Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)

1. Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) JULY 2008 UPDATE

2. Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) • Standardizes exercise design, development, conduct, and evaluation for all (National-level, Federal, State, local) exercises • Establishes common language and concepts to be adopted and used by various agencies and organizations • Meets the National Response Framework (NRF) and National Incident Management System (NIMS) goals • Synchronizes all exercises in the Nation • Provides tools and resources for States and local jurisdictions to establish self-sustaining exercise programs

3. HSEEP Components • HSEEP addresses the range of exercise evaluation issues through a blended approach involving four related program areas: • Policy and Guidance — Providing the strategic direction for exercise and evaluation programs Nationwide • Training — Offering courses and tutorials on the many HSEEP plans, policies, and requirements • Technology — Ensuring that Federal, State, and local jurisdictions have the tools necessary to plan and implement exercise programs • Direct Support — Supporting jurisdictions across the Nation through funding, training, and other exercise support Training Policy and Guidance HSEEP Direct Support Technology

4. HSEEP Volumes • Volume I: Overview and Exercise Program Management • Volume II: Exercise Planning and Conduct • Volume III: Exercise Evaluation and Improvement Planning • Volume IV: Sample Exercise Documents and Formats • Volume V: Prevention Exercises (Draft)

5. HSEEP Terminology and Methodology • Exercises allow homeland security and emergency management personnel, from first responders to senior officials, to train and practice prevention, protection, response, and recovery capabilities in a realistic but risk-free environment. Exercises are also a valuable tool for assessing and improving performance, while demonstrating community resolve to prepare for major incidents. • A consistent terminology and methodology for exercises is critical to avoiding confusion, and to ensuring that entities can exercise together seamlessly • There are seven types of exercises defined within HSEEP, each of which is either discussions-based or operations-based.

6. HSEEP Exercise Types • Discussions-based Exercises familiarize participants with current plans, policies, agreements and procedures, or may be used to develop new plans, policies, agreements, and procedures. • Operations-based Exercises validate plans, policies, agreements and procedures, clarify roles and responsibilities, and identify resource gaps in an operational environment

7. HSEEP Discussions-based Exercises • Seminar. A seminar is an informal discussion, designed to orient participants to new or updated plans, policies, or procedures • Workshop. A workshop resembles a seminar, but is employed to build specific products, such as a draft plan or policy • Tabletop Exercise (TTX). A tabletop exercise involves key personnel discussing simulated scenarios in an informal setting. TTXs can be used to assess plans, policies, and procedures. • Games. A game is a simulation of operations that often involves two or more teams, usually in a competitive environment, using rules, data, and procedure designed to depict an actual or assumed real-life situation.

8. HSEEP Operations-based Exercises • Drill. A drill is a coordinated, supervised activity usually employed to test a single, specific operation or function within a single entity • Functional Exercise (FE). A functional exercise examines and/or validates the coordination, command, and control between various multi-agency coordination centers (e.g., emergency operation center, joint field office, etc.). A functional exercise does not involve any "boots on the ground" (i.e., first responders or emergency officials responding to an incident in real time). • Full-Scale Exercises (FSE). A full-scale exercise is a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional, multi-discipline exercise involving functional (e.g., joint field office, emergency operation centers, etc.) and "boots on the ground" response (e.g., firefighters decontaminating mock victims).

9. Situation Manual (SitMan) Exercise Plan (ExPlan) Controller and Evaluator (C/E) Handbook Master Scenario Events List (MSEL) Player Handbook Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGs) After Action Report/Improvement Plan (AAR/IP) HSEEP Exercise Documentation The list below contains the important document types associated with most exercises (HSEEP V2)

10. Concepts and Objectives Meeting Initial Planning Conference (IPC) Mid-Year Planning Conference (MPC) Master Scenario Events List (MSEL) Conference Final Planning Conference (FPC) After Action Conference (AAC) HSEEP Planning & After Action Conferences The HSEEP methodology defines a variety of planning and after action conferences (depending on type and scope of the exercise)

