04
Programme management principles Assign a programme manager responsible for tracking implementation of improvements.
Set programme’s objectives (ex: regulation, organization, communications, planning…)
Develop plans of exercise and training activities.
Maintain cooperation with relevant organizations;
Produce a periodic progress report which demonstrates improvements assigned to each organization and how exercises implement improvement actions.
Organize administration of resources.<br>
05
General guidelines before planning Ensure that senior managers support and approve the activities.
Analysis of needs to lay the foundations for all subsequent development.
Set only clear, realistic and measurable objectives.
Acknowledge that exercises are made to improve, not to impress.
Keep exercises simple and more frequent for faster improvements.
Plan complex exercises only when personnel are experienced and once objectives of the more simple are reached.
Remember the importance of a successful evaluation: Valid, Authentic, Current, Sufficient and Reliable (VACSR).
Take into account changes in staff and equipment since previous exercises.<br>
06
1. Select exercise type Analysis Design Development Implementation Evaluation Preparation Execution Review 2. Exercise planning process<br>
07
Seminar Drill Table top Functional exercise Full-scale exercise Present or discuss something new Test an organization´s capability/ structure Requires interaction from participants? Do you want to deploy equipment? No Serious game What you want to do? Yes Indoors
Exercise run in a room or rooms. Yes Outdoors
Exercise run in a room/ rooms and/or in the field with deployment of means. 1. Select exercise type Modified from Introduction to the Exercise Planning Tool (WHO, 2021) and adapted to the MANIFESTS Exercise Tool Workshop Yes No Test an emergency plan/policy No Test a specific component/ function Test an emergency plan/policy Fixed scenario Modifiable scenario<br>
08
2. Exercise planning process<br>
09
Analysis Set exercise planning group
All agencies who have a role to play should be invited.
The exercise planning group can include exercise facilitators and evaluators, but should not include players.
Set exercise planning meetings
Concept and Objectives
Initial Planning
Midterm Planning
Storyboard of the incident, injects and documentation
Final Planning Exercise planning groups and meetings can range from one person and/or meeting to several, depending on the complexity and type of the exercise. Go to Types of exercises<br>
10
Set objectives (SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant/Realistic, Timely)
Appoint exercise coordinator and team
Establish exercise scope (select type, participants, duration, location, parameters)
Establish exercise plan (details of type, participants, roles, duration, location, parameters, previous training).
Establish exercise resources (equipment, devices for communications, hardware and software, units, rooms, operative requirements for the location/s…)
Establish exercise scenario (realistic threat, challenging but posible)
Establish the evaluation plan. Roadmap to implement the lessons learnt.
Determine media and public relations guidance
Obtain aproval for proposal and design from senior managers Design<br>
11
Development Establish coordination team and coordination plan
Develop exercise scenario
Develop training and related activities (needed to develop the exercise), train the exercise trainers
Develop exercise documentation (briefing report, injects, evaluation forms…)
Prepare administration, materials and approval
Prepare logistics (meeting rooms, food, audiovisual equipment, note-taking supplies, badges, registration assistance, directions, parking…)
Prepare and test technical resources (equipment, devices for communications, hardware and software, connections, network…).”
Develop communications plan (media and external community relations)
Prepare safety and security means<br>
12
Scenario considerations
It should be realistic and include:
Realistic timescale (day/s, date/s and time).
Nature of incident (consistent with exercise location)
Expected weather conditions
Progression (different phases in complex exercises)
Particularities of people involved (e.g. vulnerable, young, elderly)
Activities for each organization and participant involved. A particular focus on injects and the flow of information -communications
It is important that the scenario is well detailed (timeline, storyboard, injects) but storyboard may be to some extent flexible to permit participants deal with unplanned incidents.
Some previous decisions:
Time-lapse or real time.
Controlled or free play.
The scenario can be completely or partially pre-scripted, depending if we want to test the flexibility or the validity of plans.
Media. The exercise can include the participation of media to test their response. Also replicate Social Media feeds to include public reaction. Adapted from Preparing Scotland Exercise Guidance (2018)<br>
13
Implementation Briefing participants (players and observers)
Familarisation with equipments (led by organisation team)
Initiation play
Maintaining the exercise
Evaluating activities
Terminating play Management Team Briefing/Meeting: review of the entire exercise (scenario, documentation, equipment, functions, flow of information, equipment, distribution…).
Test equipments to make sure they work properly. Preparation (once all logistics are ready): Conduction:<br>
14
Evaluation Collect data (during and after exercise)
: critique held immediately after the exercise.
: more formal session to share more considered opinions.
Feedback forms
Analyse collected data
Analyse events and facilities
Report findings
Make recommendations Hot wash Debriefing Of improvement for participants.
Of improvement for future exercises.
Proposal of itinerary of activities for individual participants or groups. Go to Debrief documentation<br>
15
Debrief considerations
Give an introduction to explain why the debrief is useful.
Be sure all participants have the necessary contact details to send information.
Establish ground rules – for example:
Participants should be as frank and open as possible sharing their opinions and concerns.
The debrief must be concentrated on key issues and priorities. Extra issues can be sent by email
Confirm the outcomes of this debrief and feedback to participants
Ask participants for:
Weaknesses of the exercise
Strengths of the exercise
What they have learnt
Good practices (strategies and/or activities that resulted effective and efficient)
What they would recommend (areas for improvement)
Which concerns they have
Afterwards:
Send additional debrief points by email to participants
Send outcomes of this debrief and feedback to participants Adapted from Preparing Scotland Exercise Guidance (2018)<br>
16
References: Preparing Scotland Exercise Guidance (2022) Link
GOV.UK. Emergency planning and preparedness: exercises and training (2022) Link
DG ECHO. Technical Guide for UCPM Full-scale exercises (2021) Link
FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agengy). Course IS-120.C: An Introduction to Exercises (2018) Link
IPIECA. Oil spill exercises, Good practice guidelines for the development of an effective exercise programme (2016) Link
Arcopol Plus. Activity 3, Task 3.1.3: Guides for training forecasting exercises (2014). Link
MCA UK (Marine Coastguard Agency) The Exercise Planners Guide (1998) Link
IPIECA. A guide to oil spill exercise planning (1996) Link
OMS/WHO Introduction to the Exercise Planning Tool (2021). Link Partners’ logo<br>
