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Table 5 A sample of best practice guidelines available online for the design, writing and implementation of exercises (all websites last accessed on 23 April 2014)

From: Enhancing scientific response in a crisis: evidence-based approaches from emergency management in New Zealand

Who

What & where

New Zealand Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management

CDEM Exercises, Director’s Guidelines for Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups [DGL 010/09]

http://www.civildefence.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/publications/dgl-10-09-cdem-exercises.pdf

US Department of Homeland Security

Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program has a range of documents available outlining effective exercise writing at: https://www.llis.dhs.gov/HSEEP

US Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Institute

FEMA’s National preparedness directorate on National Training and Education runs a series of online courses across the range of Emergency Management at http://www.training.fema.gov/, which includes the unit IS-139 on ‘Exercise Design’ which contains a range of useful resources. http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/is/is139lst.asp

See also the Ready.gov resources at: http://www.ready.gov/business/testing/exercises

UK Cabinet Office & National Security and Intelligence

Emergency planning and Preparedness: exercises and training

https://www.gov.uk/emergency-planning-and-preparedness-exercises-and-training

including ‘The exercise planners guide’: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-exercise-planners-guide

National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, Ireland

A framework for major emergency management, Guidance Document 4: ‘A guide to planning and staging exercises’, May 2011. http://www.mem.ie/guidancedocuments/a%20guide%20to%20planning%20and%20staging%20exercises.pdf

Australian Emergency Management Institute

Managing Exercises, Handbook 3: http://www.em.gov.au/Publications/Australianemergencymanualseries/Documents/ManagingExercisesHandbook.PDF