11. HSEEP Compliance HSEEP compliance is adherence to specific HSEEP-mandated practices for exercise design, conduct, evaluation, and documentation • HSEEP compliance includes four distinct performance requirements: • Conduct annual Training and Exercise Plan Workshop (T&EPW) and develop and maintain Multi-year Training and Exercise Plan • Plan and conduct exercises in accordance with guidelines in HSEEP Volumes I-III • Develop and submit a properly formatted After Action Report/Improvement Plan (AAR/IP) • Track and Implement corrective actions identified in AAR/IP

12. Training and Exercise Plan Workshop (T&EPW) • All HSEEP compliant entities conduct a T&EPW each calendar year in which they develop a Multi-year Training and Exercise Plan, which includes: • The entities' training and exercise priorities (based on an overarching strategy and previous improvement plans). • The capabilities from the TCL that the entity will train for and exercise against • A multi-year training and exercise schedule • A new or updated Multi-year Training and Exercise Plan must be finalized and implemented within 60 days of the T&EPW • All scheduled exercises must be entered into the National Exercise Schedule (NEXS) System • The Multi-Year Training and Exercise Plan must be updated on an annual basis (or as necessary) to reflect schedule changes

13. Exercise Planning and Conduct • The type of exercise selected by the entity should be consistent with the entity's Multi-year Training and Exercise Plan • Exercise objectives should be based on capabilities and their associated critical tasks, which are contained within the EEGs • The scenarios used in exercises must be tailored toward validating the capabilities, and should be based on the entity's risk/vulnerability assessment

14. After-Action Reporting • AAR/IPs created for exercises must conform to HSEEP template • Draft AAR/IP must be developed based on information from the Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGs) • Corrective actions are developed from AAR/IP recommendations

15. Improvement Planning • An improvement plan will include broad recommendations from the AAR/IP organized by target capability as defined in the TCL • Corrective actions derived from an AAC are associated with the recommendations and must be linked to a capability element as defined in the TCL • Corrective actions included in the improvement plan must be measurable, must designate a projected start date/ completion date, and must be assigned to an organization and a POC within that organization • Corrective actions must be continually monitored and reviewed as part of an organizational Corrective Action Program

16. Exercise Training Curriculum FEMA provides a variety of opportunities for HSEEP-related training • HSEEP Mobile Course • Includes train-the-trainer materials to encourage dissemination of HSEEP training • Direct delivery course with approved HSEEP trainers • Course divided into seven modules • Application available on HSEEP website • National Standardized Exercise Curriculum (NSEC) • Independent Study (e.g., IS-120.A, IS-130) • Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP) • Currently coordinating on developing standardized exercise course curriculum

17. HSEEP Technology Technological products are the key tools through which users will interface with and adopt HSEEP policies • HSEEP technological tools include: • HSEEP Website • HSEEP Volume IV Library • HSEEP Toolkit • NEXS System • Design and Development System (DDS) • CAP System • Exercise Evaluation Guide Library (EEGL) • Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS.gov)

18. HSEEP Website • Serves as central repository for all HSEEP-related content, including: • HSEEP Volumes I-V • IS-120A, the HSEEP Mobile Course, and other training opportunities • Links to other HSEEP technology products, including NEXS, DDS, and the CAP System • HSEEP newsletters and information bulletins • Links to other online resources, including the Responder Knowledge Base, Terrorism Knowledge Base, and the Preparedness Directorate Secured Portal

19. NEXS System • NEXS System is the Nation’s comprehensive online scheduling tool: • Facilitates scheduling • Facilitates deconfliction • Facilitates synchronization of exercises • Compiles all National-level, Federal, State, local, territory, and tribal exercises • Serves as a management tool and reference document for exercise planning

20. CAP System The CAP System is a web-based application that allows homeland security officials to track, prioritize, and analyze corrective actions following exercises or real-world events • Enables users to: • Quickly enter data from a finalized AAR/IP • Track the progress of corrective action implementation • Analyze and report on trends in improvement plans • System processes consistent with HSEEP, specifically Volume III, Evaluation and Improvement Planning