This publication presents detailed concepts and procedures for the preparation, conduct and evaluation of exercises to test relevant nuclear security systems and measures, and provides useful templates and checklists that can be used to assist the exercise development process. The technical guidance provided is targeted at States and their competent authorities to assist them in establishing and sustaining an effective infrastructure to strengthen detection of and response to material out of regulatory control and evaluate the effectiveness of their plans by presenting a structured methodology for the consistent development of exercises.

• 1. INTRODUCTION
  • Background
  • Objective
  • Scope
  • Structure
• 2. METHODOLOGY FOR PREPARING, CONDUCTING AND EVALUATING EXERCISES
  • A structured approach to exercise preparation, conduct and evaluation
  • Exercise formats and types of exercise
  • Considerations for exercises
• 3. PREPARATION OF EXERCISES
  • Determining exercise key activities, format, type, scope and objectives
  • Identifying constraints and considerations
    • Resource needs and availability
    • Legal and regulatory considerations
    • Safety considerations
    • Liaison with media and the general public
  • Developing a planning timeline for an exercise
  • Developing exercise scenarios
  • Identifying exercise participants and their roles
    • Exercise director and exercise planning team
    • Controllers and facilitators
    • Evaluators
    • Players
    • Simulators or controlled players
    • Role players
    • Media spokesperson
    • Observers
    • Safety officer
    • Qualified expert in radiation protection
    • Rapporteur
  • Developing evaluation criteria
  • Establishing exercise documentation needs
    • Documentation for all exercises
    • Additional documentation for discussion based exercises
    • Additional documentation for operations and field based exercises
    • Tailoring exercise documentation needs
• 4. CONDUCT OF EXERCISES
  • Setting up the exercise and preparing for exercise safety
    • Radiation safety
    • Weapons plan
  • Providing exercise briefings
    • Controller, facilitator and evaluator briefing
    • Player briefing
    • Media briefing
    • Observer briefing
  • Conducting exercise play
  • Holding debriefing activities
    • Participant debriefing
    • Controller, facilitator and evaluator debriefing
• 5. EVALUATION OF EXERCISES
  • Guidance for evaluator observations
  • Analysis of evaluator observations
  • Developing the exercise report
  • Improvement considerations
• Appendix IEXAMPLES OF KEY ACTIVITIES AND ACTIONS
• REFERENCES
• Annex I EXERCISE PREPARATION, CONDUCT AND EVALUATION PLANNING TIMELINE
• Annex II EXAMPLE SCENARIO
• Annex III EXERCISE PLAN TEMPLATE
• Annex IV PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK FORM TEMPLATE
• Annex V EXERCISE REPORT TEMPLATE
• Annex VI EXAMPLE PLAYER HANDOUT
• Annex VII CONTROLLER, FACILITATOR AND EVALUATOR BRIEFING TEMPLATE
• Annex VIII PLAYER BRIEFING TEMPLATE
• Annex IX MEDIA BRIEFING
• Annex X OBSERVER BRIEFING
• Annex XI OBSERVER FEEDBACK FORM TEMPLATE
• Annex XII EXERCISE DEBRIEFING CHECKLIST
• Annex XIII EXAMPLE EXERCISE REPORT ASSESSMENT