NATIONAL EXERCISE PROGRAM 

March 18, 2011 
March 18,2011 

Pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended, I am pleased to present the new 

National Exercise Program (NEP) Base Plan. 

As directed by Secretary Napolitano and in close collaboration with our federal interagency 

partners, the National Security Staff (NSS), National Advisory Council, and other stakeholders , 

the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA) 

conducted an extensive effort to revise and improve the NEP . As the success of the NEP derives 

from the participation and collaboration of stakeholders from across the entire emergency 

management and homeland security enterprise, I would liketo thank all of our partners for their 

conscientious review and feedback throughout the NEP revision process. 

The purpose of the NEP Base Plan is to provide a strategically focused foundational document of 

the principles and tenets of the NEP. The revised program will provide for a more aggressive, 

realistic, agile, and collaborative exercise system. Specifically, the NEP will incorporate the 

following elements: 

• Progressive Cycle: The NEP will be conducted within a two-year progressive exercise 

cycle. The cycle will incorporate a wide array of exercises that link to common 

objectives, involve multiple participants at various levels of government, validate a broad 

range of scenarios, and will be designed with an increasing degree of complexity over 

time. The first NEP cycle will commence in January 2013. 

• "Whole Community" Collaborative Approach: The NEP will include select exercises at 

the state, local, territorial, and tribal levels that are aligned to the Principal Objectives 

within each cycle. In addition, the NEP will incorporate exercises involving the private 

sector, non-governmental organizations, and the general public. This collaborative 

approach will enable the participation of a wider range of players and will foster better 

coordination and working relationships across the emergency management enterprise. 

• Senior Leadership Led: A newly strengthened governance structure will elevate the 

active stewardship of the NEP to reinvigorated policy committees within the White 

House and enable members of the Homeland Security Council Principals Committee to 

establish the exercise objectives for the Nation. 

Development of a collaborative NEP Implementation Plan will provide the details of the 

program performance, scoping of individual department and agency involvement, exercise 

selection, and formulation of the exercise program. We look forward to working with our 

partners in developing the NEP Implementation Plan, planning the inaugural cycle, and 

incorporating the new NEP tenets into future exercises. 

W. Craig Fugate 

Administrator , FEMA 
Contents 

I. Purpose.................................................................................................................................... I 

2. Authorities and References ..................................................................................................... I 

3. Terms of Reference ................................................................................................................. 2 

4. Governance .................................................. , .......................................................................... 4 

5. Concept of Operations .......................................................................................................... 10 

6. Contact Information .............................................................................................................. 14 

7. Acronyms and Abbreviations ............................................................................................... 15 

Figures 

Figure 4-1: NEP Governance Structure .......................................................................................... 5 
1. Purpose 

An effective National Exercise Program (NEP) is an essential component of our national 

preparedness. It validates our plans, tests our operational capabilities, maintains leadership 

effectiveness, and examines the ways we utilize our "whole community" to prevent, protect 

from, respond to, recover from, and mitigate disasters and acts of terrorism. Exercises enable 

us to practice and refine our collective capacity to confront a variety of potential threats and 

hazards while discovering problems and identifying gaps in policies and procedures. A truly 

"national" exercise program is one that fosters the meaningful and systematic interaction of 

public officials at every level of jurisdiction while incorporating the participation of privatesector, faith-based, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)-along with the publicagainst a set of common objectives. By linking together exercises from across the country 

and at all levels of government, the NEP can leverage the people and resources of the entire 

homeland security enterprise and channel those assets efficiently and effectively toward a 

higher level of national preparedness. 

1.1 Mission: The National Exercise Program's mission is to serve as the principal exercise 

mechanism for examining the preparedness and measuring the readiness of the United 

States across the entire homeland security enterprise by designing, coordinating, 

conducting, and evaluating a progressive cycle of exercises that rigorously tests the 

Nation's ability to perform missions or functions that prevent, protect against, respond 

to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards . 

