Contingent Response Strategies

Preplanned risk responses that are set to be executed when a defined trigger or set of conditions is observed.

Key Points

  • They are tied to specific risk triggers (indicators or thresholds) that signal when to act.
  • Documented in the risk register with clear decision rules, owners, and required resources.
  • Executed only if the trigger occurs; otherwise the plan remains on standby.
  • Often require allocated schedule or cost reserves to enable rapid implementation.

Example

If the selected supplier misses two consecutive milestone deliveries, the project will invoke the preapproved backup plan: shift 40% of the scope to an alternate supplier and rebaseline the schedule by one week.

PMP Example Question

During planning, the team defines that if defect rates exceed 5% for two sprints, they will add an extra test cycle and bring in a contract tester. What is this an example of?

  1. Fallback plan
  2. Workaround
  3. Contingent response strategy
  4. Risk transfer

Correct Answer: C — Contingent response strategy

Explanation: The action is preplanned and linked to a specific trigger (defects > 5% for two sprints), which defines when it will be executed.

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