Tabletop Exercise-in-a-Box After-Action Report - Improvement Plan (AAR/IP) Template

Aug 30, 2026

Upload by Eliana

Tabletop Exercise-in-a-Box After-Action Report/Improvement Plan (AAR/IP) Template provides a structured approach for capturing results from a Continuity of Operations (COOP) tabletop exercise. It links exercise objectives to preparedness doctrine and reporting needs, then organizes performance documentation through objectives, rating definitions, strengths, and areas for improvement. The template includes sections for objective-by-object analysis and corrective actions, along with appendices for improvement planning, participants, and an acronym list, supporting clear follow-up actions after the exercise.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPaper Templates

FormatDOCX

Pages16

Reading Time6 min

AccessFree to download

Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plan Tabletop Exercise-in-a-Box Documents

How to Use This COOP Tabletop Exercise-in-a-Box

Exercise Overview

Analysis of Objectives

Ratings Definitions

Objective 1: Assess plans and staffing for essential functions

Objective 2: Evaluate critical information, data, and systems

Objective 3: Identify alternate care sites

Appendix A: Improvement Plan

Appendix B: Exercise Participants

Appendix C: Acronym List

Tabletop Exercise-in-a-Box After-Action Report/ Improvement Plan (AAR/IP) Template August 2024 Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008792" Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plan Tabletop Exercise-in-a-Box Documents PAGEREF _Toc174008792 \h 3 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008793" How to Use This COOP Tabletop Exercise-in-a-Box PAGEREF _Toc174008793 \h 3 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008794" Exercise Overview PAGEREF _Toc174008794 \h 4 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008795" Analysis of Objectives PAGEREF _Toc174008795 \h 6 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008796" Ratings Definitions PAGEREF _Toc174008796 \h 7 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008797" Objective 1: Assess the organization’s plans and process for identifying and staffing essential functions and operations during a disruptive incident. PAGEREF _Toc174008797 \h 8 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008798" Strengths PAGEREF _Toc174008798 \h 8 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008799" Areas for Improvement PAGEREF _Toc174008799 \h 8 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008800" Objective 2: Evaluate the organization’s process identifying and prioritizing critical information, data, and systems that are necessary to maintain essential functions and operations during a disruptive incident. PAGEREF _Toc174008800 \h 9 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008801" Strengths PAGEREF _Toc174008801 \h 9 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008802" Areas for Improvement PAGEREF _Toc174008802 \h 9 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008803" Objective 3: Discuss the organization’s strategies for identifying alternate care sites to continue services following a disruptive incident. PAGEREF _Toc174008803 \h 10 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008804" Strengths PAGEREF _Toc174008804 \h 10 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008805" Areas for Improvement PAGEREF _Toc174008805 \h 11 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008806" Appendix A: Improvement Plan PAGEREF _Toc174008806 \h 12 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008807" Appendix B: Exercise Participants PAGEREF _Toc174008807 \h 15 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc174008808" Appendix C: Acronym List PAGEREF _Toc174008808 \h 16 Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plan Tabletop Exercise-in-a-Box Documents This document is part of a Tabletop Exercise-in-a-Box. Below is a list of all the documents included in the Tabletop Exercise-in-a-Box. Situation Manual: The Situation Manual provides general information to exercise participants, including exercise objectives, scope, and the exercise scenario. Facilitator Guide: The Facilitator Guide describes the roles and responsibilities of the exercise facilitator and the exercise planning team. Because this handbook contains information regarding exercise administration, it is only to be distributed to those designing, facilitating, or evaluating the exercise. Facilitator PowerPoint Presentation: A PowerPoint Presentation has been developed to help guide and facilitate the exercise. The PowerPoint presentation supplements the Situation Manual and provides participants with key information regarding the exercise. After-Action Report/ Improvement Plan (AAR/IP) Template: This document includes an exercise overview, analysis of capabilities, and a list of corrective actions. The length, format, and development timeframe of the AAR/IP depend on the exercise type and scope. A template AAR/IP has been developed for this exercise. How to Use This COOP Tabletop Exercise-in-a-Box Throughout each tool in the Tabletop Exercise-in-a-Box, the user will find indicators and icons to help customize their exercise and to meet the needs of their organization. Throughout the document the user will also find highlighted text. This highlighted text can be customized with information specific to the facility conducting the exercise. Please remember to delete this page prior to finalizing the AAR-IP for distribution. Exercise Overview The After-Action Report/Improvement Plan (AAR/IP) aligns exercise objectives with preparedness doctrine and related frameworks and guid

FAQs

What does the AAR/IP template help users accomplish after a COOP tabletop exercise?

It aligns exercise objectives with preparedness doctrine, includes information needed for preparedness reporting and trend analysis, and provides a framework to document analysis, strengths, improvement areas, and corrective actions.

How are objective performance ratings defined in the template?

The template defines ratings for discussions completed without challenges, with some challenges, with major challenges, unable to be performed, and not applicable when performance can’t be observed.

What information is included in the template’s appendices?

Appendix A provides an improvement plan, Appendix B lists exercise participants, and Appendix C includes an acronym list for reference during the exercise documentation.

Aug 30, 2026

Upload by Eliana