Contingency Plan
A contingency plan ensures that action will be taken to address any issues or obstacles that become evident. It is a preliminary plan designed to prevent an internal and external breakdown of an organization. You must review your long-term goals for the organization and consider a wide range of unexpected events that may threaten the stability of the organization. Based on your long-term vision, identified key milestones, and the industry you are entering, develop a contingency plan to support the stability of your organization. Your plan should be segmented into three distinct parts; risk assessment, developing a plan, and maintaining a plan.
Assessing Risk
A risk assessment analyzes threats associated with the operations and consistency of activities within an organization. The first step to preparing a contingency plan is to evaluate the risks and prepare to eliminate the consequences of each event. As you begin this process, review your strategic operations plan and milestone roadmap to identify processes, significant events, or stakeholders that may cause interruption in the daily functions of the organization. Create a list of potential threats your organization could face. This could be events such as an employee has to take long-term leave, an error in a bulk order, a necessary tool does not work, legislative changes that impact your business’s ability to operate, or far worse. Consider at least five potential threats your specific organization may face.
Developing a Contingency Plan
Once you have identified five possible risks your organization might encounter, you must develop a plan that concentrates on maintaining the functionality of operations and staff. It is important to develop Plan A and Plan B to ensure that all issues are addressed and there is little impact for the continuity of the business. Both Plan A and Plan B should include the following:
Strategies to resume standard business operations.
A designated timeframe to address the issues (the first hour, day, week, etc.).
Determine triggers that activate the contingency plan.
Identify all stakeholder’s needs and responsibilities to ensure diligence.
What achievements will ensure the organization is prepared to return to normal processes?
A clear contingency plan that is user friendly and prepares all stakeholders for the implemented changes.
Managing a Contingency Plan
Finally, it is critical to frequently review and modify the contingency plan. As your organization continues to grow, the need for modifications to the existing contingency plan is required. There could be additional equipment, staff, or processes that need to be included in the overall plan. Include a brief description for managing and updating the plan. You must address how you will prepare staff, evaluate the needs for modifications, and ensure stability within the organization.
