General
An organization that adopts the principles will show nine attributes, from a shared vision to the ability to anticipate and manage change. Which attributes matter most, and how much evidence is enough, depends on the organization's context and objectives.
What clause 5.1 says
The clause introduces the attribute set and sets the rule for using it. The nine attributes in 5.2 to 5.10 are characteristics an organization can develop and evaluate. Each clause says what the organization should demonstrate and what it should prioritise and resource. The set is not a maturity model with a fixed order. An organization may be strong on leadership and weak on shared information, and the assessment should show that rather than average it away. The clause also refuses an absolute standard: resilience has no single definitive goal, so the question is not whether the organization passes but whether the attributes are sufficient for its objectives and context.
Why it matters
The attribute structure gives the programme a way to organise evidence without pretending that resilience is one number. It also protects against a common consulting shortcut: a single maturity score that hides the weakest attribute. The executive needs to see the profile, not the average. The clause's second sentence is the licence to tailor. Tailoring is not a licence to skip an attribute; it is a requirement to explain why an attribute is less material and what would change that judgement.
What good looks like
Agree the attribute set with the executive sponsor and record the materiality of each one for the organization. For each attribute, name the evidence that would be persuasive and the person who owns it. Then assess the profile rather than the average. Revisit the materiality when the strategy or the context changes, because an attribute that was secondary in a stable year can become central in a year of disruption.
Evidence a reviewer asks for
There is no ISO certification or accredited assessment scheme for ISO 22316. The assessor here is your internal auditor, a customer assurance team or a consultant.
An assessor will ask why the organization chose its emphasis. A profile with a reasoned materiality note is stronger than a uniform score, because it shows judgement rather than box-ticking.
- Attribute materiality note Each of the nine attributes rated for materiality, with the reason and the owner
- Evidence map The evidence held against each attribute and the gaps
- Profile summary The attribute profile shown without averaging, with the two weakest attributes named
- Tailoring rationale Where an attribute is treated as less material, the reason and the trigger that would change it
Where it commonly fails
- The nine attributes are averaged into a single maturity score.
- Every attribute is rated the same without reference to the organization's objectives.
- The assessment has no owner for the weakest attribute.
What to do before the second edition
Hold a materiality session before the first assessment. Ask each executive to rank the nine attributes for the next twelve months and to say what evidence would change their mind. Record the differences; they are the real agenda.
Read across
- 4.1 General
- 5.2 Shared vision and clarity of purpose
- 5.10 Ability to anticipate and managing change
- 6.1 General
← 4.2 Coordinated approach5.2 Shared vision and clarity of purpose →