Crisis Management Series
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[CM] Designing and Developing a Full Simulation CM Exercise

Designing and developing a full-simulation crisis management exercise (or a full-scale exercise) involves creating a highly realistic, immersive scenario that tests an organisation’s crisis response framework under pressure.

This exercise requires extensive planning, coordination, and execution to simulate real-world conditions effectively.

Moh Heng Goh
Crisis Management Certified Planner-Specialist-Expert

Designing and Developing a Full Simulation CM Exercise

Designing and developing a full-simulation crisis management exercise (or a full-scale exercise) involves creating a highly realistic, immersive scenario that tests an organisation’s crisis response framework under pressure.

 

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This exercise requires extensive planning, coordination, and execution to simulate real-world conditions effectively.

New call-to-actionStep-by-Step Guide to Designing a Full Simulation Exercise

Define Objectives & Scope

  • Purpose: Test end-to-end crisis response (e.g., decision-making, communication, resource deployment).

  • Scope: Simulate a large-scale, high-impact scenario (e.g., cyberattack, natural disaster, workplace violence).

  • Audience: Involve all critical teams (executives, security, IT, PR, legal, ops, external agencies).

Assemble a Planning Team

  • Exercise Director (oversees the entire simulation).

  • Scenario Designers (develop realistic crisis injects).

  • Controllers (manage the flow of the exercise).

  • Evaluators (assess performance and gaps).

  • Role-Players (act as media, hackers, victims, etc.).

Develop a High-Impact Scenario

  • Choose a worst-case but plausible crisis (e.g., ransomware attack + data leak + regulatory scrutiny).

  • Create a multi-stage timeline (escalating events over hours/days).

  • Design realistic injects (e.g., fake news reports, simulated system failures, mock law enforcement involvement).

Plan Logistics & Resources

  • Location: Use real-world settings (HQ, backup sites, virtual war rooms).

  • Technology:

    • Simulated IT outages (e.g., mock ransomware screen).

    • Fake social media/news sites.

    • Crisis management software (e.g., Everbridge, OnSolve).

  • Props:

    • Mock emergency alerts.

    • Actor scripts (e.g., panicked employees, aggressive reporters).

Conduct Pre-Exercise Briefings

  • Participants: Explain rules, objectives, and safety protocols.

  • Controllers & Evaluators: Ensure they understand their roles.

  • Media & External Stakeholders (if involved): Brief on simulated roles.

Execute the Full-Scale Simulation

  • Phase 1: Crisis Eruption (e.g., "Explosion reported at Facility X").

  • Phase 2: Escalation (e.g., "Casualties reported, media arrives").

  • Phase 3: Decision-Making Under Pressure (e.g., "CEO must approve a public statement").

  • Phase 4: Recovery & Lessons Learned (e.g., "IT restores systems, PR handles backlash").

Hot Wash-Up & Formal Debrief

  • Immediate Feedback: Quick discussion right after the exercise.

  • Structured Evaluation:

    • What worked?

    • What failed?

    • Were protocols followed?

    • Were decisions timely and effective?

  • After-Action Report (AAR): Document findings and update crisis plans.

Example: Full-Scale Cyberattack Simulation

Scenario: "State-sponsored hackers breach systems, steal data, and demand ransom."

Exercise Flow
  1. Trigger: IT detects unusual network activity → Confirms ransomware encryption.

  2. Injects:

    • A fake ransom note appears on the screens.

    • Hackers leak customer data on dark web.

    • Media calls for comment.

    • Regulators demand a breach report within 24h.

  3. Response Tested:

    • IT incident response.

    • Executive decision-making.

    • PR & legal coordination.

    • Employee & customer communication.

Key Considerations for Success

 Realism: Make it as lifelike as possible without causing panic.
 Psychological Safety: Ensure participants know it’s a learning experience.
 Unpredictability: Add unexpected twists (e.g., a key person is unavailable).
 Iterative Improvement: Use findings to refine crisis plans.

Tools & Resources for Full-Scale Simulations

  • Crisis Management Platforms: Everbridge, OnSolve, Siemens Xcelerator.

  • Simulation Software: Tabletop Simulator, CrisisSim.

  • Fake Media Generators:

    • Mock news websites (e.g., using WordPress templates).

    • Simulated social media bots (e.g., Twitter/X parody accounts).

Final Thoughts

A full simulation crisis exercise is the gold standard for stress-testing an organisation’s readiness. By simulating a high-pressure, real-world scenario, you can identify weaknesses, improve coordination, and build muscle memory for actual crises.

 

Types of Crisis Management Exercises
New call-to-action [CM] Definition of an Incident Simulation Exercise [CM] Definition of a Partial Crisis Management Simulation Exercise New call-to-action [CM] Definition of a Live Crisis Management Exercise
Design and Develop Crisis Management Exercises
New call-to-action [CM] Definition of an Incident Simulation Exercise [CM] Definition of a Partial Crisis Management Simulation Exercise New call-to-action [CM] Definition of a Live Crisis Management Exercise

 

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].

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