Contingency planning is the process of taking steps to mitigate the impact of a disaster or other unwelcome situation. For serious organizations it is a complex task, requiring detailed analysis and ultimately, the creation of a ContingencyPlan.
The process for creating a plan itself comprises a number phases. These typically include impact analysis, assessment of risk, plan creation and testing.
There are a growing number of support groups to assist those charged with responsibility for contingency planning (eg: the community at http://www.disasterrecoveryforum.com) and a substantial number of commercial resources. However, the key to successful planning is usually the process itself.
See also ContingencyPlan