Planning a Table Top Exercise
Photo courtesy of FEMA
February 2008Laurie Pearce
Don Bindon
AgendaPhoto courtesy of FEMA
1 Introductions1. Introductions2. Common Terminology3 What is it you need to know?3. What is it you need to know?4. Developing a Scenario5 Exercise Time!5. Exercise Time!6. Questions 7 Wrap Up7. Wrap Up
IntroductionsY•Your name
•Your organization•Why did you y ypick this workshop?workshop?
•Who are we?•Who are we?
Continuum of ExercisesContinuum of Exercises
Table TopFull Scale/
Comprehensive
p
Plan Review • More Experience• Greater Complexity• Greater Complexity• More Preparation Time• Increased CostIncreased Cost
Basic DefinitionsPlan Review Exercise
A review of the plan with its owner to reviewits owner to review structure, content and objectives of the planobjectives of the plan
Basic DefinitionsTable Top Exercise
A review of the processes and procedures that would be used in aprocedures that would be used in a real disaster. Used early in the
i iexercise program to detect issues that may interfere with the conducting of a realistic simulation
Basic Definitions
Walk Through ExerciseMethods shift from paper-based topaper based to hands-on. Physical actions are requiredactions are required to determine if procedures in planprocedures in plan will work.
Basic Definitions
Modular/Component Exercise
Exercise focuses on a single critical business function like a call tree or single server application.
Basic DefinitionsFunctional/Line of Business
Exercise activity is grouped according to the purpose or manner in which elements work or are used. An example would be an exercise Photo courtesy of FEMA
utilizing the EOC..
Basic Definitions
Simulation/Mock Exercise
A simulation exercise generally simulates a disastergenerally simulates a disaster and exercises the response & recovery roles &recovery roles & responsibilities in a realistic wayway..
Basic DefinitionsComprehensive/Full Scale Exercise
Extensive and complex exercise that engagesexercise that engages many of the elements of the organization –
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of the organization may re-enact the worst case scenariocase scenario.
Types of Exercises
S h d l dScheduled
S iSurprise
Key Factors for A TabletopKey Factors for A Tabletop Exercise
Exercise Developmentp
Exercise Participants
Scenario Development
Exercise Plan DevelopmentExercise Plan Development
Don’t have the same people who develop the plan writewho develop the plan write the exercise
Use a committee to write the exercisewrite the exercise –provides another l i t itlearning opportunity
Exercise Plan DevelopmentExercise Plan Development
Don’t write the exercise to point outexercise to point out the weaknesses (but th t h )that may happen)
– if you see a weakness fix it before the exercise
Exercise Plan DevelopmentExercise Plan Development
Keep it simple and straightforward!
Don’t make it too bigDon t make it too big a scenario and too
li t dcomplicated
Exercise Plan DevelopmentExercise Plan Development
Develop a disaster scenario not a catastrophe
…don’t make it a doomsdaya doomsday scenario
Exercise Plan DevelopmentExercise Plan Development
If you only use the process when it isprocess when it is a really big one, it bbecomes a disincentive to exercise for day-to-day operations
Photo courtesy of FEMA
y p
Exercise Plan DevelopmentExercise Plan Development
Needs to be about team building and relationshipbuilding and relationship building
…it’s early in the yprocess
Exercise Plan Development
N f lt i
Exercise Plan Development
No fault exercise
“Blame the man notman, not the plan”
“Blame the plan, not th ”the man”
Exercise Plan DevelopmentExercise Plan Development
Take the time to Prepare!
Exercise ParticipantsExercise Participants
Caution re: numbers!
Organizational behavior researchbehavior research would suggest no
1 imore than 15 in the exercise
Exercise Participants
Never have an
Exercise Participants
Never have an exercise before
ki hmaking sure that people are trained re: plan, process and the roles and responsibilities
Exercise Participants
M k i l d th i ht
Exercise Participants
Make sure you include the right people in the room – have those in ol ed that can make theinvolved that can make the appropriate decisions
(inputs should reflect the right level – e g middleright level – e.g., middle managers – middle management decisions)management decisions)
Exercise ParticipantsExercise Participants
Remember that people will do what they are used to do y– so training will need to be oftenneed to be often
Scenario DevelopmentScenario Development
If it’s too complicated people will start to p pfocus on the scenario to the point that theyto the point that they forget to work together as a teamtogether as a team
Scenario Development
Determine the scope
Scenario Development
Determine the scope
Is this a tabletop for: •your business (single site)? y g•multi-site?•industry-wide?industry wide?•with partners?
Scenario DevelopmentScenario Development
In most exercises the scenarios always worsen – the inputs make it worse
…which is the opposite from real oppos te o ealife where things do get betterget better
Scenario DevelopmentScenario Development
So, make sure the scenario has a positive outcomehas a positive outcome
… no need to be “Pollyanna” – but the scenario shouldthe scenario should demonstrate improvementimprovement
Scenario DevelopmentScenario Development
Make sure that the scenario engagesscenario engages the right people and that the scenariothat the scenario includes them (e.g., i l ll l k)single payroll clerk)
– who isn’t there
Scenario DevelopmentScenario Development
Certain thingsCertain things need to be specific notspecific not generic
Scenario Development
Have to reinforce your
Scenario Development
Have to reinforce your business continuity
l d ’t j t fplan – don’t just focus on emergency response
…critical business…critical business functions should be exercisedexercised
Scenario DevelopmentInclude non-critical business
Scenario Development
functions to ensure that there is an understanding of what isan understanding of what is critical and not critical
Consider what you are t i t d llnot going to do as well
as what you are going to do
Scenario DevelopmentScenario Development
Consider what links i t ithexist with emergency
responders – consider their immediate arrival versus a short delay, or a long delay
Scenario Development
Take people out of
Scenario Development
Take people out of their comfort zone –h h d l i hhave them deal with emergency management situations that are not part of ptheir normal practice or day-to-dayor day-to-day
Scenario DevelopmentScenario Development
Don’t testDon t test communications!
Scenario DevelopmentScenario Development
Remember that nothat no scenario ever unfolds as isunfolds as is practiced in
l lif !real life!
Introducing the CompanyIntroducing the Company
EPICC InternationalInternational Inc.
Introducing the SituationIntroducing the Situation
The B k dBackground
The Objectivesj
Introducing the ScenarioIntroducing the Scenario
Explosion!!
Task One
Complete the
Task One
Complete the scenario to iincorporate the points listed in the background g& to meet the objectivesobjectives
Task TwoTask Two
Identify the resourcesresources
Task ThreeDevelop an
Task Three
Input to meet the Objective j
An input should bring gout a situation for thefor the participants to
tiaction
Let’s PlayLet s PlayConsider
•Does the input make sense?•Does it meet the objective?objective?
ReviewReview
•Did the inputDid the input make sense?•Did it meet the•Did it meet the objective?
Key Factors for A TabletopKey Factors for A Tabletop Exercise
Exercise Developmentp
Exercise Participants
Scenario De elopmentDevelopment
Questions?