EU workshop on 'How to design, organise and manage an international civil protection exercise'

Background Information on PPRD South

The 5-million Euro PPRD South Programme runs for three years and is coordinated by a consortium led by the Italian Civil Protection Department together with the National Civil Protection Authorities of Algeria, Egypt, France and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).

PPRD South is the third phase of the EU-funded Euro-Mediterranean Programme on Civil Protection which started in 1998. Building on the experience of the previous programmes, a 5-year Pilot Programme and the “Bridge” Programme, whose objective was to strengthen political confidence among the civil protection Partners, the purpose of PPRD South is to contribute to the development of improved civil protection prevention, preparedness and response capacities at international, national and local levels through increased institutional cooperation between the EU, the Balkan and the Mediterranean Countries. It also aims at establishing closer links with the EU Civil Protection Mechanism - a set of co-operation tools established by the European Commission to facilitate adequate preparedness and effective response to disasters - and between the countries themselves.

Training Descrption

Gen. Al Yaagoubi, General Director of the Moroccan Civil Protection Directorate, together with H.E. Eneko Landaburu, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Morocco will open the event on 1 November. During the workshop, participants will review the various steps for organising a simulation exercise: from the definition of the objectives and the characterization of the overall scenario to the planning of the detailed schedule and the management of operations.

This training workshop is the first step of the PPRD South “training programme for field exercise observers”, which aims at reinforcing Partner Countries' capacities to actively participate in international exercises and also to organise them. With the information acquired during this workshop, participants will attend two European exercises to be organised in the framework of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism during 2012: one in France on earthquakes and the other one in Croatia on floods.

National and international simulation exercises are mainly designed as field tests for existing emergency plans and procedures. They provide a learning opportunity for all actors involved in emergency operations and enhance operational co-operation between them. Contingency planning, decision-making procedures, provision of information to the public and the media can also be tested and rehearsed during these events, so as to be better prepared for similar real-life situations.

The European Civil Protection Mechanism was created in 2001. It coordinates European countries' assistance to disaster-stricken countries. Preparedness is a key feature of its work. It involves imagining all kinds of scenarios in advance and holding international field exercises on a regular basis to improve the inter-operability of the resources made available by the Member States. The 5-million Euro PPRD South Programme runs for three years and is managed by a consortium led by the Italian Civil Protection Department together with the French, Algerian, Egyptian Civil Protection Authorities and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR). In the field of disaster response it also organises training and simulation exercises focusing on “crisis management”, “operational planning” and “use of new technologies”.

Agenda

Tuesday, 1 November 2011 

Morning session
• 09:00 - 09:15 Welcome message
Gen. Al Yaagoubi, General Director of the Moroccan Civil Protection Directorate
• 09:15 - 9:30 Cooperation between EU and Morocco in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction
H.E. E. Landaburu, Head of EU Delegation to Morocco (TBC)
• 09:30 - 10:00 Presentation of the training workshop scope and objectives
Mr Ronan de Saint Germain, PPRD South European Co-Director
• 10:30 - 11:30 Exercise organisation: getting individual and collective techniques
Mr Teddy Bret, Training leader, Centre Civilo-Mlitaire de Formation et d’ Entraînement 
• 11:30 - 12:30 Different types of exercise
Mr Teddy Bret

Afternoon session
• 14:00 - 15:00 The objectives
Mr Bret
• 15:00 - 16:00 The different actors
Mr Bret
• 16:30 - 17:30 The Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC)
Mr Ronan de Saint Germain
• 17:30 - 18:00 Exercise planning: Meetings, documents
Mr Bret

Wednesday, 2 November 2011

Morning session
• 09:00 - 10:00 The participants
Mr Bret
• 10:00 - 10:30 Logistics, funding, insurances
Mr Ronan de Saint Germain
• 11:00 - 12:00 Exercises agreements and security
Mr Ronan de Saint Germain
• 12:00 - 12:30 Exercise implementation: duration and event designing
Mr Bret

Afternoon session
• 14:00 - 16:00 Information communication, observation
Mr Bret
• 16:30 - 17:30 Communication about the exercise and within the exercise
Mr Ronan de Saint Germain
• 17:30 - 18:00 Lessons learnt
Mr Bret

Thursday, 3 November 2011

Morning session
• 09:00 - 10:30 Examples of exercises
Mr Bret
• 11:00 - 12:00 European concept presentation
Mr Panagiotis Katsikopoulos, Seconded National Expert, EC DG for Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection (TBC)
• 12:00 - 12:30 EU request procedures, EU means (EU modules)
Mr Panagiotis Katsikopoulos (TBC)

Afternoon session
• 14:00 - 14:30 Distribution of USB keys with all the reference documents
Mr Ronan de Saint Germain
• 14:30 - 15:30 Setting up of the working groups and topic selection
• 16:00 - 18:00 Drafting of the guidelines (working groups)

Friday, 4 November 2011

Morning session
• 09:00 - 10:30 Drafting of the guidelines (working groups)
• 11:00 - 11:30 Drafting of the guidelines (working groups)
• 11:30 - 12:30 Preparation of a PPT presentation

Afternoon session
• 14:00 - 15:00 PPT presentation (15 mn for each working group)
• 15:00 - 16:00 Debriefing
• 16:30 - 17:30 Evaluation test
• 17:30 - 18:00 Diploma handout
Mr Pierluigi Soddu, PPRD South Executive Director and Mr Ronan de Saint Germain