# Clause 8.4.2: Response structure

Put in place and keep up a structure of one or more teams that respond to disruptions, with clearly stated roles and responsibilities and clear relationships between teams. Between them the teams must be able to: judge a disruption and its impact against thresholds set beforehand that warrant a formal response; trigger the response and the continuity solutions; plan actions; set priorities, putting the safety of life first; monitor the disruption and the response; and communicate with interested parties, the authorities and the media. Every team must have named people, with stand-ins, who hold the responsibility, authority and competence required, and documented procedures for triggering, running, coordinating and communicating.

Cloud: The response structure has to say who speaks to the provider, who decides to invoke the fallback, and who tells customers. In practice the provider's account team will be talking to several of your people at once unless one is named.

Evidence: Team structure chart with roles, responsibilities and inter team relationships; Pre defined activation thresholds and the authority to invoke them; Named team members and alternates with competence evidence; Documented team procedures for activation, operation, coordination and communication; Exercise evidence that the teams performed the listed competences.

Test: Confirm one named role owns the provider conversation during an incident.

Citation: ISO 22301:2019, clause 8.4.2. Source: https://compliance.theartofservice.com/frameworks/iso-22301-2019. Last updated: 2026-10-20.