FEMA PowerPoint Template

							Homeland Security Exercise and
Evaluation Program (HSEEP)


Rebecca L. Siceloff




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An Introduction to Exercises

  Assess and validate policies, plans, procedures, training,
  equipment, assumptions, and interagency agreements
  Clarify roles and responsibilities
  Improve interagency coordination and communications
  Identify gaps
  Measure performance
  Identify opportunities for improvement




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HSEEP Cycle




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The Building Block Approach

Key Concept:

Exercises should be planned in a
cycle that increases in complexity.
Each successive exercise should
build on the scale and experience
of the previous exercise.




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Discussion-based Exercises
  Provide a forum for discussing
  or developing plans,
  agreements, training and
  procedures
  Less complicated than
  operations-based exercises
  Focus on strategic, policy-
  oriented issues
  Include seminars, workshops,
  tabletops, and games
  Do not involve deployment of
  resources


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Seminars
An informal discussion-based exercise led by a presenter or a
facilitator, used to teach or orientate participants.
Goals
   Orientate participants to new or existing plans, policies, or procedures
   Research or assess interagency capabilities or inter-jurisdictional
   operations
   Construct a common framework of understanding

Conduct Characteristics
   Casual atmosphere
   Minimal time constraints
   Lecture-based



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Workshops
A formal discussion-based exercise led by a facilitator, used
to build or achieve a product.
Goals
  Develop new ideas, policies, or processes
  Develop a written product as a group in coordinated activities
  Obtain consensus
  Collect or share information
Conduct Characteristics
  Involves more participant discussion than lecture-based seminar
  Uses break-out sessions to explore parts of issue with smaller groups




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Tabletop Exercises
A tabletop exercise (TTX) involves senior staff, elected or appointed
officials, or other key personnel in an informal group discussion centered
on a hypothetical scenario.

Goals
  Identify strengths and shortfalls
  Enhance understanding of new concepts
  Identify strengths and shortfalls

Conduct Characteristics
  Requires an experienced facilitator
  In-depth discussion
  Slow-paced problem solving



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Games
Key Concept: A game is a simulation of operations using rules, data,
and procedures designed to depict an actual or assumed real-life
situation.

Goals
 Explore the processes and consequences of decision-making
 Conduct “what-if” analysis of existing plans
 Test existing and potential strategies

Conduct Characteristics
 Does not involve the use of actual resources
 Often involves two or more teams
 Includes models/ simulations of increasing complexity




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Operations-based Exercises
 Involve deployment of resources and personnel
 More complex than discussion-based exercises
 Require execution of plans, policies, procedures
 Clarify roles and responsibilities
 Improve individual and team performances
 Include drills and both functional and full-scale exercises




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 Drills
 A drill is a supervised activity that tests a specific operation or function of
 a single agency.



Goals
   Gain training on new equipment
   Test new procedures
   Practice and maintain skills
   Prepare for more complex exercises

Conduct Characteristics
  Immediate feedback
  Realistic but isolated environment



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Functional Exercises
A functional exercise (FE) is a single or multi-agency activity designed to
evaluate capabilities and multiple functions using simulated response.

Goals
 Evaluate management of Emergency Operations Centers, command
 posts, and headquarters
 Assess the adequacy of response plans and resources

Conduct Characteristics:
  Simulated deployment of resources and personnel
  Rapid problem solving
  Highly stressful environment



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Full-Scale Exercises
A full-scale exercise (FSE) is a high-stress multi-agency, multi-
jurisdictional activity involving actual deployment of resources in a
coordinated response, as if a real incident had occurred.

Goals
  Assess plans and procedures under crisis
  conditions
  Evaluate coordinated responses under crisis
 conditions


Conduct Characteristics:
  Mobilization of units, personnel, and equipment
  Stressful, realistic environment
  Scripted exercise scenario


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HSEEP Cycle: Project Management




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Exercise Project Management
Project managers are responsible for the design,
development, and execution of a specific exercise, followed
by evaluation and improvement planning.

