What is the first step in the Contingency Planning Process?

• A. Develop Contingency Plan Policy
• B. Conduct BIA
• C. Create Contingency Strategies
• D. Develop Contingency Plan

Answer: (A)

Developing a contingency plan policy is the first step because it establishes governance for the entire program. This policy defines who is responsible, what the scope and objectives are, authority to activate plans, roles during disruption, and the limits of acceptable risk. With this policy in place, the organization commits resources, sets expectations, and provides a formal foundation that guides all subsequent steps, such as conducting a Business Impact Analysis to identify critical functions, selecting recovery strategies, and developing the actual contingency plan. Without an approved policy, later activities would lack leadership approval and consistency, making it hard to align recovery efforts with organizational goals. After policy is established, you typically move on to the BIA, then to strategy development, and finally to creating and testing the contingency plan.