In which of the following phases of system development life cycle (SDLC) is contingency planning most important?

Question

Options

• AInitiation
• BDevelopment/acquisition
• CImplementation
• DOperation/maintenance

• A
  88% (35)
• B
  5% (2)
• C
  5% (2)
• D
  3% (1)

Explanation

Contingency planning is most critical during Initiation because this is when system requirements, mission impact, and risk tolerance are first defined - establishing the foundation that all subsequent security and recovery decisions build upon. Identifying contingency needs early ensures they are designed into the system architecture rather than bolted on afterward, which is both more effective and less costly.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• B (Development/acquisition): By this phase, the system's requirements should already reflect contingency needs; building without prior contingency planning means retrofitting costly fixes.
• C (Implementation): The system is being deployed here - far too late to fundamentally reshape the architecture around recovery capabilities.
• D (Operation/maintenance): The system is live and contingency plans should already be active, not being conceived for the first time.

Memory tip: Think of it as building a hospital - you design emergency exits and backup generators into the blueprints (Initiation), not after construction is done. NIST SP 800-34 reinforces this: contingency planning begins at system conception, so "earliest phase = highest leverage."

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