Managing Disasters → Contingency planning

Contingency planning

Contingency planning is a management tool used to analyse the effects of potential crises and ensure that adequate preparedness measures are put in place.

Contingency planning can be used in natural disasters, conflict or in considering the effects of broader global threats such as financial crises, or political instability. It can be:

undertaken by individual organizations or as part of a larger inter-agency process;
used in individual projects to explore potential problems e.g. access or supply constraints

Using Contingency Plans in the Disaster Cycle

Contingency plans can:

inform needs assessments based on earlier analysis of likely disaster impacts;
provide a basis for rigorous response planning;
be informed by on-going changes in the emergency context during response;
identify triggers and potential risks to consider in longer term recovery and be reviewed in line with capacities developed during recovery;
form an important part of emergency preparedness and disaster mitigation measures;
be informed by and contribute to community or organizational learning.

Basic Steps in Contingency Planning

Hazards & risks	Analyse potential hazards/triggers and determine risks based on the content.
Scenarios & assumptions	Build scenarios around likely risks. Define assumptions, triggers and potential impact.
Objectives & strategies	Determine objectives for addressing each scenario and the actions needed. Consider human resources, material and supplies, funding, time.
Preparedness actions	Specify the preparedness measures needed, including testing. Who will undertake them, how and by when?
Follow up	Regularly review the scenarios, contingency plan and follow up on completion of preparedness measures.

Key questions to address:

What could happen?
What would be needed to alleviate the situation?
How would action be taken?
Who should be involved?
What materials, supplies and staff would be needed?
What preparation is necessary?
How much will it cost?

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Key principles of contingency planning

Keep the process simple, practical, realistic and useful.
Develop scenarios that are detailed enough to facilitate effective planning but flexible enough to accommodate real life differs changes.
Encourage broad staff and community participation.
Plan realistic response activities that can actually be implemented when needed.
Consider how to use available resources in the most equitable, efficient, effective and sustainable way.
Focus on the process – participation and dialogue – rather than the final written plan.
Regularly review the scenarios and follow up the preparedness activities identified.
Test the contingency plan with staff and partners through simulations or table-top exercises.

Additional Resources

Disaster Response and Contingency Planning Guide – International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies [full details]

Disaster Response and Contingency Planning Guide (Arabic) – International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies [full details]

Disaster Response Preparedness Toolkit

Emergency Preparedness and Contingency Planning [full details]

Guia para la elaboración de planes de respuesta a desastres y de contingencia – International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies [full details]

Guide pour la planification d'urgence et des interventions en cas de catastrophe – International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies [full details]

Inter-Agency Contingency Planning Guidelines for Humanitarian Assistance [full details]

Inter-Agency Contingency Planning Guidelines for Humanitarian Assistance (Arabic) [full details]

This page was last updated on 21 June 2011