bcm and crisis management exercises gareth jones

Crisisinterface

Copyright Crisisinterface Limited 2013 Gareth Jones [email protected] 0044(0) 7880 313618

Gareth Jones MSc MBCI

BCM and CM Exercises Planning, implementing and evaluating successful exercises

mailto:[email protected]

Crisisinterface Copyright Crisisinterface Limited 2013 Gareth Jones [email protected] 0044(0) 7880 313618

Exercise process

Planning Development Exercise Report

Success at exercising comes from soft skills

• People • Objectives

The vehicle • Facilitation • Risk Evaluation



People and how they learn

Abstract conceptualisation (concluding, learning from the experience)

Active experimentation (planning/trying out what has been learned)

Concrete experience (doing)

Reflection/ Observation (reviewing)

1

2 3

4

Kolb experiential

learning

Design, experience, reflect and fix

Source: adapted from Kolb.D. (1984) Experiential Learning



Setting objectives

an ‘appropriate challenge’ to the people being exercised

progressive development of capability

the aims and objectives should be test driven to ensure they can be evaluated

what will be evaluated - metrics, checkpoints and outputs

what will be the most effective way to report on the exercise and achievement of its objectives

4

Effective exercise design requires appropriate objectives



Which vehicle to gain performance

Team

• Diagnostic • Validate • Embed

Use the best vehicle to achieve your objectives

Team

Operating environment – enabling corporate strategy or response to be evaluated

The Organisation

Team

Team Team Team

• Developing collective capability to perform

• Training • Coaching

• Developing capability

• Training • Coaching

Team Team Team Team



Evaluation – and debrief

‘hot debrief’ – conducted immediately after the ‘play’ has stopped

what went well? what didn't? what should we change?

forms, reflection, good, learning and the one thing

‘e’ survey – strongly agree etc. Free text at the end

opportunity for leadership to talk

main or ‘cold’ debrief

data gathering – how will learning be illustrated

reports

action planning and follow up

Debrief provides opportunity to ‘fix’ learning



Skills for facilitation

Appropriate facilitation skills:

understands value of preparation and rehearsal

understands stress and it’s causes

can do active listening – open questions – iterate feedback

has objectivity

observation, tuned in?

can apply analysis skills – can help people reflect and pin down what the learning point is for them (KSAB)

soft people skills – sensitivity to people and group dynamics – has ability to flex approach

has sense of humour

Facilitators: the catalyst to enable people learn - KSAB



Exercise risk

Planning Development Exercise Report

Risks need to evaluated across the exercise process

• Objectives not right

• Buy-in • Participation

• Project timescale • Trusted agent access • Security • Exercise organisation

design • Vehicle design • Communications

• Leakage • Facilitation • Real-incident • People

• Taken as a measure

• Changes not implemented



Conclusion Success at exercising comes from soft skills and experience

Design, experience, reflect and fix

Effective exercise design requires appropriate objectives

Use the best vehicle to achieve your objectives

Debrief provides the opportunity to ‘fix’ learning

Risks need to evaluated across the exercise process

Facilitators: the catalyst to enable people learn - KSAB



Some further reading

Continuity Magazine- March 2010. Article: design, experience, reflect and fix, exercise planning. Gareth Jones

BSI – PD25666 BCM. Guidance on exercising and testing for continuity and contingency programmes. Exercising basics

ISO 22398 in development

Kees Van Harperen (Risk Management Journal 2001. Paper: the value of Simulation Exercises for Emergency Management in the UK)

BCI and Dennis Flynn – Exercising for Excellence

Collinson. C and Parcell. G: Learning to Fly

Exercise Watermark – Final Report – September 2011

UK Financial Sector Market-wide exercise report 2011 – 3 Feb 2012


bcm and crisis management exercises gareth jones

Business