Homeland Security Exercise and
Evaluation Program (HSEEP) and
the National Exercise Program
(NEP)
Overview
December 2009
HSEEP
 Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-8: establish a
“national program and multi-year planning system to conduct
homeland security preparedness-related exercises that reinforces
identified training standards, provides for evaluation of readiness,
and supports the National Preparedness Goal”
 Helps homeland security professionals assess capabilities built
through planning, training, and equipment procurement, by
providing them with the tools to plan, conduct, and evaluate
exercises to improve overall preparedness
 HSEEP AAR/IPs document and summarize performance as part
of the comprehensive preparedness assessment described in the
National Preparedness Goal
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HSEEP Blended Approach
 HSEEP addresses the range of exercise evaluation issues
through a blended approach involving four related program
areas:
 1) Policy and Guidance — Providing the strategic direction
for exercise and evaluation programs Nationwide
 2) Training — Offering courses and tutorials on the many
HSEEP plans, policies, and requirements
 3) Technology — Ensuring that Federal, State, and local
jurisdictions have the tools necessary to plan and implement
exercise programs
 4) Direct Support — Supporting jurisdictions across the
Nation through funding, training, and other exercise support
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HSEEP Policy and Guidance
 HSEEP provides doctrine for design, development, conduct, and
evaluation of emergency preparedness exercises at all levels of
government
 Standardizes exercise design, development, conduct, and
evaluation for all exercises (National-level, Federal, State, local)
 Establishes common language and concepts to be adopted and
used by various agencies and organizations
 Meets National Response Framework (NRF) and National
Incident Management System (NIMS) goals
 Provides tools and resources for to support self-sustaining
exercise programs
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HSEEP Volumes
 Volume I: Overview and Exercise
Program Management
 Volume II: Exercise Design and
Development
 Volume III: Exercise Evaluation
and Improvement Planning
 Volume IV: Sample Exercise
Documents and Formats
 Volume V: Prevention Exercises
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HSEEP Compliance
HSEEP compliance is adherence to specific HSEEPmandated practices for exercise design, conduct,
evaluation, and documentation

HSEEP compliance includes four distinct performance
requirements:
1. Conduct annual Training & Exercise Plan Workshop (TEPW)
and develop and maintain Multi-year Training & Exercise Plan
2. Plan and conduct exercises in accordance with guidelines in
HSEEP Volumes I-V
3. Develop and submit a properly formatted After Action Report /
Improvement Plan (AAR/IP)
4. Track and implement corrective actions identified in AAR/IP
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Multi-Year Training & Exercise Plan
 Conduct TEPW each calendar year to develop a Multi-year
Training and Exercise Plan
 Multi-year Training and Exercise Plan must include a multi-year
schedule of training and exercise activities, focused on priority
capabilities
– Priority capabilities derived from National and State homeland
security strategies
- Schedule must use “building-block approach” of increasing
complexity (e.g., seminar, followed by tabletop exercise,
followed by functional)
 All exercises identified in multi-year schedule must be entered
into National Exercise Schedule (NEXS)
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Exercise Types
 Discussion-based Exercises:
- Seminar
- Workshop
- Tabletop Exercise
- Game
 Operations-based Exercises:
- Drill
- Functional
- Full-Scale Exercise
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Exercise Planning Conferences
 Concept & Objectives (C&O)
 Initial Planning Conference (IPC)
 Mid-term Planning Conference (MPC)
 Master Scenario Events List (MSEL) Conference
 Final Planning Conference (FPC)
 After-Action Conference (AAC)
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Capabilities-Based Planning
Capabilities-based planning is defined as planning, under uncertainty, to build
capabilities suitable for a wide range of threats and hazards while working within
an economic framework that necessitates prioritization and choice. It addresses
uncertainty by analyzing a wide range of realistic scenarios to identify required
capabilities, and it is the basis for guidance such as the National Preparedness
Goal, Target Capabilities List (TCL), and Universal Task List (UTL).
