A tailored course, built for your situation
Mastering DORA; A Step-by-Step Guide to Operational Resilience in Global Financial Services
A structured path to implementing DORA requirements with precision, confidence, and strategic leverage.
$199 one-time
24-hour access provisioning
30-day money-back guarantee
Hand-built implementation playbook
12 modules. 12 chapters per module. 144 chapters total.
12 modules, each with 12 chapters (144 chapters total), text-based, plus downloadable templates and a hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.
Most DORA programs stall at testing and third-party mapping due to unclear ownership and fragmented evidence chains.
The situation this course is for
Teams struggle to align legal, IT, and operations under a unified resilience framework. Without a clear methodology, evidence collection becomes reactive, audits take longer, and external consultants step in to lead, leaving internal leaders sidelined on high-visibility initiatives.
Who this is for
Senior risk and compliance leader in global financial services with oversight of operational resilience, third-party risk, or regulatory reporting. Transitioning from auditor to owner of strategic compliance programs.
Who this is not for
Junior analysts, external consultants without financial services experience, or professionals outside regulated financial institutions.
What you walk away with
- Lead end-to-end DORA implementation cycles with confidence
- Produce audit-ready evidence packages on demand
- Structure third-party resilience requirements that stick
- Turn compliance deadlines into opportunities for advisory leadership
- Build reusable program templates that reduce future cycle time
The 12 modules (with all 144 chapters)
Module 1. Understanding DORA’s Scope and Strategic Impact
Lay the foundation by identifying which functions and services fall under DORA's jurisdiction and how this shapes risk ownership across technology, operations, and outsourcing.
12 chapters in this module
- Mapping DORA’s applicability to investment banking services
- Identifying critical dependencies in trading and settlement systems
- Differentiating between material and non-material functions
- Linking DORA to existing resilience frameworks like BCBS 239
- Assessing third-party vendor inclusion thresholds
- Understanding the role of senior management under Article 5
- How DORA interacts with MiFID II and GDPR
- Timing requirements for initial reporting obligations
- Building the business case for early implementation
- Aligning DORA scope with internal risk taxonomy
- Documenting decision trails for regulator review
- Establishing cross-departmental ownership early
Module 2. Designing the Operational Resilience Framework
Develop a governance model that embeds DORA compliance into business continuity planning and ensures executive accountability.
12 chapters in this module
- Structuring the resilience steering committee
- Defining roles for CRO, CIO, and business unit heads
- Creating a risk tolerance statement aligned with DORA
- Translating regulatory thresholds into recovery objectives
- Integrating incident response timelines
- Setting escalation paths for breaches and outages
- Documenting decision rights across silos
- Aligning with existing SOX and Basel III controls
- Introducing resilience KPIs to leadership reporting
- Establishing communication protocols with regulators
- Onboarding legal and compliance stakeholders
- Versioning policies for audit readiness
Module 3. Critical Function Identification and Mapping
Systematically identify which functions are essential to firm operations and ensure they meet DORA’s resilience standards.
12 chapters in this module
- Defining criteria for criticality under DORA
- Inventorying trade lifecycle and client servicing functions
- Mapping dependencies across infrastructure and vendors
- Applying materiality thresholds to support functions
- Validating mapping with legal and business leaders
- Creating visual dependency diagrams
- Documenting single points of failure
- Prioritizing remediation efforts
- Incorporating geographic diversity into mapping
- Testing assumptions with tabletop exercises
- Updating maps quarterly as per DORA requirements
- Preparing audit evidence for critical function reviews
Module 4. Third-Party Risk Under DORA Oversight
Ensure third-party relationships meet DORA’s stringent requirements for resilience and reporting.
12 chapters in this module
- Classifying vendors under Article 8 and RTS 3
- Applying due diligence standards for cloud providers
- Requiring resilience testing from outsourced service providers
- Enforcing SLAs with clear consequence clauses
- Conducting annual resilience assessments
- Tracking vendor compliance through dashboards
- Managing multi-tier subcontracting risks
- Incorporating DORA requirements into procurement
- Handling vendor offboarding safely
- Building audit trails for third-party oversight
- Aligning with EBA GL the current cycle 02 guidance
- Preparing for regulator requests on vendor portfolios
Module 5. Incident Classification and Response Planning
Develop a standardized process for identifying, classifying, and escalating ICT-related incidents under DORA.
12 chapters in this module
- Defining incident categories under RTS 4
- Setting thresholds for reporting to national regulators
- Creating internal triage workflows
- Integrating with existing SOC and NOC teams
- Defining roles during escalation phases
- Documenting decision-making under pressure
- Testing communication trees for speed
- Logging incident timelines for regulator review
- Applying lessons from prior outages
- Standardizing post-incident reports
- Ensuring legal holds on relevant data
- Avoiding under- or over-reporting
Module 6. Resilience Testing and Evidence Curation
Implement a repeatable testing cycle that satisfies DORA’s requirements and builds confidence across stakeholders.
12 chapters in this module
- Scheduling annual and ad-hoc tests
- Designing realistic cyber-failure scenarios
- Involving legal, compliance, and communications early
- Running table-top exercises with leadership
- Simulating data center outages
- Testing trade execution continuity
- Validating client notification protocols
- Capturing video and log evidence
- Producing executive summaries
- Storing evidence in regulator-accessible formats
- Addressing gaps identified in testing
- Updating response plans based on findings
Module 7. Regulatory Reporting and Disclosure
Streamline the process of submitting required reports and disclosures under DORA to avoid delays or regulator follow-up.
