WHO simulation exercise manual

A practical guide and tool for planning, conducting and evaluating simulation exercises for outbreaks and public health emergency preparedness and response

This exercise manual has been designed to meet the needs of WHO, its Member States and its partners to support and develop exercise practitioners’ competency to plan, implement and evaluate simulation exercises.

Simulation exercises can help develop, assess, and test the functional capabilities of emergency systems, procedures and mechanisms to respond to outbreaks and public health emergencies.

This manual complements existing WHO exercise methodologies, helping ensure common understandings and approaches across the organization. It describes how exercise teams work, and can supplement future training courses for WHO staff, ministries of health, governments, and preparedness and response partners. It has been developed with key support from WHO regional offices and HQ technical units, and with input generated in country pilots run both by ministries of health and by WHO country offices.

An effective simulation exercise programme must be designed and driven at country level. To enhance national exercise capability, WHO and partners must provide countries with hands-on support and consistent and practical guidance and tools for designing, implementing and evaluating exercises.