 HSEEP is designed to support capabilities-based planning through a
cyclical process of planning, training, exercising, and improvement
planning which emphasizes development of priority capabilities
 Capabilities-based planning provides the foundation for:
 Developing exercise program priorities
 Identifying sets of capabilities to exercise
 Determining conditions and scenarios that should be included and
addressed in exercises
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Capabilities-Based Program Approach
 Provides the foundation for developing exercise program
objectives, identifying sets of capabilities to exercise, and
determining the conditions and scenarios that should be included
and addressed in exercises
 Exercise programs should integrate and support capabilitiesbased planning, both through long-term strategic program
management and through the design, development, conduct, and
evaluation of exercises
 Strategies should address not only terrorism, but a broad range
of other threats and hazards founded on the capabilities-based
planning approach
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Capabilities-Based Planning Structure
Emergency
Management
Priorities
Target
Capabilities
(and tasks)
Exercise
Objectives
Exercise
Scenario
Improvement
Plans
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13
Tools and Resources
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National Exercise Scheduling System
(NEXS)
 Facilitates cooperation and collaboration among Federal, State,
Territory, Tribal, and local agencies conducting exercises
 Tool used to track the scheduling of all exercises, regardless of
the supporting Federal response agency
 Comprehensive calendar for all Federal, State, Regional,
Territory, Tribal, and local exercises
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Design and Development System
(DDS)
 The DDS is equal parts project management tool and
comprehensive tutorial for the design, development, conduct
and evaluation of exercises.
 Provides users with:
 Customizable timelines
 Exercise task lists
 Templates and reference documents
 Exercise planning tips
 Interactive HSEEP guidance
 Ability to email planning team tasks, updates, guidance
and alerts
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Corrective Action Program
(CAP)
 The Corrective Action Program (CAP) provides the basis for
systematically identifying, analyzing, and monitoring the
implementation of initiatives aimed at resolving deficiencies
uncovered in exercises, training events, real-world events, and
policy discussions.
 The CAP provides a systematic means for overcoming the
perennial problem of observing the same issues repeatedly
characterized as “lessons learned” in reports compiled
following National Exercise Program (NEP) exercises and
major events.
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National Exercise Master
Scenario Event List (NxMSEL)
 The NxMSEL is an element of the Homeland Security
Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) Program
 Used to support National-Level Exercises
 The Tool was developed to assist Exercise Planners with:
 MSEL development- Web-based technology to support
the creation of new events
 MSEL management- During the exercise design and
planning phase as well as enhance the MSEL
management
 Provides a common operating picture during exercise
conduct
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Regional Exercise Support Program
(RESP)
 Administered by the FEMA National Exercise Division in close
coordination with the FEMA Regional Offices
 Provides technical support for the design, conduct, and evaluation of
exercise initiatives in accordance with the HSEEP.
 Promotes regional collaboration through the facilitated process of
exercise development and evaluation.
 Supports regional, State, territorial, local, federally recognized tribal,
and urban area exercise initiatives.
 Ensures that all levels of government receive strategy, policy, and
planning guidance in order to build prevention, protection, response,
and recovery capabilities across the nation.
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Incorporating Planning Tools
 HSEEP supports the capabilities-based planning process
through:
 Multi-year Plans
 Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGs)
 AARs/IPs
 Training courses will be aligned with capabilities
 Training and exercise programs should integrate and support
capabilities-based planning, both through long-term strategic
program management and through the design, development,
conduct, and evaluation of exercises
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Training Resources
Training is available from a variety of sources and several formats
(web-based, train-the-trainer, etc):
 National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC)
 Emergency Management Institute (EMI)
 National Fire Academy (NFA)
 Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy (FLETC)
 State universities and educational institutions
 Approved State and local government and private training
providers
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Training Program Development
Resources
 On-line development and implementation guides in Blended
Learning and Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation,
and Evaluation (ADDIE) instructional design are located at:
http://ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/blendedlearning/
 State course development, review and approval process
information is supported through Web Forms at
www.firstrespondertraining.gov/odp_webforms
 In early 2007, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
will launch the on-line Responder Training Development Center
with interactive process guides, templates, and models of first
responder training instructional design, development, and
implementation
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National Exercise Program
Creating a Unified Exercise Strategy
