EUMA Dublin Specialised Workshop Report

Dublin City University (DCU) hosted a specialised workshop titled "Anticipate & Secure: Enhancing Resilience Through Effective Business Continuity Management". Tailored for professionals working in disaster and emergency management, the event brought together a dynamic group of practitioners, academics, and sector leaders to explore how Business Continuity Management (BCM) can be effectively integrated into organisational strategy to protect critical services before, during, and after disruptive events.

Organised by a dedicated team including Professor Caroline McMullan, Dr Gavin Brown, Niamh Reilly, and Anne-Marie Caherty, the two-day programme combined academic insight with applied learning. The workshop aimed to deepen understanding of BCM principles, terminology, and real-world applications, while promoting knowledge exchange between public, private and voluntary sector organisations and across European emergency management agencies.

The programme opened with welcoming remarks from Professor Dominic Elliott, Executive Dean of DCU Business School, followed by an introduction to the learning objectives of the workshop and an icebreaker led by Professor McMullan. From there, participants engaged in a series of expert-led sessions covering the strategic foundations of BCM, including its historical evolution, core definitions, and its role in enhancing organisational resilience.

Day one focused on establishing a solid theoretical foundation. Dr Gavin Brown guided participants through a detailed exploration of key BCM models such as BCI lifecycle, ISO standards, and academic frameworks. Dr Monica Kelly introduced the core components of BCM implementation, followed by an interactive group activity in which participants applied theoretical concepts to practical scenarios within organisational settings.

The second day shifted towards applied learning. Dr Monica Kelly opened the morning with a case study drawn from healthcare, highlighting the critical success factors in BCM implementation based on research completed at DCU. This was followed by an in-depth session on information management in BCM, delivered by guest speakers Derek Cheevers and Alan McDevitt, who introduced the “Irish Four Boards” system. The afternoon was dedicated to a highly engaging tabletop exercise, encouraging participants to work through a simulated BCM scenario, drawing on the tools and strategies discussed over the course of the workshop.

In the final session, Professor McMullan and Niamh Reilly led a reflective discussion on key takeaways, applications, and opportunities for further learning. The event concluded with a sense of shared purpose and strengthened professional networks, with participants leaving better equipped to embed business continuity thinking into their own contexts.

Importantly, this workshop also served as a pilot for a new postgraduate module, which will officially launch in October 2026 as part of the Master’s in Disaster Management at the University of Vienna’s Postgraduate Centre. The feedback and experience gained through this event will help shape the design and delivery of the course, ensuring it meets the needs of practitioners and policy-makers alike.

The event was hosted with the support of the EUMA team from the University of Vienna, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, and DCU Business School, whose commitment to advancing education and resilience was evident in every aspect of the specialist workshop.

The EUMA team acknowledged that this workshop would not have been possible without the commitment and funding provided under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) Knowledge for Action in Prevention & Preparedness Programme.  The “Anticipate & Secure” workshop exemplifies the spirit of collaboration, practical learning, and knowledge sharing at the heart of the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network. As resilience becomes increasingly central to public and private sector operations across Europe, initiatives such as this workshop provide vital opportunities to build capacity and strengthen cross-border understanding.