Policy and Guidance

HSEEP Policy & Guidance provides a set of fundamental​ principles for exercise programs, as well as a common approach to program management, design ​and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning. ​

Program Management

Key factors drive the exercise design and development process. Exercise practitioners use the intent and guidance of their elected and appointed officials and the exercise program priorities to shape the key concepts and planning considerations for exercises. In designing and developing individual exercises, exercise planning team members are identified to schedule planning meetings, identify and develop exercise objectives, design the scenario, create documentation, plan exercise conduct and evaluation, and coordinate logistics.

Design and Development

An effective exercise program is an essential component of our national preparedness as it validates plans, tests operational capabilities, maintains leadership effectiveness, and examines ways we utilize the whole community. Exercise program management involves a collaborative approach that integrates resources, organizations, and individuals in order to identify and achieve program priorities.

Conduct

Exercise conduct involves activities essential to conducting exercises such as preparing for exercise play, managing exercise play, and conducting immediate exercise wrap-up activities. Throughout these efforts, the engagement of elected and appointed officials by practitioners will ensure that the exercise is addressing the guidance and intent of officials.

Evaluation

Exercise evaluation is the cornerstone of an exercise and maintains the functional link between exercise and improvement planning. Through exercise evaluation, organizations assess the capabilities needed to accomplish a mission, function, or objective. Effective exercise evaluation involves planning for exercise evaluation, observing and collecting data during exercise conduct, analyzing data, and reporting exercise outcomes.

Improvement Planning

Exercises afford organizations the opportunity to evaluate capabilities and assess progress toward meeting capability targets in a controlled, low-risk setting. An effective corrective action program develops improvement plans that are dynamic documents, with corrective actions continually monitored and implemented as part of improving preparedness.

Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGs)

Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGS) provide a consistent tool to guide exercise observation and data collection. EEGs are aligned to exercise objectives and core capabilities, and list the relevant capability targets and critical tasks. These targets and critical tasks may be drawn from the National Preparedness Goal and the five national planning frameworks, a threat/hazard identification and risk assessment product, or from an organization’s own plans and assessments.