1.2 Scope: The National Exercise Program is designed to incorporate participants and 

exercises from all States, territories, and the District of Columbia. When appropriate, 

international partners will be incorporated into specific NEP exercises. Officials within 

the Executive Branch of the Federal Government are primary stakeholders in the NEP 

and, as such, many of the NEP exercises are designed to meet their exercise 

requirements. However, as a reflection of the fact that the NEP is a truly national 

program and that our Nation's preparedness requires a "whole community" approach to 

succeed, the NEP also includes a focus on, and the active participation of, State, local, 

tribal, territorial (SL TT), private-sector, NGOs, non-profits, and faith-based partners, as 

well as the public. 

2. Authorities and References 

The NEP is established by United States Code (USC), Title 6, Chapter 2, Subchapter II, Part 

A, Section 748(b)(l) , and directs that "the [Federal Emergency Management Agency 

(FEMA)] Administrator, in coordination with the heads of appropriate Federal agencies, the 

National Council on Disability, and the National Advisory Council, shall carry out a national 

exercise program to test and evaluate the national preparedness goal, National Incident 

Management System (NIMS), National Response Plan [now the National Response 

Framework (NRF)], and other related plans and strategies." 
The NEP is also based upon the following 1

: 

2.1 6 U.S.C. § 1136 (d) directs that security exercises for public transportation agencies be 

a component of the NEP. 

2.2 6 USC.§ 1166 (d) directs that security exercises for railroad carriers be a component 

of the NEP. 

2.3 Public Law 111-353, Section 208 directs that food safety exercises to evaluate and 

identify weaknesses in the decontamination and disposal model plans be a component 

of the NEP. 

2.4 National Security Presidential Directive 51/Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20 

directs the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (OHS) Secretary to develop, lead, 

and conduct a Federal continuity training and exercise program, which shall be 

incorporated into the NEP. 

2.5 Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8 (HSPD-8) directs the Secretary of 

Homeland Security, in coordination with other appropriate Federal departments and 

agencies, to establish a national program to conduct homeland security preparednessrelated exercises. HSPD-8 requires that all Federal departments and agencies that 

conduct national homeland security preparedness-related exercises shall participate in a 

collaborative, interagency process to designate such exercises on a consensus basis and 

create a master exercise calendar. Finally, HSPD-8 requires that Federal departments 

and agencies will identify their level of participation in national homeland security 

preparedness-related exercises at the time the exercises are so designated. 

This document and the information contained herein supersede the National Exercise 

Program Charter memorandum dated January 26, 2007 . 

3. Terms of Reference 

The following are key concepts and terms for the NEP: 

3.1 Homeland Security Enterprise: the collective of SLTT governments, the Federal 

interagency, non-governmental and faith-based organizations, the private sector, the 

public, and their respective homeland security missions. 

3.2 Exercise: the employment of personnel and resources in a controlled environment to 

test, validate, and/or improve a specific plan or capability in pursuit of a stated 

objective within the homeland security enterprise. Exercises are distinct from training 

events and may include workshops , facilitated policy discussions, seminars, tabletop 

exercises (TTXs), games, modeling and simulation (M&S), drills, functional exercises 

(FEs), and full-scale exercises (FSEs). 

3.3 "Whole Community": an incident response planning principle seeking a more effective 

and holistic collaboration with all members of a community, to include all elements of 

the homeland security enterprise. 

1 See also Secretary of Homeland Security Memorandum dated August 17, 20 I 0, which directs the 

provision of a revised National Exercise Program. 

2 
3.4 Progressive Exercise Cycle: a discrete array of exercises that is anchored to a common 

set of objectives, built toward an increasing level of complexity over time, and involves 

the participation of multiple entities. A progressive exercise cycle allows the involved 

organizations to test their implementation of prevention and incident management 

procedures, as well as their coordination with each other in the process. A two-year, 

progressive exercise structure comprises the entirety of each NEP cycle. 

