Resilience First forges strategic partnership with ICSI

The new partnership will enable the two organisations to collaborate through joint thought leadership, knowledge sharing and convening. This partnership builds on an existing collaborative relationship between the two organisations, which have worked closely for many years now, including as part of the ‘Resilience Rising’ network.

Talking about the new partnership, Rick Cudworth (executive director of Resilience First) explained: “Both organisations share a mission to build the resilience of the systems we all rely on and bring communities of practice together to achieve this aim. ICSI has a strong track record of convening and collaborating within the engineering and disaster risk and recovery communities. Alongside Resilience First’s extensive network of private sector organisations, our partnership will scale and accelerate the work aimed squarely at building the resilience of organisations, systems and societies.”

Savina Carluccio, executive director of ICSI, has underlined the potential of this strategic partnership. “Resilience First’s vast network of businesses provides invaluable access to the private sector in the built environment and beyond. We look forward to collaborating on advancing thought leadership in climate resilience and adaptation.”

By fostering collaboration through knowledge sharing, and working with its members and strategic partners, Resilience First aims to strengthen the resilience of its members and the sectors within which they operate, while at the same time contributing towards the overall resilience of society.

Resilience First and ICSI will collaborate on a series of external engagements (including COP29) and bring their respective partners together to elevate resilience knowledge within their networks and operations.

Organisational resilience

The world is currently experiencing unprecedented levels of volatility, disruption and change, exacerbated all the while by multiple converging crises. In a fragile and interconnected world, complex disturbances, whether from natural or man-made shocks or stresses, can trigger dynamic and cascading failures that have far-reaching social, environmental and economic impacts.

That being so, organisational resilience has emerged as a critical strategic paradigm to ensure organisations are able to thrive in today’s complex and rapidly changing business environment.In a dynamic and unpredictable business landscape, investing in organisational resilience is crucial for businesses to overcome shocks and secure long-term success. Organisational resilience is widely understood as the ability of an organisation to adapt to, withstand and recover from disruptions, while continuing to deliver value for stakeholders, but there’s little consensus on what this looks like in practice and even less agreement about key drivers and metrics.

Businesses need a globally accepted definition, narrative and model to understand, measure and then enhance organisational resilience, allowing them to navigate shocks and disruptions while thriving in a rapidly evolving business environment.

Resilience First is in the process of mobilising representatives from its network, engaging thought leaders and consulting key stakeholders to develop a robust and comprehensive ‘by business, for business’ impact model that measures and enhancing organisational resilience.

*Further information is available online at www.resiliencefirst.org