Contingency Planning · The fallback plan · Component
The alternative
What is done instead if the main plan will not deliver — worked out in advance, when there is time to think.
The deliverable
What it is
A fallback devised under pressure is the first idea available. A fallback devised in advance is the best of several.
It is usually a reduced version of the same thing rather than a different thing, and reducing well requires knowing what the commitment actually needs.
One level in
What it is made of
Each element is a constituent part of the component. Follow one to see the attributes it carries.
A fallback presented as costless is not a fallback. It is the plan that should have been chosen.
The other components in the fallback plan
The lead time
How long the alternative takes to start — which is what sets the last moment the decision can be taken.
LearnThe trigger
What would cause the fallback to be used, stated as an observable condition rather than as a judgement.
Learn