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DESIGNING AN EXERCISE

METHODOLOGY & APPROACH

Shakedown 2014 DRIE Ottawa – March 2015

KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

THIS IS GAP ANALYSIS NOT A PASS/FAIL TEST!

KEEP IT SIMPLE AT FIRST

GROW COMPLEXITY WITH PRACTICE

WORST CASE PLAUSIBLE SCENARIOS ONLY

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

S.M.A.R.T. OBJECTIVES

DOCUMENTED RESULTS

ACTION PLANS TO CLOSE GAPS

EXECUTIVE REPORTING ON PROGRESS TO CLOSE GAPS

4 GENERATIONS OF MATURITY

1. READY WILLING & ABLE

2. NOW READY WILLING &

ABLE

- TIMING WAS BAD BEFORE

3. BEGRUDGINGLY READY

& ABLE

- NOT TERRIBLY WILLING

4. THOSE THAT SWORE

THEY’D NEVER DO IT!

EXERCISE or TEST?

TEST:

Plans

Equipment

Procedures

EXERCISE PEOPLE!!!

DEFINE THE NEED

LIGHTNING SPEED IMPROVEMENT

RAPID STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT

MEASURING ACCURACY OF SELF-ASSESSMENTS

TESTING EQUIPMENT RECOVERY TIMES

REALITY TESTING HYPOTHETICAL PROCEDURES

UPDATING CONTACT LISTS

EXERCISING RESPONSE TEAMS BY GIVING THEM A

CHANCE TO PRACTICE

LAUNCH THE PROGRAM

COMPLETE TRAINING or GAIN EXPERIENCE AS AN

OBSERVER ON OTHER EXERCISES

ESTABLISH A STEERING COMMITTEE

APPOINT A DESIGN TEAM

SECURE ADMIN SUPPORT

CONDUCT PROGRAM INITIATION ACTIVITIES

WHICH ARE????

CHOOSE AN

INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICE

BUSINESS CONTINUITY INSTITUTE

DISASTER RECOVERY INSTITUTE

CANADA SCHOOL OF PUBLIC SERVICE*

IT INFRASTRUCTURE LIBRARY

INDUSTRY STANDARDS (ISO/CSA/NFPA)

BUILDING OWNERS & MANAGERS ASSOC. (BOMA)

*AUTHORED BY VANGUARD EMC, NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH DRI CANADA

Business Continuity Institute (BCI)

BCI Professional Practice 6 – Validation

Establish an exercise program addressing:

1. Costs & Assumptions Realism Minimal Exposure

Costs & Benefits Preparation

Participants

2. Process Scope Aims Design

Objectives & Expected Outcomes

Conduct Debrief & Follow-up

3. Methods & Techniques:

Planning Prior to Exercise Start

Starting/During/Suspending/Ending the Exercise

Types of Exercise:

Discussion Based Table Top

Command Post Live Test

Debriefing:

Hot-wash/Formal Debrief/Post Exercise Report

4. Outcomes & Review

BCI Professional Practice 6

- Validation - (continued)

1.Establish an exercise/testing Program

2.Obtain executive sponsorship

3.Develop a realistic, cost effective program • Document standards & guidelines

• Define assumptions and limitations;

• Identify exercise types to be included.

5. Identify participants, roles & responsibilities

6.Define program objectives

7.Select appropriate scenarios

DRI Canada

Professional Practice #8

8. Determine requirements for each exercise

9.Schedule exercises/tests

10.Define and document evaluation criteria

(qualitative/quantitative)

11.Identify pre-exercise activities

12.Conduct exercise

13.Identify post exercise activities

DRI Canada

Professional Practice #8

Canada School of Public Service

Plans should be tested while the people should

practice applying the content in a simulated

emergency event.

The 3 phases of exercise development are: o Design

o Manage

o Evaluate

*COURSE DEVELOPED BY VANGUARD EMC , BUT NO LONGER AVAILABLE THROUGH CSPS.

NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH VANGUARD OR DRI CANADA

· ·

BCP Program Training Course*

EVERYONE AGREES!

A CONTINUITY/RECOVERY PLAN THAT

HAS NOT BEEN

EXERCISED & TESTED IS NOT A VIABLE PLAN

& WILL NOT PROTECT YOU

IN COURT PROCEEDINGS

NOW COMES THE HARD PART!

DIY or HIRE HELP? SELL:

THE NEED, THE TYPE OF EXERCISE & THE SCENARIO

BOOK THE DATE & ACCOMMODATIONS

OBTAIN APPROVAL & BUDGET TO PROCEED

BREAK THE WORK DOWN EXERCISE DESIGN (TIMING, INJECTS, PLAYERS etc.)

LOGISTICS (ROOM, FOOD, TRANSPORTATION etc.)

