Define the Essential Function Before Its Fallback
During disruption, "keep everything running" hides priorities and impossible assumptions. Agree what function matters, who can decide, what conditions make it acceptable and which dependencies must hold. Start with contingency versus continuity planning.
Establish a Fictional Municipal Case
In this invented exercise, Lakeside faces a possible two-day road closure. A municipal utility owns the water service; a local NGO supports communication and access arrangements. The utility's technical lead controls supply-quality decisions. Residents include people who cannot carry water far. The NGO has no authority to declare a source safe or change utility procedures.
The team initially writes "keep the pump running." Residents point out that an operating pump is useless to people who cannot reach the outlet. The group revises the function to "maintain access to an acceptable water supply through arrangements confirmed by the responsible authority." This is a planning objective, not a claim that a fallback can meet it.
Trace the Conditions That Matter
| Dependency | Responsible Role in This Fiction | Decision or Evidence Still Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable supply and operating conditions | Utility technical lead | Applicable quality checks and conditions for continuing, stopping or using an alternative |
| Staff and site access | Utility manager and staff safety owner | Reachable operator/deputy and safe access arrangements |
| Power, supplies and repair | Utility operations lead | What is available during the closure, including shared supplier dependencies |
| Money and authority | Authorized municipal finance role | Usable funds and permitted approvals when the usual signer is absent |
| Access and information for residents | Municipality, resident representatives and NGO | Accessible communications, assistance needs and a safe complaints route |
The group does not set a universal quantity, water-quality limit or restoration time. Those need applicable standards and local technical decisions. It records whose confirmation is missing instead of presenting invented thresholds as requirements.
Test One Consequential Exception
The nominated backup tanker uses the same road expected to close. The exercise therefore has no verified alternative delivery route. Buying a tanker contract without resolving access would preserve the failure. The technical and municipal owners must assess available lawful, safe options; the NGO records the unresolved dependency and avoids promising delivery.
If a supply-quality condition fails, "continuity" does not authorize continuing an unsafe service. The responsible utility and public-health roles decide the response, with timely accessible information for residents. Staff safety and protection concerns require their own responsible handoffs.
Produce a Decision Note That Can Be Acted On
The fictional note states: "The utility retains technical control. The NGO can prepare accessible messages and gather non-sensitive access concerns. The alternate-delivery assumption is unverified because both suppliers share the road. Confirm a feasible alternative and its technical acceptance before claiming continuity; finance will separately confirm approval cover. Revisit the plan when the closure forecast, staff availability or supply conditions change."
This output clarifies owners and missing evidence without pretending the service is assured. Use capital and ongoing costs for the funding discussion and WASH references for specialist source selection.
Sources and Limits
IFRC, Contingency Planning, preparation and business-continuity definitions, supports linking response and essential functions. UN-Habitat, Urban Basic Services, Objective and Strategy, supports considering institutions and users alongside infrastructure. Consulted October 29, 2026. This is a fictional coordination exercise, not a technically approved service plan or tested emergency procedure.