Inter-Agency Contingency Planning Guidelines for Humanitarian Assistance

Motivational speaker Denis Waitley said: “Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised.” This captures the importance of planning together so that the IASC can minimize surprise later on. The guidelines provide practical guidance to Humanitarian Country Teams on inter-agency contingency planning to increase the Humanitarian Country Teams’ level of preparedness and enhance their ability to respond to emergencies. Experience confirms that effective humanitarian response at the onset of a crisis is heavily influenced by the level of preparedness and planning of responses, as well as resources available to them. The guidelines consist of four parts: 1) The first part briefs on the aim of the guidelines 2) The second part contains an overview of key concepts in contingency planning, such as what contingency planning is, the importance of planning, when and what to plan, and finally who will lead the inter-agency process 3) The third part provides tools to manage an inter-agency contingency planning process, and how to develop integrated plans and monitor ongoing preparedness actions 4) The last part offers practical advice on how to develop, circulate, and maintain a contingency plan