Authorities crisis management exercise

For a crisis management team exercise to deliver tangible benefits in the context of public sector crisis management, more is needed than just an exercise scenario. Preparation, clarification of roles, role-players and a structured debriefing with clear findings are crucial. We therefore managed the crisis management team exercise from its conception right through to the final report.

Background and Objectives of the Crisis Management Exercise

To enhance the ability to respond to exceptional situations, a comprehensive, cross-organisational crisis management team exercise was designed for the crisis management team of a local authority. The aim was to test cooperation between key civil protection stakeholders – such as the local authority, the police, the fire service and external agencies – under realistic conditions. The focus was on joint situation assessment, coordination and decision-making in public sector crisis management, as well as the early identification of opportunities for improvement in communication and procedural structures.

A crisis management exercise is a planned exercise in which a crisis management team simulates a realistic emergency situation in order to practise leadership, situational awareness, decision-making and communication under time pressure. The exercise tests procedures, roles and interfaces, identifies weaknesses and subsequently leads to specific improvements to crisis management and emergency procedures.

Implementation of our regulatory crisis management exercise

The exercise was organised as an end-to-end process, from conception through to evaluation. During the preparatory phase, relevant documents were reviewed and key points, roles and learning objectives were agreed upon at a kick-off meeting with all participants. Building on this, a realistic exercise scenario was developed featuring a plausible sequence of events, role-plays and expected measures, supplemented by documentation providing an introduction to public sector crisis management. Following several rounds of consultation, the concept was finalised in our exercise tool.

During the implementation phase, the exercise took place on-site over two consecutive days and involved participants from various organisational units, including the administration, the police, the fire service and other external stakeholders. It was facilitated and actively simulated by an opposing team; the exercise concluded with a simulated crisis press conference. Decisions, situation assessments and communication processes were observed and documented throughout.

During the debriefing phase, the observations were evaluated in a structured manner and compiled into a final report. The report summarised the course of the exercise, cross-organisational cooperation, key lessons learnt and specific areas for action, and formed the basis for improvements to processes, communication and understanding of roles.

1. Preparation phase

2. Implementation phase

3. Follow-up phase

Lessons learnt from our exercise for our client

The crisis management exercise demonstrated which factors are truly crucial in practical government emergency and crisis management, particularly at the interfaces between the administration and the emergency services. Concrete insights were derived from the preparation, execution and debriefing phases, which will be directly incorporated into procedures, the understanding of roles and communication.

Crisis management exercise with realistic roles, responsibilities and decision-making pathways
Interfaces specifically tested during the crisis management exercise (administration, fire service, police, external agencies)
Situational management at the core: shared situational picture, prioritisation, decisions under time pressure
Communication reviewed during the crisis management exercise (internal/external, coordination, approvals)
Structured process for the crisis management team exercise: preparation, implementation, debriefing
Debriefing as a lever: lessons learnt, areas for action and specific measures for public sector crisis management

“The exercise showed us where we are already well positioned in terms of collaboration and where we still need to refine our processes and communication. The facilitation and debriefing were particularly valuable.”

Our services for crisis management exercises

Review and analysis of relevant documentation for the exercise

Our 3-core team systematically reviewed the existing documentation for the exercise in order to gain a clear understanding of the initial situation, roles and interfaces within the crisis management team. This enabled our security experts to tailor the exercise design precisely to the authorities’ crisis management procedures, existing reporting channels and the organisation’s actual working practices.

Scenario and script development supported by the exercise tool

For the crisis management team exercise, 3-core developed a realistic scenario and a comprehensive exercise script – including the sequence of events, audio clips, roles, decision points and expected actions. We then implemented the scenario in the exercise tool so that the exercise could be conducted in a reproducible, controllable and technically consistent manner.

Role of the opposing team in the crisis management team exercise

To ensure the exercise was as realistic as possible, 3-core provided an opposing team that actively simulated the external situation and modelled inter-organisational cooperation. Our team simulated enquiries, feedback and developments in the situation in order to test the crisis management team’s communication, coordination and decision-making processes under time pressure.

Conducting and facilitating the crisis management team exercise on site

Our security experts facilitated the exercise on site and managed the various phases, including scenario simulation, time management and the structure of the situation briefings. In doing so, we supported the crisis management team in such a way that their actual working methods remained visible and decisions, situation management and communication could be observed in a realistic setting.

Simulation of a press conference

As a key part of the exercise, 3-core simulated a crisis press conference to practise crisis communication under pressure. During the exercise, our team reviewed roles, approvals, key messages and how to handle critical questions, in line with the situation assessment and decisions made by the crisis management team.

Documentation, analysis and final report on the crisis management exercise

3-core documented the exercise throughout and subsequently evaluated it in order to clearly identify strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement. Our experts have compiled the results in a final report – including lessons learnt, prioritised areas for action and specific recommendations for the further development of the crisis management organisation.

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