WHO/EHA

EMERGENCY HEALTH TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR AFRICA

2.	TOOLS

2.7.	Contingency Planning

Panafrican Emergency Training Centre, Addis Ababa, July 1998

Overhead Transparencies

Planning,  Definitions
Contingency Planning,  Definition .1
Contingency Planning,  Definition .2
Contingency Planning,  Steps
Scenarios and objectives:  What will change?  What to do, achieve,  avoid?
The Mission
The Process
The Outputs
The Plan.
The Plan, The Issues
Population and Society
Environment
Production and Economy
Infrastructure and Services
The Plan, Analysis and Choices
Contingency Planning, The Starting Point, Matrix
Contingency Planning, What if the Hazard Persist?  Matrix
Contingency Planning, Implementation of the Plan, Matrix
Contingency Planning, For Immediate Action, Matrix
Plans Do Not Work, People Work
The Immediate Follow-up
Remember, Sooner or Later the Crisis Will Pass

Trainers' Guide

Objective:
To illustrate the definitions and the methods for contingency planning.   (Skills)

Key-message:
What IF..., is a good keyword to open this presentation. Always plan by worst-case scenarios.  Stake holders' participation.  Plans do not work, people  work.

Planning, Definitions Present and discuss.

Contingency Planning,  Definition .1
Present and discuss. 'Contingency Planning' is “ last chance planning”: the crisis  is near.  ‘Contingency’ implies unexpected, uncertainty of  occurrence.

Contingency Planning,  Definition .2
Present and discuss.  Underline the state of uncertainty, the agreement on scenarios and objectives, the managerial and the technical aspects of the plan, the concept of Response Systems, the aims of prevention and better  response.

Contingency Planning,  Steps (Present and discuss)

Scenarios and objectives: What will change? What to do, achieve, avoid? Present and discuss. Highlight how the process is grounded on these two basic questions.

The Mission
Present and discuss.  Highlight the key concept: to facilitate  decisions...

The Process
Present and discuss.  These principles must imprint the planning process.  Involve  all the stakeholders. Facilitate, do not impose decisions. Co-ordinate with the partners. Plan by worst-case scenario: if something can go wrong, it will. Analyse the situation sector by sector, and then take decisions looking at the global  picture.

Plan for action at local level and for the back up that the central level will have to provide.

The Outputs
Present and discuss. The planning process is complete only when everybody knows what he/she must do immediately next.

The Plan.
Present. This is just the list of the points addressed in the next transparencies. No discussion needed, it can help focus the audience.

The Plan, The Issues (Title page)

Population and Society
Present and discuss.  Checklist: think and collect information about these  elements.

Environment
Present and discuss.  Checklist: think and collect information these  elements

Production and Economy
Present and discuss.  Checklist: think and collect information these  elements

Infrastructure and Services
Present and discuss.  Checklist: think and collect information about these  elements

The Plan, Analysis and Choices (Title page)

Contingency Planning, The Starting Point, Matrix
Present and discuss. To plan for contingencies means to fill this matrix, district by district. What is the situation now, what are the early warning indicators, which information is missing?

Contingency Planning, What if the Hazard Persist?  Matrix
Present and discuss. Fill the matrix by worst case-scenario. How will the current situation change, what to achieve or avoid.  WHAT TO DO  IF...

Contingency Planning, Implementation of the Plan, Matrix
Present and discuss. Identify the activities that will be needed when the event occurs (worst-case scenario) and develop the details of their  implementation.

Contingency Planning, For Immediate Action, Matrix
Present and discuss. Identify the immediate steps that must be taken NOW, in order to be ready for the worst (see also Readiness (1.7.)).

Plans Do Not Work, People Work
Show to the audience a wad of paper: does it have arms, legs, brain? That’s what a plan is, just a wad of paper.  In order to “work”, it must be known, read and   utilised by people.

The Immediate Follow-up
Present and discuss. Test the feasibility of your plan and clarify your immediate course of action by asking yourself these questions.

Remember, Sooner or Later the Crisis Will Pass
Present and discuss. Think of recovery and development, not only of relief. Plan for activities and structures that can be easily re-directed towards  rehabilitation.

Stand-alone.  The second part can be developed as an exercise.
It can be used in association with the UNHCR module on Contingency  Planning.

