Managing Exercises - A handbook for Tasmanian Government agencies - Overview and phases

Sep 12, 2026

Upload by Liam

Managing Exercises provides a practical, phase-based guide for Tasmanian Government agencies to plan, run, and improve emergency and preparedness exercises. It explains who the handbook is for, how to use it for single-agency, multi-agency, or whole-of-government activities, and outlines the exercise management process across four stages: Concept, Plan, Conduct, and Evaluate and Learn. Guidance includes governance, resourcing, risk and work health and safety considerations, evaluation planning, facilitator and participant materials, conduct roles, debriefing, and continuous improvement through reporting and action plans.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages104

Reading Time36 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

About this handbook

Who is this handbook for?

How to use this handbook

Before you start

What is an Exercise?

Why hold an Exercise?

Scale of Exercise

Phase 1 - Concept

Identify and analyse the need

Clarify the Exercise Director

Seek input from others

Develop an Exercise Proposal

Phase 2 - Plan

Appoint an Exercise Planning Team

Hold Exercise Planning meetings

Plan and design the Exercise

Plan your Exercise evaluation

Prepare Exercise planning documents

Phase 3 - Conduct

Appoint EXCON Team

Run pre-Exercise activities

Brief participants and stakeholders

Conduct the Exercise

Debrief the Exercise

Phase 4 - Evaluate and Learn

Review the evaluation data

Post-Exercise evaluation meeting

Develop an Exercise Evaluation Report

Develop an action plan for identified gaps

Use improvement planning for continuous improvement

Managing Exercises A handbook for Tasmanian Government agencies Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management Contents Contents INTRODUCTION 6 About this handbook 6 Who is this handbook for? 6 How to use this handbook 6 Acknowledgments 7 BEFORE YOU START 8 What is an Exercise? 8 Why hold an Exercise? 8 Scale of Exercise 9 Small Exercises 9 Large Exercises 9 The Tasmanian Government’s approach 10 The Tasmanian Government Exercise management process 10 The Interagency Exercise Coordination Group (IECG) 10 The Exercise management model 12 PHASE 1 – CONCEPT 13 1.1 Identify and analyse the need 14 1.2 Clarify the Exercise Director 15 1.3 Seek input from others 16 1.4 Develop an Exercise Proposal 16 Exercise aim 17 Exercise objectives 18 Exercise scope 20 Exercise type 20 Governance 21 Managing Exercises: A handbook for Tasmanian Government agencies / Contents 1 Contents Contents Participating areas and stakeholders 21 Exercise schedule 21 Resources required 21 Risk management 22 Work health and safety 22 Proposed budget 22 Evaluation strategy and reporting schedule 22 PHASE 2 – PLAN 23 2.1 Appoint an Exercise Planning Team 24 Exercise Planning Team structure 24 Exercise Director(s) 25 Exercise Planning Team Leader 25 Safety Team 26 Operations Team 26 Planning Team 27 Logistics Team 28 Administration/Finance 29 2.2 Hold Exercise Planning meetings 29 Initial planning meeting 29 Mid-planning meetings 30 Final planning meeting 31 2.3 Plan and design the Exercise 32 Choose an Exercise type 32 Develop the Exercise scenario 34 General Ideas 34 Special Ideas 35 2 Managing Exercises: A handbook for Tasmanian Government agencies / Contents Contents Contents Further developing the scenario 36 Exercise Writing Teams 36 Selecting role players 37 2.4 Plan your Exercise evaluation 37 Why evaluate? 37 Develop an Evaluation Plan 38 Identify evaluators 38 Responsibilities of evaluators 39 Brief and train evaluators 40 2.5 Prepare Exercise planning documents 40 Types of documents 40 Exercise Plan 42 Facilitator’s Guide 44 Participant Handbook 44 Detailed scenario documentation 45 Master Schedule of Events 45 Communication Plans 48 Evaluation Plan 48 Evaluation tools 49 Risk Management Plan 50 Managing Exercises: A handbook for Tasmanian Government agencies / Contents 3 Contents Contents PHASE 3 – CONDUCT 51 3.1 Appoint EXCON Team 52 For a small Exercise 52 For a large Exercise 52 Exercise control 53 Safety Officer 54 Scenario tracking 54 Administration/logistics 55 Evaluation 55 Observer 55 Media 56 Agency liaison 56 Other possible roles 56 3.2 Run pre-Exercise activities 58 3.3 Brief participants and stakeholders 59 Style of briefings 59 No Duff 59 Key areas to brief 60 EXCON staff 60 Observers 60 Role players 60 Participants 61 Evaluators 61 Media 61 3.4 Conduct the Exercise 62 Starting the Exercise 62 Running the Exercise 62 4 Managing Exercises: A handbook for Tasmanian Government agencies / Contents Contents Contents Managing Exercise conduct issues 63 Identification of Exercise staff 63 Managing real events 63 Evaluating during the Exercise 63 Discussion Exercises 63 Functional and field Exercises 64 Collecting supplementary data 65 Evaluator report 65 Finishing the Exercise – ENDEX 65 3.5 Debrief the Exercise 66 PHASE 4 – EVALUATE AND LEARN 67 | An important note about evaluation
4.1 Review the evaluation data

4.2 Hold a post-Exercise evaluation meeting
4.3 Develop an Exercise Evaluation Report
4.4 Develop an action plan for identified gaps
4.5 Use improvement planning to support continuous improvement
TEMPLATES AND RESOURCES | 68 | | --- | --- | | | 69 | | | 69 | | | 70 | | | 71 | | | 72 | | | 73 | Managing Exercises: A handbook for Tasmanian Government agencies / Contents 5 Introduction Introduction About this handbook This handbook has been developed by the Tasmanian G

FAQs

What are the four phases of exercise management covered in the handbook?

The handbook organizes exercise work into four phases: Concept, Plan, Conduct, and Evaluate and Learn. Each phase includes templates and resources to support effective delivery.

Why hold an exercise, and how does the handbook address exercise scale?

The handbook explains the purpose of holding exercises and describes a scale approach, including small exercises and pathways for larger exercises. This helps agencies select appropriate management depth for their needs.

What documents and planning elements are prepared before conducting an exercise?

Before conducting, agencies prepare core planning documents such as an Exercise Plan, Facilitator’s Guide, Participant Handbook, scenario documentation, Master Schedule of Events, Communication Plans, an Evaluation Plan, evaluation tools, and a Risk Management Plan.

How does the handbook ensure learning after the exercise?

After the exercise, the handbook requires debriefing and a review of evaluation data. It then guides post-exercise evaluation meetings, the development of an evaluation report, and an action plan to address identified gaps using continuous improvement.

Sep 12, 2026

Upload by Liam