International Glossary for Resiliency

International Glossary for Resilience

Clear communication is critical to effective continuity and crisis management. Yet even among our own professionals, there are discrepancies in how we describe what we do and the meaning of the terms we use, including some of our most basic activities. This lack of clarity is why a group of DRI-led volunteers pulled industry terminology from multiple internationally recognized reference documents, including standards, regulations, and professionals from around the world to create a comprehensive global resource. DRI International, in collaboration with a wide number of international industry leaders, maintains the profession's most comprehensive resilience industry glossary. This is a volunteer-led effort conducted for the betterment of the profession and is maintained free of charge here on the DRI International website. To demonstrate the scope of the project, the initial phase of the Glossary required review of 2,189 unique terms from 22 reference documents including regulations, standards, guidelines and industry practices. Through several months of meetings, reviews, ballots and discussion, the Glossary now includes 267 term definitions.

The project is the product of close collaboration between leaders of the profession. The intent is to draw upon the work that has already been done by various stakeholders and synthesize them to create a comprehensive and international glossary. DRI has not created new definitions in the first Glossary, but rather has identified existing sources in order to determine standard usage. Multiple definitions are listed in order of common usage, as decided through a blind voting process, with a citation for each source. The product is intended to be used as a universal resource by all groups. The Glossary is a living document and will be maintained through an ongoing revision cycle. The International Glossary for Resiliency is published in multiple languages, providing a standard translation manual for technical terms to facilitate international cooperation.

As the industry moves forward and new words and terms become integral in the resilience lexicon, the Glossary will continue to evolve. A major update is planned with new terms from the industry, including the new DRI Professional Practices and updated DRI training and classes. Additionally, the Committee is reviewing new international sources for definitions and considering development of term definitions where no current standards exist. The Committee is currently working on this update and plans for a major release in the coming months.