Essential Reading:
Handbook on War and Public Health, P. Perrin, ICRC, 1995
Contingency Planning, WHO/PTC, 1997
Brainstorming for Contingency Planning, WHO/PTC,  1997
Contingency planning, UNHCR

PLANNING:

to arrange beforehand
(Pocket Oxford Dictionary, 1992)

to ensure that the resources available now and in the future are used in the most efficient way to obtain specific objectives
(Green, 1994)

TO RATIONALIZE CHANGE
(U.S.P. 1981)

CONTINGENCY PLANNING

actions taken to prepare for
an impending emergency

(Cuny, 1988)

CONTINGENCY PLANNING
a forward planning process in a state of uncertainty,
in which scenarios and objectives are agreed,
managerial and technical actions defined,
and potential response systems put in place,
in order to prevent or better respond to an emergency

(UNHCR, 1996)

CONTINGENCY PLANNING
STEPS

identify scenarios
set priorities and goals
identify activities and tasks
allocate resources
allocate responsibilities
set order of implementation
ensure technical inputs
develop procedures

WHAT WIIL CHANGE
for the people, the environment and the economy,
IF THE HAZARD PERSISTS?

WHAT DO WE WANT
TO ACHIEVE OR AVOID?

THE MISSION
given the situation and development plans, facilitate decisions on

objectives
activities
tasks & responsibilities
time frame for implementation
resources to be mobilized

THE PROCESS
Participation and Ownership

Technical Facilitation

Information Sharing and Distribution of Responsibilities

Worst-Case Scenario

Sectoral Analysis and Inter-Sectoral Decisions

Local Action and Inter-Central Back-Stopping

THE OUTPUTS:

A Contingency Plan Against
the Impeding Hazard

And
A Plan Of Work For The Immediate Follow-Up

CONTINGENCY PLANNING:

THE PLAN:
the issues
the analysis
and
the choices
the first steps

CONTINGENCY PLANNING

THE ISSUES

CONTINGENCY PLANNING:

Region...........……...	District......….............

POPULATION & SOCIETY
Number
Movements & concentrations Civil security
Water security Food security Solidarity networks
Access to services/relief Others

Region..........……..	District….................

ENVIRONMENT
Shelter & Habitat Sanitation Vectors
Wildlife & natural heritage Cultural heritage
Other natural hazards Others

Region...............….....	District..............…....

PRODUCTION & ECONOMY
Agriculture & Livestock Industry
Commerce Tourism Employment Salaries
Coping mechanisms Currency & Finances Others

Region.........…........	District..................….

INFRASTRASTRUCTURE & ERVICES
Energy Communications Transports Public works
Health & Medical Education
Security & enforcement Management structures
Administration, Co-ordination and Leadership Others

CONTINGENCY PLANNING

ANLYSIS AND CHOICES

CONTINGENCY PLANNING:
The Starting point
Region..............	District.................

Issue	
The Current Situation	Early Warning Indicators	Missing Information	
Population And Society				
Environment				
Production & Economy				
Infrastructure & Services				

CONTINGENCY PLANNING:
.What if the Hazard persists
Region..............	District.................

ISSUE	How will the current situation change?	What do we want to achieve/avoid?	What must be done?	
			
1st Option	
Alternatives	
POPULATION AND SOCIETY					

ENVIRONMENT					
PRODUCTION & ECONOMY					
INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES					

CONTINGENCY PLANNING:
Implementation of the Plan
Region..............	District.................
ISSUE	Activity	Resources	Tasks in order of implement ation	Deadline	Responsibl e entity	
		Locally available	to be mobilized				
Population and Society							
Environment							
Production & Economy							
Infrastructure & Services							

CONTINGENCY PLANNING:
For immediate action
Region..............	District.................

ISSUE	... in the Current Situation	FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION	
	Immediate	Resources	at Regional level	at National level	
Population And Society					

Environment					
Production & Economy					
Infrastructure & Services					

PLANS DO NOT WORK

PEOPLE WORK

THE IMMEDIATE FOLLOW UP

Will you take responsibility
for action?

Whose authorization do you need?

Who can help you?

What else is needed to set things in motion?

REMEMBER:

sooner or later, the crisis will
pass