When is a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) considered to be valid?

Validation by the BC manager is an administrative approval step, not a functional test of the plan's effectiveness during an actual disruption scenario.

Board of directors approval provides governance and executive sponsorship, but organizational sign-off does not confirm that the plan will work operationally when invoked.

Validating against all possible threat scenarios is neither practical nor achievable, as threat landscapes are constantly evolving and exhaustive scenario coverage is impossible.

A BCP is considered valid only when it has been proven effective through realistic exercises such as tabletop exercises, simulations, or full live drills. These exercises expose gaps, validate recovery time objectives, and confirm that personnel can execute the plan under realistic conditions. Without practical testing, a BCP remains theoretical and unproven regardless of who approved it.