operational downtime should consider ISO 22301. This includes:
Where disruptions directly affect customers and compliance.
To ensure uninterrupted patient care.
To reduce supply chain disruptions.
To guarantee continuity of public services.
Businesses often incorporate ISO 22301 into broader compliance programs alongside other ISO certification services.
An internal audit ensures your organisation is ready before certification. It helps identify gaps, monitor risk controls, and confirm that continuity strategies are practical. An internal auditor will often follow a documented iso-audit-process to capture findings and corrective actions.
External audits are conducted by accredited certification bodies. They evaluate your BCMS against ISO 22301 requirements. A successful audit leads to official certification, showing stakeholders that you can withstand operational disruptions.
Find out how much ISO 14001 certification could cost your business.
The iso-audit-process usually includes:
Defining scope and scheduling audit activities.
Checking continuity policies, business impact analyses, and risk assessments.
Interviewing staff, testing recovery strategies, and validating exercises.
Documenting observations, non-conformities, and recommendations.
Implementing improvements before certification is issued.
This structured approach is similar to other audit frameworks such as ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 but focuses more on resilience and recovery readiness.
Certification is ongoing. Once ISO 22301 certification is achieved, you must complete surveillance audits every year and recertification audits every three years.
Annual audits ensure your BCMS remains effective, updated, and aligned with organisational changes. Neglecting annual surveillance can result in suspension of certification, making regular audits a critical business requirement.
A comprehensive checklist may include:
Business continuity policy review
Risk assessments and threat modelling
Verification of business impact analysis
Documentation of recovery strategies
Employee training records
Testing and simulation reports
Records of corrective action implementation
By following a checklist, organisations reduce the risk of overlooking critical audit requirements and ensure smooth compliance with ISO 22301.
Common difficulties faced during audits include:
Incomplete documentation of continuity strategies
Insufficient staff awareness of continuity responsibilities
Business impact analyses that are outdated or too generic
Lack of realistic simulations and recovery exercises
These challenges highlight the importance of embedding continuity management within the organisation’s culture rather than treating it as a one-off compliance task.
Senior management must actively support continuity planning.
Employees should know their roles during a disruption.
Combining ISO 22301 with ISO 9001 certification or ISO 27001 certification creates efficiencies.
Internal audits and corrective actions should be carried out regularly.
By embedding these practices, businesses not only succeed in audits but also improve long-term resilience.
If your organisation is also preparing for ISO 45001 certification to strengthen occupational health and safety, it is important to align your audit practices across multiple standards. Integrating ISO 22301 with ISO 45001 helps build a safer and more resilient workplace.
To plan your next audit and receive expert guidance, contact our expert team today and ensure your organisation is fully prepared.
At least once per year, though many organisations prefer semi-annual reviews for stronger compliance.
Key documents include your business continuity policy, business impact analysis, risk assessments, recovery procedures, and test records.
Yes, many organisations combine ISO 22301 with audits for ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 to streamline resources.
You may receive non-conformities that must be resolved. Certification can be delayed, suspended, or withdrawn until issues are corrected.
Yes, parts of the process, such as document reviews and interviews—can be completed remotely, though on-site verification is usually required.