 Develop a project management timeline
 Establish project milestones
 Identify the exercise planning team
 Schedule planning conferences




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Exercise Timeline
In project management, the Exercise Timeline identifies key
conferences and tasks for an individual exercise.

Exercise project managers build timelines to include:
 A schedule of key conferences and milestones
 Planning team task assignments

Generally, timelines for discussion-based exercises are shorter and
have fewer tasks than timelines for operations-based exercises.




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Exercise Planning Team
Every exercise requires an Exercise Planning Team – the
core group responsible for the design, development, conduct,
and evaluation of an exercise.


  Determines exercise objectives
  Creates the scenario
  Develops exercise documentation
  Conducts pre-exercise briefing and training sessions
  Composed of members of key participating agencies
  Is manageable and flexible in size, depending on exercise type and
  scope




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Defining Design and Development
Exercise design includes:
 Assessing exercise needs
 Defining the scope of the exercise
 Writing a statement of purpose
 Defining exercise objectives
 Creating a scenario for the exercise

Exercise development includes:
 Creating exercise documentation
 Arranging logistics, actors, and safety
 Coordinating participants and media
 Other supporting planning tasks


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Purpose
An exercise's purpose states the desired goal of the exercise.


  Governs the selection of the objectives
  Clarifies why the exercise is being conducted
  Communicates plans to the media and community leaders




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Scope
Scope establishes realistic limits on the exercise.

Scope includes:
  Type of exercise
  Location of exercise
  Agencies/Emergency Support Functions
  Participants
  Type of emergency
  Capabilities to be exercised




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Objectives
An objective is a description of the performance you expect
from participants. It conveys specifically how the exercise
should achieve its purpose.


Objectives
 Define performance/actions expected from participants
 Defines the specific conditions under which those actions will
 be performed
 Provide framework for scenario development
 Provide exercise evaluation criteria

.

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Scenario
A scenario is the storyline that drives an exercise.



A scenario includes:
  General context or comprehensive story
  Technical details of story's conditions and events
  Conditions for assessing capabilities

Scenarios should be:
  Threat-based and performance-based
  Realistic
  Challenging




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Exercise Documentation
Exercise documents are the most tangible
elements of design and development.

Different exercise types require different
documentation, ranging from simple sign-in sheets
to media releases and exercise evaluation guides.

Basic exercise documentation includes:
 Situation Manual
 Exercise Plan
 Controller Evaluator Handbook
  Master Scenario Events List
 Exercise Evaluation Guides


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HSEEP Cycle: Project Management




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Discussion-Based Conduct
Discussion-based exercise conduct involves:
  Site setup
  Guided presentation
  Facilitated/ moderated discussion
  Wrap-up activities (including a hot wash)

The majority of discussion-based “action” comes from moderated
participant discussions, either as a whole group or in break-out
sessions. Moderators and facilitators are essential to keeping the
discussions on track to meet exercise objectives.




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Operations-Based Conduct

Conduct of operations-based exercises involves:
 Site setup
 Exercise briefings
 Exercise play
 Wrap-up activities




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Evaluation
Key Concept: Exercise evaluation assesses how well the
exercise objectives were achieved. It also identifies
opportunities for improvement.

Evaluators accomplish this by:
 Observing the exercise and collecting supporting data.
 Gauging performance against expected outcomes.
 Determining what changes are needed to ensure desired outcomes.

Evaluation is the yardstick by which an organization measures its
capabilities. Good evaluations result in suggestions for filling and
bridging capability gaps or making needed improvements.




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Exercise Evaluation Guides
Exercise Evaluation guides (EEGs) provide structured evaluation
measures of participant conduct, listing critical activities and tasks to be
completed during an exercise.