In response to presidential and congressional requirements, the Homeland Security Council—in
coordination with DHS and FEMA—created and put into place the National Exercise Program (NEP) to unify
homeland security preparedness exercise strategies
 Meets requirements laid out in Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8,
Homeland Security Act of 2002 and The Federal Response to Hurricane
Katrina: Lessons Learned
 Provides the USG a national, interagency-wide program and a multi-year
planning system to focus, coordinate, plan, conduct, execute, evaluate, and
prioritize national security and homeland security preparedness-related
exercises activities
 Works as the primary mechanism to improve delivery of Federal preparedness
assistances to State and local governments
 Strengthening preparedness capabilities of Federal, State, and local entities
 Incorporates Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
methodology
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NEP Status
 Deputies’ Committee approved the NEP Charter and
Implementation Plan on January 26, 2007
 President Bush reviewed and approved the NEP Implementation
Plan on April 11, 2007
 Secretary Chertoff Notification to Cabinet Officers on July 17,
2007
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NEP Purpose
 NEP shall serve as the principal mechanism for:
 Examining the preparation of the USG and its officers and
other officials
 Adopting policy changes that might improve such preparation
 Focus of NEP exercises:
 Designed for participation of heads of Federal departments
and agencies and other key officials
 Examine and evaluate emerging national-level policy issues
 NEP directs Agency’s to adequately resource for and participate
in exercises at directed levels
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NEP Overview
 NEP requires officers of the U.S. Government to:
(a) exercise their responsibilities under the National Response Framework
and other strategies, as appropriate
(b) examine emerging policy issues through the conduct of exercises in a
comprehensive manner on a routine basis
(c) incorporate current threat and vulnerability assessments into the
exercise objectives and planning effort
(d) develop a corrective action process to ensure lessons from exercises
are either sustained or improved as appropriate
(e) achieve national unity among appropriate Federal, State, local, private
sector, and partner nation entities
 NEP does not preclude or replace individual departments’ and agencies’
exercise programs
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NEP Components
 NEP program components include:
 National Level Exercise (NLE) (Annual Tier I exercise) (national security
and/or homeland security exercises centered on White House directed,
U.S. Government-wide strategy and policy)
 Principal Level Exercise (PLE) (Quarterly cabinet level exercises
focused on current U.S. Government-wide strategic issues)
 Five-Year Exercise Schedule of NLE/PLE and significant NEP Tiered
exercises with a strategic U.S. Government-wide focus
 National Exercise Schedule (NEXS) (schedule of all Federal, State, and
local exercises)
 Corrective Action Program (CAP)
 Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
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NEP Ownership
 NLEs and PLEs will reflect U.S. Government-wide priorities, not single
Department or agency programs
 NEP I-Plan establishes the NEP under the leadership of the Secretary of
Homeland Security
 Full Homeland Security Council (HSC) Disaster Readiness Group’s Exercise &
Evaluation Sub-Policy Coordination Committee (E&E sub-PCC) recommends
priorities/goals/objectives, schedule, and corrective action issues to deputies
 DHS chaired NEP Executive Steering Committee supports day-to-day
coordination
 Charged with ensuring that all NEP exercises are successfully coordinated
and conducted
 Comprised of representatives across the U.S. Government
 Defining and drafting a NEP Five-Year Exercise Schedule
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Five-Year Exercise Schedule
 Based on strategic direction and policy priorities
 Transition Training
 Domestic Natural Disaster
 National Security
 Domestic Terrorism
 Sets forth focus, goals, themes, and schedule for NLEs & PLEs
 Will involve progressive level of detail (implementation plan issue)
 Requires process for discouraging changes less than two fiscal years out
(implementation plan issue)
 Allows for departments and agencies to:
 Align other exercises, training activities, and preparatory reviews of policies, plans,
and procedures
 Align with regional and State priorities
 Budget resources for exercise planning & participation
 Leverages existing interagency exercise conferences of DHS and DOD for development
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NEP Exercise Tiers
Tier I: White House directed,
U.S. Government-wide Strategy
and Policy Focus
Tier II: Federal Strategy and
Policy Focus
Tier III: Other Federal Exercises
Operational, Tactical or
Organizational Focus
Tier IV: State, Territorial,
Local, Tribal or
Private Sector Focus
1 NLE
4 PLE
Tier I
3 Tier II
Exercises
Tier II
Regional or Other
Federal Exercises
Non-Federal Exercises
Tier III
Tier IV
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National Security Council &
Homeland Security Council Deputies Committee
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NEP Summary
 Focus
 Participation by heads of Federal Departments & Agencies
 Participation by other key officials
 Examine emerging national-level policy issues
 Prioritize and focus Federal exercise activities
 Exercises
 Required: x4 – Tier I Principals-level Exercise (PLE)
 Required: x1 – Tier I National Level Exercise (NLE)
 Commended: x3 - Tier II exercises
 NLE Budget Requirements (Planning & Conduct)
 Required: Budget support for NEP Tier I NLE
 Commended: Budget support for NEP Tier II exercises
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