Disaster preparedness is nothing new to governments, businesses, and development organizations. The well-laid plans to be used in case of fire, flood, or storm are commonplace. They help to provide a blueprint for action at a moment of crisis when an existing strategy can be a thing of comfort for those dealing with the unthinkable. Of course, the types of disastrous situations have expanded — from terrorism to cyberattack to, now, pandemic.
Resilience planning, though, is another matter. It recognizes that disasters and difficulties will happen, that immediate response is necessary, but that long-term implications will require a different set of strategies and actions to ensure ongoing viability, whether for a business, a government, or a development organization.