Failure to plan is planning to fail.
As a risk professional a significant amount of my time is devoted to equipping clients with the knowledge and tools they need to effectively manage their exposure to risk. It might sound obvious but one of the most important yet overlooked steps to reducing your exposure to risk during overseas travel is the simple act of planning.
So why do we plan? We plan to identify issues that might negatively impact our lives or objectives, including the identification of prevalent threats and hazards. We plan in order to have a rehearsed response to these issues if or when they arise and we plan to avoid surprises. Benjamin Franklin said it best when he said "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail".
When it comes to pre-travel planning the logical first step is to research your trip. Framing your research can be as simple as using the 5Ws: Where are you travelling to? When? Why are you going? Who are you traveling with? And specifically what will you be doing there? This information provides the basis for your contextual analysis and will also inform your risk assessment, which is conducted as part of the planning process.
The cornerstone of good research is the identification of credible sources of information to inform both the context and the associated risks, so let’s consider a few potential options. A good place to start is with online sources, which can include credible media outlets like: Al Jazeera, BBC or CNN all of which have regional news desks. Government websites like; State.gov, Smartraveller or Gov.uk are also useful, providing valuable country specific information on a wide range of topics including; safety and security, health, local laws and contact information for local embassies and consulates.
Another helpful source for preventative health and medical advice prior to travel is the Center for Disease Control (CDC)and the World Health Organization (WHO), which provide specific country reports highlighting health related concerns.
In addition to these primary sources, if you or your colleagues have local partners or other trusted sources on the ground, these are invaluable as they can provide a real-time understanding of the operating environment. The term local partners refers to any local organizations you might be working with on the ground, while other trusted sources could include organizations like UNDSS, the International NGO Safety Organization (INSO) or even the security focal point at your local Embassy.
Keep in mind all of these sources will have their own inherent biases, risk tolerances and agendas and these won’t always align with your own so this needs to be taken into consideration when you are collating your research. Remember the aim of research is to help us establish an accurate and objective view of the environment we intend to travel to, so it is vital that we seek out multiple sources to validate our findings.
Aside from external biases, we must also be cognizant of our own biases. Confirmation bias is a phenomenon that leads people to put more stock in information that confirms their beliefs while discounting information that doesn’t and this is something we are all prone to do, so avoid cherry picking information. Taking the time to thoroughly research your trip prior to departure is an important foundation for your personal safety and security during travel.
In a future post we’ll examine some additional pre-travel planning essentials and introduce you to a range of useful tools that will simplify the planning process and help you manage your exposure to risk.
Stay safe.
