Placement of business continuity within the organization is of critical importance. Depending on the expected scope of the program, BCP should report to someone with administration or oversight responsibilities for the entire company. For maximum effectiveness, ideally, BCP will report through one of the following line authorities:

• The chief operating officer or chief administrative officer;
• Within a corporate level reporting relationship, not branch or division level.

BCP doesn't need to report directly to the COO or CAO, however it should report to someone who does report to these levels. Since BCP needs to address the corporation (both business and technical recovery) having it as a part of the COO or CAO chain of command will simplify how decisions are made, and the perspective of areas that must work with the BCP teams.

The key factors in placement of the BCP function are to avoid compromising a planning program's objectivity and integrity, and getting the needed visibility within the organization to be effective.