ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Contingency plan

Okay kiddo, let me explain contingency plans in a way you'll understand. Imagine you're planning to have a picnic with your friends in the park, but you check the weather forecast and see that it might rain. You don't want to cancel the picnic, so you come up with a plan just in case it does rain.

Your plan could be to bring a big umbrella or to move the picnic under a sheltered area. That's what a contingency plan is - it's a backup plan that you make just in case something unexpected happens.

In real life, contingency plans are important for many things. For example, a company might have a contingency plan in case there's a fire, or if their computer systems go down. This is a plan that they make ahead of time so that they know what to do if something goes wrong.

Contingency plans help people and businesses be prepared for emergencies or unexpected situations. It's always better to have a backup plan in place, so you don't have to worry when something surprising happens.