Organising a crisis drill
A crisis plan on paper is of little use if no one has ever practised it. A crisis drill allows you to test whether your plan works and whether your team knows what to do. In this guide, you’ll find out how to organise a drill, from learning objectives to evaluation.
Why practise?
A crisis is not the time to realise for the first time that agreements are unclear. Through practice, your team will become familiar with the plan, learn to work together under pressure, and identify any weaknesses before things really go wrong. Practising also helps to keep everyone calmer. People who have already been through a situation like this are less likely to panic. The confidence that grows from this is worth its weight in gold during a real crisis.
Start with the learning objectives
A good exercise starts with the question: what do we want to learn or test? Without clear learning objectives, an exercise can quickly become a game without direction. Choose a few specific objectives, for example: does everyone know their role, does the alarm system work, and can we draft a crisis statement quickly? Keep the number of objectives small so that you can evaluate them in a targeted manner.
Types of exercises
Not every exercise needs to be a big one. Choose the format that suits your learning objectives and your team’s experience.
- Tabletop: the team sits round the table to discuss a scenario, step by step. It’s accessible and a good way to test agreements and roles.
- Simulation: a realistic role-play involving time pressure, incoming messages and, in some cases, actors. Test how the team actually performs under pressure.
- Functional exercise: focusing on a single aspect, such as the alert system or public communications, in order to test it thoroughly.
- System test: check that resources are working, such as the alarm system or the alternative location.
A plausible scenario
A good scenario is realistic and relatable to your organisation. Choose a situation that could actually happen and that addresses your learning objectives. A scenario that is too far-fetched will take participants out of the exercise. Build the scenario in stages: start with an initial situation, followed by new events that force the team to react. Decide in advance what information you will release and when, so that the tension builds just as it would in a real crisis.
Stappenplan
Set the learning objectives
Describe in specific terms what you want to learn or test. Keep the number of objectives small so that you can evaluate them effectively.
Choose the shape
Select the training format that best suits your objectives and team: an accessible tabletop exercise or a realistic simulation.
Write the script
Develop a credible scenario in stages, with an initial situation and events that prompt the team to react.
Prepare the organisation
Invite participants and any observers, arrange a time and venue, and organise the necessary resources and roles.
Perform the exercise
Guide the scenario, release information at the right moment, and let the team resolve the situation themselves.
Assess and document
Immediately after the event, discuss what went well and what could be improved. Turn these lessons into specific improvements in your plan.
Veelgestelde vragen
How often should I carry out a crisis drill?
At least once a year is a good guideline. Alternate large-scale simulations with shorter tabletop exercises, so that practising becomes a habit and the plan and the team remain sharp.
What is the difference between a tabletop exercise and a simulation?
In a tabletop exercise, the team sits round the table and discusses a scenario, step by step. In a simulation, you re-enact the situation realistically, under time pressure and with incoming messages. A tabletop exercise is accessible, whilst a simulation tests real-life decision-making.
What should I do with the results of an exercise?
Record the lessons learnt and translate them into concrete improvements: amend the contingency plan, clarify roles or organise additional training. A drill without follow-up is of little use.
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Meer gidsen
What is crisis communication?
The basics: what crisis communication is, why it matters and how to get started.
How do you draft a crisis statement?
A clear crisis communication guide in six steps, with a handy example.
Drawing up a crisis communication plan
What should a crisis communication plan include, and how do you draw one up?