[CM] Definition of a Full Crisis Management Simulation Exercise

Definition of a Full Crisis Management Simulation Exercise

A Full Crisis Management Simulation Exercise is a high-fidelity, immersive drill replicating a real-world crisis scenario to test an organisation’s end-to-end response capabilities under realistic pressure.

It involves cross-functional teams, external stakeholders, and real-time decision-making to evaluate preparedness, coordination, and recovery plans at scale.

Pre-reading for Participants Attending Module 4 of the CM-5000 Crisis Management Expert Implementer Course

Key Characteristics

Comprehensive Scope
- Tests the entire crisis management framework, including:
  - Leadership decision-making (e.g., C-suite, crisis committee).
  - Operational response (e.g., IT, security, logistics).
  - Communication workflows (internal/external, including media/regulators).
  - Business continuity & recovery (post-crisis stabilisation).
High Realism
- Simulates time-sensitive, multi-stage scenarios (e.g., escalating cyberattack + reputational fallout).
- May include:
  - Physical deployments (e.g., emergency evacuations).
  - Live technology testing (e.g., failover systems, crisis comms tools).
  - External partners (e.g., law enforcement, PR agencies).
Dynamic Complexity
- Uses branching scenarios where outcomes change based on team actions.
- Introduces unplanned injects (e.g., "Breaking news: CEO resigns amid crisis").
Multi-Day Duration
- Often runs for several hours to days (e.g., 8-hour war games or 72-hour continuity tests).

When to Conduct a Full Simulation

Regulatory compliance (e.g., financial sector stress tests).
After significant organisational changes (mergers, new leadership).
Preparing for high-risk events (e.g., Olympics, product launches).
Validating lessons learned from past incidents or partial drills.

Types of Full CM Simulations

Type	Focus	Example
Functional Exercise	Deep dive into one function (e.g., IT recovery) but with live actions	The IT team restores systems while PR handles media queries.
Full-Scale Exercise	Multi-team, multi-agency realism	Simulated earthquake with EMS, government, and NGOs.
War Game	Strategic decision-making under stress	Boardroom simulates a hostile takeover amid a cyberattack.

Advantages vs. Partial Simulations

Full Simulation	Partial Simulation
Tests end-to-end integration	Focuses on isolated components
Reveals systemic gaps (e.g., leadership bottlenecks)	Identifies team-specific weaknesses
High cost & resource intensity	Low-cost, quick execution

Example Scenario: Data Breach + Market Panic

Objective

Test the organisation’s ability to handle a ransomware attack while managing shareholder fallout.

Injects

Hour 1: IT detects encrypted files + ransom note.
Hour 3: Hackers leak data on dark web; media picks up the story.
Hour 6: Stock price drops 20%; regulators demand a response.

Teams Involved

IT, Legal, PR, Leadership, Investor Relations.

Outcome Evaluation

Did the crisis team follow the playbook?
Were cross-functional handoffs seamless?
How did real-world constraints (time, misinformation) impact decisions?

Full simulations are the gold standard for stress-testing resilience.

Types of Crisis Management Exercises

Design and Develop Crisis Management Exercises

More Information About Crisis Management Courses

To learn more about the course and schedule, click the buttons below for the CM-300 Crisis Management Implementer [CM-3] and the CM-5000 Crisis Management Expert Implementer [CM-5].