Second PPRD South operational planning training and table-top exercise

Background information

As the successor of the previous EU funded “Pilot” and “Bridge” programmes on Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in Civil Protection, in March 2009 the Euromed Programme on Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters (“PPRD South” or “Programme” – www.euromedcp.eu) started implementation under the service contract signed between the EC EuropeAid Cooperation Office and the Consortium established by the Italian Civil Protection Department, jointly with the Civil Protection authorities of Algeria1, Egypt2 and France3 and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction – UNISDR.

The Programme works jointly with the Civil Protection/Civil Defense Authorities of Albania, Algeria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey (“Partner Countries”). The PPRD South aims to contribute to reinforce the quality of Civil Protection services in the Euro-Mediterranean region and to continue institutional cooperation in the field, both between the EU and the Partner Countries and among the Partner Countries themselves. For this purpose, the PPRD South has planned to implement a number of activities, among which some initiatives aimed at improving awareness and understanding in the Partner Countries of existing mechanisms for coordinated, effective and efficient disasters’ response at the regional, national and local levels.

Operational planning

Operational planning is the “golden thread” linking strategy to execution. Operational Planning in Civil Protection, in particular, describes activities that are intended to minimize loss and to ensure the most effective use of resources for the continuity of the critical functions of an organization in the event of disaster. It establishes general policies, responsibilities, and procedures for implementing comprehensive emergency preparedness in a brief, clear and concise document which describes action to be taken and provides instructions to all individuals, local, government services, and states what will be done in the event of an anticipated emergency. The plan will state the method or scheme for taking coordinated action to meet the needs of the
situation. It will state what action is to be taken, when and where it is to take place, and who is responsible, based on pre-determined assumptions, objectives and capabilities.

Training workshop and table-top exercise description – “Operational Planning”

Key benefits

- A first-hand opportunity to improve knowledge and understanding of main practices and competences for operational planning in case of major disasters;
- To exchange views and compare relevant approaches;
- An interactive and participatory activity.
- An opportunity to enhance cooperation and reinforce experts networking in the Euro- Mediterranean region.

Objectives of the training workshop and table-top exercise

The main objectives of this training workshop and table-top exercise include:

- Improving knowledge of methodologies and practices for effective operational planning towards response to emergencies;
- Comparing procedures and exchanging relevant best practices and lessons learned, including with EU Member States;
- Enhancing understanding of methodologies to organize a simulation exercise.

Structure and topics of the training workshop and table-top exercise

This training workshop and table-top exercise is structured into a three-day preparatory theoretical session and two-day table-top exercise based on a wildfires scenario (“Wildfirex”).

The preparatory theoretical session will address the following main topics:

a) Organization of rescue;
b) Training of all actors concerned;
c) Prevention;
d) Organization of simulation exercises.

Within the three-day preparatory theoretical session it is envisaged to share the national views where national case-studies from the Partner Countries in the area of Operational Planning are welcome. During the table-top exercise – and based on the defined scenario – participants will work in groups and will form evaluation and assessment teams, including a Team Leader, a Logistician, an Expert for Operations, a Media and Communications Expert and an Expert for Security. Groups will set-up an operational command post to ensure rescue operations to complement local resources. During the implementation of the table-top exercise, participants will be linked to the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) at DG ECHO of the European Commission in Brussels, for the purpose of submitting the Situation Reports (“SITREP”) that they will be asked to prepare.

Tentative table-top exercise scenario:

Croatia has experienced an intensively rainy summer. After two weeks, hot winds dried the vegetation that had significantly developed due to heavy rains. All natural reserves are under high risk of wild-fires. The National Protection and Rescue Directorate, which has been mobilized for a huge international event and is not able to perform all the services required to ensure the security of natural forest, has officially requested to the EC to assess the resources required. The EC, in partnership with all Euro-Mediterranean countries and in the framework of the PPRD South Programme, decides to deploy evaluation and assessment teams in each of identified sensitive sites.

Methodology

This training workshop intends to be highly interactive and to be based on a participatory approach by all attendants. To this effect, the training workshop will be implemented as a round table discussion facilitated by selected short-term experts with relevant professional background and expertise, including the presentation of case studies from the Euro-Mediterranean region and the table-top exercise.