12 chapters in this module
- Identifying reporting entities under jurisdiction
- Compiling data for EBA, ESMA, and national regulators
- Meeting deadlines for initial and ongoing reports
- Formatting submissions to meet RTS 2 standards
- Incorporating third-party test results
- Validating data completeness ahead of submission
- Using templates to reduce reporting cycle time
- Responding to regulator feedback on filings
- Archiving reports for future audits
- Connecting reporting to internal controls
- Training teams on disclosure obligations
- Tracking changes in reporting expectations
Module 8. Internal Audit and Assurance Alignment
Ensure audit teams can validate DORA compliance without disrupting ongoing operations.
12 chapters in this module
- Defining audit scope for operational resilience
- Coordinating with IT and compliance audit teams
- Providing auditors access to test evidence
- Documenting policy adherence across departments
- Tracking remediation of audit findings
- Aligning with ISO 22301 and SOC 2 where applicable
- Creating standardized audit playbooks
- Reducing audit friction through pre-built artifacts
- Responding to internal review comments
- Integrating audit findings into risk registers
- Demonstrating continuous improvement
- Preparing for surprise regulator audits
Module 9. Cross-Border Coordination and Legal Integration
Navigate jurisdictional complexities when implementing DORA across global operations.
12 chapters in this module
- Mapping DORA to non-EU regulatory regimes
- Handling data sovereignty in resilience testing
- Coordinating with US and UK regulators
- Aligning with SEC and FCA expectations
- Managing legal advice confidentiality
- Documenting decisions under multi-jurisdictional pressure
- Resolving conflicting compliance timelines
- Involving global legal leads in planning
- Using memoranda of understanding between entities
- Adapting DORA processes for APAC subsidiaries
- Handling cross-border incident reporting
- Ensuring consistency without over-standardization
Module 10. Building the Resilience Playbook
Compile all components into a living document that guides future implementations and onboards new leaders.
12 chapters in this module
- Assembling a modular playbook structure
- Integrating policies, workflows, and templates
- Versioning control for compliance assurances
- Adding commentary for context and clarity
- Linking to evidence repositories
- Training new hires using the playbook
- Updating after each audit cycle
- Securing executive sign-off
- Distributing access across key teams
- Auditing playbook usage metrics
- Protecting intellectual property
- Using the playbook in M&A integrations
Module 11. Scaling Resilience Beyond DORA
Leverage DORA implementation experience to strengthen broader enterprise risk practices.
12 chapters in this module
- Applying DORA frameworks to cyber risk
- Extending resilience to front-office systems
- Incorporating climate-related disruptions
- Enhancing vendor risk beyond ICT
- Building predictive incident modeling
- Introducing AI monitoring tools
- Strengthening incident communication plans
- Reducing recovery time across systems
- Benchmarking against peer institutions
- Driving cost savings through automation
- Positioning resilience as strategic advantage
- Informing capital allocation decisions
Module 12. Sustaining Executive Engagement
Maintain leadership attention and investment in resilience by demonstrating ongoing value.
12 chapters in this module
- Reporting resilience KPIs to the executive team
- Highlighting cost avoidance from incident prep
- Celebrating successful test outcomes
- Linking resilience to client trust
- Presenting at leadership offsites
- Integrating resilience into onboarding
- Soliciting feedback from senior stakeholders
- Positioning the team as strategic advisors
- Securing additional budget for tooling
- Recognizing team members publicly
- Sharing lessons across the enterprise
- Planning the next evolution of readiness
How this maps to your situation
- Initial DORA scoping and leadership alignment
- Cross-functional implementation and testing
- Audit and regulator readiness preparation
- Sustained leadership engagement and optimization
Before vs. after
Before
DORA requirements are managed reactively, with fragmented ownership and inconsistent evidence collection.
After
You lead a coordinated, repeatable DORA program that produces audit-ready outputs and positions you for strategic influence.
What's included with your purchase
- 12 modules with 12 chapters each (144 chapters)
- Downloadable templates and worked examples for every module
- Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Delivery and format
- Course and learning environment access provisioned within 24 hours of purchase
- Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access
Format: Text-based modules and chapters in the Art of Service learning environment, plus downloadable templates and worked examples for every chapter, plus the hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.
Time investment: Approximately 90 minutes per week over six weeks, with self-paced access to all materials.
If nothing changes
Without a structured approach, DORA initiatives risk delays, regulator scrutiny, and ceding high-margin advisory work to consultants or competing internal teams.
How this compares to the alternatives
Most DORA guidance is either too high-level or too technical. This course bridges both, giving senior practitioners a clear, executable roadmap without drowning in jargon or oversimplifying complexity.
Frequently asked
Is this course designed for technical or compliance teams?
It’s built for senior compliance and risk leaders like yourself who need to lead DORA programs but aren’t responsible for coding or infrastructure.
How is the course structured?
12 modules, each containing 12 chapters (144 chapters total).
Can I share the playbook with my team?
The implementation playbook is licensed for your use and can be adapted internally, but redistribution outside your organization is not permitted.
$199 one-time. Approximately 90 minutes per week over six weeks, with self-paced access to all materials..
Within 24 hours your account in the learning environment is provisioned and the tailored implementation playbook is delivered alongside it.
30-day money-back guarantee·
144 chapters·
Hand-built playbook included·
Account access within 24 hours