Victor Mark E.
Barrameda III
DRM 506 Contingency Planning
CONTINGENCY PLANNING PROCESS
The focus of contingency planning should be on the planning process.
A written response and/or contingency plan is not an end in itself, and a plan
is much more than a document. Responding in disaster situations cannot be
effective without well-functioning managerial and operational systems,
structures and procedures. Planning processes and plans develop the
capacities, tools, understanding and collaborations to stimulate well-
coordinated and effective preparedness, early warning systems, and early
action response and recovery operations.
The Contingency Planning Process involves Five (5) Phases such as
Prepare, Analyze, Develop, Implement and Review. Preparation Phase,
involve agencies determine the why and for what they want to carry out the
contingency planning process and decides resources, allocated, team and
coordination requirements for the contingency planning. During Data
collection, Assigned multidisciplinary team reviews data including previous
plans, identify parts needing update or development, likewise existing
historical experiences, documents, policies and procedures. Planning to
conduct contingency planning process is done during this phase, to determine
schedule and deadlines of the task required and progress indicators.
Analysis Phase involves the the determination of of Areas to be
included in the context of analysis. Determination of the risk to plan for and
carry out the hazard/threats analysis and development of risk definition and
risk Matrix to prioritize hazards and threats to define the risk, root and causes
of the underlying factor analysis. In addition during this phase the scenario
development can be established in consideration to the vulnerabilities
analysis and capacities to face identified risk, define assumptions, triggers,
and threshold indicators. Scenarios can be elaborate as Best Case, Most
Likely and Worst Case.
Development Phase overall response to the different scenarios
identified. Often the National Society operational response plans are
developed for the most likely and worst case scenarios which will require
scaling up resources to reach increased targets based on the humanitarian
needs. Development of operational strategy and plan by defining the scope of
the response and identifying objectives and sectoral intervention and the
development of operational plan per response phases and type of scenario.
Operational Plan resources management involves the development for the
operational plan, list of human resources needed for the plan and how to
manage them and determine support services operating modalities during the
response time. In addition, this phase involves the development of Response
Operation Management and determine the response operation and
management structure to set roles and responsibilities, define the activation
and communication mechanisms, elaborate and discuss your coordination
arrangements, establish security requirements and define response reporting
requirements and formats.
During the Implementation Phase operational plans actionable can be
develop based on specific scenarios. We can determine the readiness for
response based on response operation plan, list and prioritized per sector, the
activities your society has to carry out to be ready for response, readiness
action plan has to cover tools development, dissemination and training for all
sectors. We can develop and implement trainings on protocols as necessary
and conduct table top and simulation exercises. In addition we can identify
and mobilized resources, elaborate contingency planning readiness action
plan budget and mobilized resources to carry out actions for readiness.
Review phase involves the contingency plan process as a continuous
process which needs to be regularly updated and adapted. This focuses to
improve/update new procedures and provide/updated contingency plans
based on evolving needs, result and evaluations. Evaluation of the CP plan’s
effectiveness using real time evaluation and using post-disaster evaluation.
Share contingency plans protocols with all stakeholders including external
partners and other government counterparts.
In conclusion, the contingency planning process involves phases such
as Prepare, Analyze, Develop, Implement and Review. Every phases has its
specific actions and specific key results such as CP Term of reference, data
tracking table and work schedule on Preparation Phase, National Society
operating environment. Mandate and role and hazards/risks matrix
vulnerability and capacities table, scenario table in analysis phase. Creation of
Response strategy, operational plans, budget, human resource table and all
SOPs and reporting formats in development phase. National Society actions
for readiness plan, trainings, testing and simulations and readiness risk
management table for the implementation phase and Updated response and
operational Plan and SOPs during the Review phase.