FINANCE/ADMIN & DOCUMENTATION SUPPORT

EVALUATION & AFTER ACTION REPORT

BIG PROJECT

=

LOTS OF

DOCUMENTS

USE A PROJECT

PLAN

(xls works fine)

TRACK PLANNED

TIMES

vs ACTUAL

PROGRESS

CAREFULLY IDENTIFY AND

DOCUMENT THE ROLE OF

SCRIBES/EVALUATORS

& OBSERVERS

CORPORATE EXECUTIVE

CRISIS MANAGEMENT TEAM

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTRE STAFF

BUILDING RESPONSE TEAMS

IM/IT TECHNICAL TEAMS

INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS UNIT TEAMS

EXTERNAL PARTNERS

IDENTIFY THE PLAYERS

WALK-THROUGH

FACILITATED OR SPONTANEOUS BRAINSTORMING

TIME STAMPED TABLE TOP EXERCISE (TTX) or SURPRISE

TABLE TOP EXERCISE

NO SIMULATION or WITH SIMULATION

SINGLE CELL or MULTI-CELL

CONTAINED RESPONSE or FULL RESPONSE

FULL PHYSICAL RESPONSE & RECOVERY

PRODUCTION IMPACT/NO PRODUCTION IMPACT

IDENTIFY EXERCISE TYPE

DOCUMENT ‘SMART’

OBJECTIVES

SPECIFIC

MEASUREABLE

ATTAINABLE

REALISTIC + RETAINED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS

TIME-BOUND

ASSESS EXERCISE RISK – PROJECT RISK vs LIVE RISK

CHOOSE A SCENARIO

REALISTIC

VULNERABILITY

OR THREAT

PLAUSIBLE SCOPE & IMPACT

CLEARLY DEFINE ‘WHAT’S IN’ vs ‘WHAT’S OUT’

TIMING (Business day vs weekend vs silent hours)

DURATION OF OUTAGE

DESIGN THE EXERCISE/TEST

EXERCISE?? TEST?? vs MIX OF BOTH??

DETAILED SCENARIO & INJECTS

LINKED TO OBJECTIVES

ORDER & TIMING OF INJECTS

REAL TIME + PLAY TIME

METHOD OF PLAY FREE FLOW OR STRUCTURED FACILITATION?

TIME PRESSURED vs ADJUSTED ‘ON THE FLY’

CONDUCT THE EXERCISE/TEST

ROLL WITH EVENTS AS THEY UNFOLD THEY WILL NEVER BE EXACTLY AS YOU PLANNED!

TERRIBLE EXERCISES ARE NEVER REPEATED!

WATCH YOUR TIMING (BOTH PLAY & REAL)

MANDATORY INJECTS vs DESIREABLE INJECTS

EXTRA INJECTS

SCRIBES ARE ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS

INSTANT HOT-WASH

DOCUMENTED FEEDBACK

THANK EVERYONE!!!

DEBRIEF & REPORT

HOT-WASH IMMEDIATELY AFTER EXERCISE/TEST

DOCUMENTED FEEDBACK + VERBAL DISCUSSION

FIRST (or INITIAL) IMPRESSIONS REPORT

ISSUED w/in 5 DAYS & BEFORE FORMAL DEBRIEF

FORMAL DEBRIEF

FIRST IMPRESSIONS REPORT CONTENT VALIDATION

FINAL AFTER ACTION REPORT (AAR)

TASKS + ASSIGNED TO + COMPLETE BY DATE

STRONG FOLLOW-UP BY STEERING COMMITTEE

NEXT STEPS

FINAL REPORT & PRESENTATION TO

MANAGEMENT

START PLANNING THE NEXT EXERCISE/TEST

BASED ON RESULTS FROM THIS ONE AND

GAPS IDENTIFIED

OUR EXERCISE TABLE TOP

OBJECTIVES:

INCREASE AWARENESS OF RESPONSE REALITIES

EDUCATE PARTICIPANTS ABOUT SCENARIO IMPACTS

BRAINSTORM SOLUTIONS

RAPID IMPROVEMENT of MULITIPLE BCP & IT/DR

PLANS

DESIGN TEAM:

SCENARIO EXPERT + 2x BCP/DR EXPERTS

LEVEL OF EFFORT:

???PERSON-DAYS???

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The following (blank) exercise templates

are available by sending an email to:

info@sayersrecoverygroup.ca

• R&R DASHBOARD

• BCM VISION SLIDE

• DR TEST CATEGORIES • EXERCISE PROJECT PLAN

• SETTING PRIORITIES +

RATIONALE

• CHANGE MANAGEMENT

FLOWCHART

• INJECT TEMPLATE

• MASTER SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

LOG (MSEL) • EXECUTIVE STATUS REPORTING

• TRACKING EXERCISE RESULTS

• HOT-WASH SCORECARD

• AFTER ACTION REPORT

compliments of

SAYERS RECOVERY GROUP INC. & KATHRYN EASTWOOD-GARVEN

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QUESTIONS?

Shakedown 2014

DRIE Ottawa – March 2015