West Bank ? Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday she is taking it slow and steady as she assembles the elements for what might be a new Mideast peace plan.

“My approach has been, I admit, careful,” Rice said, because too many past efforts have failed despite what seemed to be clear objectives. “It’s been step by step. I have not been willing to try for the big bang.”

Rice is midway through a shuttle diplomacy mission that evokes previous failed attempts to pull together Israelis and the Palestinians. It is her fourth trip to the region in as many months.

For several months, Rice has tried to put substance to the goal outlined by President Bush four years ago of an eventual independent Palestinian state. On this trip, Rice says she is developing a common set of questions that both sides can use for discussions with her or on their own.

“If you’re going to talk about a political horizon, you have to know what’s blocking the horizon,” Rice told reporters traveling with her.

U.S. officials are coy when asked whether Rice has something more ambitious in mind. But Rice made clear that a “big bang” – such as a detailed program for peace that is written and backed by Washington or a Camp David-style summit – is not coming soon.