A protracted crisis and ongoing instability in South Sudan made clear to education stakeholders the urgent need to mainstream conflict and disaster risk management into sector analysis and planning processes. This case study outlines the process of developing an education sector analysis (ESA) and education sector plan (ESP) in risk-prone contexts, to illustrate the transformational potential of education through long-term prevention measures and preparedness planning. It examines the ESA/ESP development process in South Sudan – which relied on a variety of capacity development modalities, including technical workshops and advocacy – providing insights into both challenges and enabling factors, and concluding with key lessons learned.