3.5 Objectives-Based Planning: a planning approach in which overarching central 

objectives serve as the basis of the exercise program and the primary drivers of exercise 

development. Objectives take three forms: 1) Principal Objectives; 2) general 

objectives; and 3) exercise-specific objectives. 

3.6 Principal Objectives: critical, high-level functions, missions, and priorities across the 

homeland security enterprise established by the White House and the Homeland 

Security Council (HSC) Principals Committee (PC), pursuant to their specific priorities 

and concerns. NEP Principal Objectives are based on strategic priorities and set the 

direction for each two-year NEP cycle. They are set approximately every two years. 

3.7 General Objectives: operational priorities identified by Federal departments and 

agencies , non-Federal partners, and statutory requirements that are incorporated into the 

NEP Cycle to achieve the Principal Objectives. General objectives will be issued by 

the Domestic Resilience Group (DRG) . 

3.8 Exercise-Specific Objectives: objectives, capabilities, or event-specific actions that are 

tested in an individual exercise and are incorporated into the exercise design 

accordingly. The preponderance of exercise-specific objectives within an NEP exercise 

shall tie directly to one or more of the Principal Objectives and/or general objectives. 

Exercise-specific objectives for Federal NEP exercises will be coordinated by the 

Exercise and Evaluation sub-Interagency Policy Committee (E&E sub-IPC), for review 

by the DRG. 

3.9 Domestic Resilience Group (DRG): a standing committee of senior Federal department 

and agency representatives. For the NEP, the DRG will issue general objectives; 

coordinate exercise policy; provide strategic input, program guidance, and feedback on 

NEP exercises; and approve exercise plans, participation policies, and procedures for 

use in national-level and senior-level exercises. 

3.10 Exercise and Evaluation sub-Interagency Policy Committee (E&E sub-I PC): a 

standing committee of senior Federal department and agency representatives authorized 

to make policy recommendations on exercise related issues who coordinate exercisespecific objectives for review by the DRG and coordinate NEP planning and 

scheduling. 

3.11 Exercis e Implementation Committee (EiC): a standing committee of senior 

representatives, predominantly from Federal departments and agencies , who are 

responsible for the implementation ofNEP directives. EiC members execute primary 

exercise planning responsibilities within their organizations in support of the NEP; 

provide support to each exercise-specific working group as required; and serve as 

trusted agents for exercise planning purposes. The EiC will be chaired by 

FEMA/National Exercise Division (FEMAINED). 

3 
3.12 Exercise-Specific Working Group: a temporary group of planning representatives from 

NEP stakeholder communities that manages the design and planning process of an 

individual NEP exercise. Exercise-specific working groups are established and chaired 

by FEMA/NED and, as required, co-chaired by a subject-matter-specific Federal 

department or agency or a member of the homeland security enterprise. 

3.13 Senior-Level Exercises: tabletop and functional exercises that are centered on strategy, 

decision-making, policy issues, and lines of authority that require the participation of 

senior government officials at various jurisdictional levels. 

3.14 National-Level Exercise (NLE): a singular, capstone exercise conducted every two 

years as the final component of each NEP progressive exercise cycle . Federal 

departments and agencies will participate in each NLE to the extent appropriate, as 

determined by the Homeland Security Council (HSC) Principal's Committee. State, 

local, tribal, and territorial entities will participate in accordance with their agreement 

with the NED. The NLE within the NEP will satisfy the biennial national exercise 

requirement established in 6 U.S.C. § 748(b)(3). 

3.15 The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP): HSEEP provides 

exercise guidance and principles based on national best practices that constitute a 

national standard for homeland security exercises. 

3.16 National Exercise Schedule (NEXS) System: an online comprehensive scheduling tool 

that facilitates the visibility, de-contliction, and synchronization of all homeland 

security exercises nationwide. 

3.17 Modeling: employment of a physical, mathematical, or otherwise logical representation 

of a system at some particular point in time and/or space intended to promote an 

expanded understanding of the real system. 

