READ THIS AND NEEDS I&R:
HSEEP Volume 3 can be found at link titled Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program.
http://montanadma.org/sites/default/files/HSEEP%20…
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post1
The reading material for this week allowed us to understand several issue regarding our topic: Exercise. Among others, we understand that though, exercise is a simulation or a situation where participants play roles which are normally inherent to an actual situation where people and jurisdictions respond to an actual emergency situation. Therefore, an excited exercise should make sure the play runs almost as a realistic situation. The exercise enhancements remain the possibility to make excise to look like a real situation. By excuse enhancement, we understand using realistic scenes or venue (for full scale excises) or bring real materials in the Exercise’ room. This does not mean making costly decision to make sure materials are brought in the room for the exercise purpose but this means using available equipment, volunteers, communication means, maps and so son. Such materials can be obtained from the organizations involved in the exercise or can be borrow from individual. However, it is important for the exercise organizers to make sure all borrow materials go back to owner. There should also be a great attention given to the reliability, insurance be a decision should be made to use one material or another. This also called Enhancement Logistics In planning for exercises. In other words, someone needs to take responsibility for managing the logistics related to enhancements. Such strategy helps to keep the exercise very similar to the real life situation.
Another important topic we learned about this week is how to design a Functional Exercise following the FEMA eight exercise design steps: Assess needs; Define scope; Write a statement of purpose; Define objectives; Compose a narrative; Write major and detailed events; List expected actions; Prepare messages. Even though we have been through these steps through the previous Units, this week reading showed how to put these steps together in one coordinated process. This reading was important when in small groups, we had to develop the four major exercise documents: the Exercise Plan, the Control Plan, the Evaluation Plan, and the Player Handbook for the completion of our Group Project.
The HSEEP document (Volume 1 &2) served as a vade mecum for the development of our project. Not only that all the form to be used for the different steps of our exercise are shown in these volumes, the reading resource is very valuable for giving a detail description of each step of the exercise. What are the roles to be implemented and actions to be taken for the exercise to run well and achieve the planning objectives.
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In unit 10 we apply the entire exercise design process to develop a functional exercise.
There eight steps in designing an exercise:
- Assess needs.
- Define scope.
- Write a statement of purpose.
- Define objective.
- Compose narrative.
- Write detailed event.
- List of expected actions.
- Prepare messages.
In the HSEEP Volume II, we see how exercise planning and conduct helps planners outline the standardized foundation, design, development and conduct process to any type of exercise. Volume II come under three chapter: 1. Foundation. 2. Design and development. 3. Conduct.
In order to build an exercise foundation, we must:
- create a base of support: this is to get government agencies support.
- Identify an exercise planning team: the team are responsible to determines exercise objectives, tailors the scenario to meet the exercising entity’s needs, and develops documentation used in evaluation, control, and simulation
- Develop a project management timeline: the team must establish a timeline that helps them to identify planning meeting dates and milestones.
- Schedule planning conferences: The exercise planning team leader and exercise planning team members decide the number of meetings Chapter 1: Foundation 4 HSEEP Volume II needed to successfully plan a given exercise
In the design and development, we identify the capabilities, task, and objectives, we develop the documentation, coordinating, planning and selecting evaluation methodology.
In the exercise conduct, we set up the activities. In the discussion-based exercise, we set up the presentation, facilitation, and discussion. In the operations-based exercise, we conduct all operations between the start of the exercise and the end of the exercise.
In the HSEEP volume III, it is the exercise evaluation and improvement planning that prove methodology for evaluating and documenting exercise. This volume consists of three chapter:
- Evaluation and improvement planning overview: the evaluation is important to maintain a link to improvement planning.
- Exercise evaluation, data collection, and analysis: this consist of four steps: 1. Plan and Organize the Evaluation 2. Observe the Exercise and Collect Data 3. Analyze Data 4. Develop the Draft After Action Report / Improvement Plan (AAR/IP).
- Improvement planning: this focus on using the information gained from exercises to implement improvements that will enhance capabilities to prevent, protect against, respond to, or recover from natural or man-made disasters. It is a cover step (5/6/7/8).
Step 5: conduct an after-action conference.
Step 6: identify corrective actions to be implemented.
Step 7: finalize AAR/ IP
Step 8: track the implementation.
