In many situations it is important to have a Plan B, but it can be easy to forget to plan for anything other than the desired ideal outcome. Formal contingency planning recognizes the acronym PACE, which stands for
- Primary plan - will lead to achievement of objectives if everything goes as planned
- Alternate plan - will lead to achievement of objectives if conditions change in predictable ways (mobile phone breaks/lost, prearranged transport missing, missed flight, etc.)
- Contingency plan - helps recover something of the original objectives if things go wrong (cash/cards gone, passport lost, airport shut down, Embassy closes, etc.)
- Emergency plan - in case everything goes wrong
Change is inevitable, and PACE planning prepares the traveler to deal with that. What if flights are canceled? Are earthquakes common at your destination? What if the power grid or cellular network is compromised and communications are blocked?
PACE planning helps avoid single points of failure, create support networks and lends to higher likelihood of a successful trip.
