Process-oriented objectives are foundational to a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS). They focus on the effectiveness, efficiency, and maturity of the BCM activities and procedures themselves. By establishing and achieving objectives related to the core processes—such as business impact analysis, risk assessment, plan development, and exercising—an organization builds the necessary capability and resilience. This process capability is what enables the organization to subsequently meet its higher-level, outcome-focused objectives, which include performance-oriented goals (e.g., meeting Recovery Time Objectives) and people-oriented goals (e.g., ensuring workforce safety and effective communication during a crisis). Therefore, process-oriented objectives govern the activities that support the achievement of people and performance outcomes.

B. Performance-oriented: These are the desired outcomes or results of the BCM activities, not the objectives for the activities themselves. They measure the success of the implemented processes.

C. People-oriented: These are also desired outcomes, focusing specifically on the well-being, safety, and preparedness of personnel, which are achieved through the execution of effective BCM processes.

1. ISO 22301:2019, Security and resilience — Business continuity management systems — Requirements. Clause 6.2, "Business continuity objectives and planning to achieve them," mandates that an organization must plan what will be done and how the results will be evaluated to achieve its objectives. This focus on the "what" (the activity) and "how" (the method) is the essence of a process-oriented approach, which forms the basis for achieving performance and people-related outcomes.

2. ISO 22313:2020, Security and resilience — Business continuity management systems — Guidance on the use of ISO 22301. Section 6.2 explains that objectives are set to implement the business continuity policy and improve the overall effectiveness of the BCMS. Improving the BCMS inherently means improving its constituent processes and activities, which in turn supports the achievement of strategic outcomes related to performance and people.

3. Jakovljevic, D. (2013). Model of business continuity management system based on the process approach. International Journal for Quality Research, 7(1), 111-124. This academic paper emphasizes that the process approach is central to the successful implementation of a BCMS. It states, "The process approach is one of the basic principles of the management system... The desired result is achieved more efficiently when activities and related resources are managed as a process" (p. 113). This supports the idea that process-oriented objectives are the mechanism for achieving all other desired results, including those related to people and performance.