Three distinct levels of analysis:
  Task-level
  Activity-level
  Capability-level




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After Action Reports
Prepared by the members of the planning team and evaluation
team, the After Action Report (AAR) provides participant
officials with feedback on the exercise's results and suggests
recommendations for improvement.


After Action Reports:
 Prepared after every exercise type.
 Summarize what happened during the exercise.
 Provide feedback to participants on their performance.
 Recommend improvements for better preparedness.




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The After Action Conference
The After Action Conference is a forum for exercise participants to
discuss the draft AAR and identify action items for the Improvement Plan.

The conference should address:
  Specific improvement actions that agencies
  can take
  Feedback and validation of observations and
  recommendations
  Key lessons learned from the exercise
  experience
  Distribution of AAR and IP




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Improvement Planning Process
The Improvement Planning Process is the means for
converting recommendations from the After Action Report
(AAR) into measurable steps that, when implemented, lead to
improved response capabilities.

 By focusing on performance and how actual outcomes
 differ from expectations, public officials and exercise
 planners can:
   Target their improvement resources more effectively
   Modify their exercise programs before having to respond to a real
  incident



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The Improvement Plan
Organizations execute the improvement planning process
using a tool called the Improvement Plan (IP).


The IP identifies:
 Actions to address each AAR recommendation.
 Who will be responsible for taking each action.
 A timeline for completion of those actions.

Once recommendations and action items have been identified,
organizations should ensure that each item is tracked to
completion and improvements are implemented.


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The Improvement Plan Matrix
The Improvement Plan Matrix is a spreadsheet template for
completing the IP in a condensed form.

The Improvement Plan Matrix finalizes the AAR/IP
It includes:
    Tasks
    Recommendations
   Improvement Actions
    Responsible Party (Parties)
    Completion Date




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HSEEP Cycle




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Program Management
Exercise program management involves developing and
executing an exercise program.

An exercise program provides the administration,
supporting resources, and strategic goals for an
organization's exercise efforts

This includes:
  Multiyear training and exercise program planning.
  Budgeting and grant writing.
  Planning and executing individual exercises.
  Tracking improvements.



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HSEEP Cycle: Program Management




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Improvement Planning Workshop (IPW)
 The Improvement Planning Workshop is a Plan is a forum
 to focus on previous year’s After Action Reports (AARs)
 and Improvement Plans (IPs) for exercises and real-world
 events


Allows for the development of a more cohesive Training and
  Exercise Plan
     Participants can review priorities with their colleagues to
     ensure these are the correct priorities before the Training
     and Exercise Planning Workshop (TEPW)
     Gain buy-in across department before the TEPW
     Better prepare TEPW participants

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HSEEP Cycle: Program Management




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Multi-Year Training & Exercise Plan
The Multiyear Training & Exercise Plan is essential to
managing an exercise program. The plan is a document
that outlines a program's long-term strategy for building
capabilities through exercises and training.

Takes stock of prioritized capabilities
Lays out long-term program goals and objectives
Develops a mix of training and exercises to meet goals and objectives
Determines what training is needed as a prerequisite to planned
exercises
Sets a multi-year schedule of training events and exercises



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Multi-Year Training & Exercise
Schedule
Exercise coordination is done through the Multi-Year
Training and Exercise Schedule. This schedule lays out a
long-term schedule of planned and potential training dates
and exercises.

The Multi-Year Training and Exercise Schedule is used to:
  Avoid duplicating their efforts
  Combine exercises and ensure the exercises don't conflict
  Combine training and ensure training does not conflict
  Optimize and combine funding where possible
  Prevent "over" training and exercising


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Training & Exercise Planning
Workshop (TEPW)
The Multi-Year Training and Exercise Plan and the Multi-
Year Training and Exercise Schedule are created at a
Training and Exercise Planning Workshop (TEPW).


 Involves various stakeholders from both exercise and training
 community
 Is conducted annually
 Is one to two days long
 Allows agency representatives from numerous training and exercise
 programs to coordinate activities


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HSEEP Cycle




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