The word "precondition" refers to a requirement or condition that must be met or fulfilled before something else can happen or be achieved. It is something that needs to happen or be in place beforehand.
I want to test the waters for this discussion by setting out what I see as a number of preconditions for responsible discussion, beginning with what I think Jews have a right to expect from Christians. (religion-online.org)
In fact, Naryshkin threatened to sack Smirnov himself, who set as precondition for a restart of 5 +2 that Moldova recognize the independence of Transnistria. (blog.politics.ox.ac.uk)
It's «a necessary precondition for effective government». (theguardian.com)