3.18 Simulation: a method for the implementation of a model or a combination of models 

overtime. 

4. Governance 

The NEP will be guided by the policy direction and decision-making provided by the HSC 

Principals Committee and its subordinate executive branch committees. These committees will 

also adjudicate NEP issues as they arise from the interagency exercise community, as required. 

Approximately every two years, the HSC Principals Committee will issue the Principal 

Objectives following an HSC Principals' Committee meeting that will drive the subsequent 

NEP cycle. On occasion, the HSC Principals Committee may also revisit and revise the 

Principal Objectives, provide specific guidance to major interagency FSEs, or issue additional 

direction based on changing national priorities. On a regular basis, however, the DRG and its 

E&E sub-IPC will provide the routine guidance and direction to the NEP. 

4 
---- ----

At the operational level, the EiC, chaired by FEMNNED, will be the primary agent for 

guiding the design, planning, and execution of each NEP event. Figure 4-1 depicts the 

governance structure of the NEP. 

NEP Pt1llcy Direction and Decision Making 

ExNcis~ lmplomontation 1 

Committee ! 

Exercise Planning and Conduct 

-- Policy 01rectlon • • · • • Coordinationand AdJudJCation 

Figure 4-1: NEP Governance Structure 

The NEP governance structure engages senior Federal officials 

and utilizes the interagency policy process to resolve issues. 

4.1 Interagency Roles and Responsibilities: the following Federal officials and bodies will 

play important roles in the governance of the NEP: 

4.1.1 Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (APHSCT) 

• Solicit Principal Objectives from the HSC Principals Committee 

• Issue Principal Objectives approved by the HSC Principals Committee 

• Provide strategic exercise planning guidance through the National Security 

Staff (NSS) to the DRG 

4.1.2 HSC Principals Committee 

• Participate in the setting of Principal Objectives 

• Establish and periodically validate Principal Objectives for each biennial 

NEP cycle through the HSC Principals Committee 

• Based on recommendations from the Domestic Resilience Group (DRG), 

establish and periodically validate participation in NEP exercises by relevant 

Federal departments and agencies in order to meet th~ Principal Objectives 

• Ensure appropriate participation and resourcing ofNEP exercises 

5 
4.1.3 National Security Staff (NSS) 

• Coordinate NEP-related activities within the White House 

• Oversee the progress of corrective action implementation from NEP 

exercises for all Federal departments and agencies to ensure priority issues 

are assigned and completed within a specific timeframe 

• Coordinate White House-level participation in exercises 

4.1.4 Domestic Resilience Group (DRG) 

• Coordinate exercise policy and provide interagency input, program guidance, 

and feedback on NEP exercises 

• Approve exercise plans, policies, and procedures for use in national-level and 

senior-level exercises 

• Review and approve exercises nominated by their sponsoring departments 

and agencies for inclusion in the NEP cycle 

• Issue general objectives for each NEP cycle 

• Recommend to the HSC Principals Committee specific NEP exercises that 

require participation among relevant Federal departments and agencies 

• Recommend Federal participation in Federal interagency exercises that are 

outside the scope of the NEP cycle 

• Utilize collaborative interagency and Executive Secretariat notification 

processes to recommend objectives, participation, and other issues to the 

HSC Principals Committee for guidance or decisions 

• Account for the resource and scheduling priorities of the Federal interagency 

for NEP, non-NEP, legacy, internal, classified, intermittent, military, 

international, and other exercises 

4.1.5 Exercise and Evaluation sub-Interagency Policy Committee (E&E sub-lPC) 

• Support the DRG in the concept development, scoping, scaling, and 

resourcing of interagency NEP exercises 

• Coordinate exercise-specific objectives for review by the DRG 

• Coordinate NEP planning and scheduling 

• Coordinate exercise evaluation and after-action processes 

• Review and nominate other exercises to the DRG that are outside the scope 

of the NEP cycle but would benefit from Federal interagency participation 

4.1.6 Exercise Implementation Committee (EiC) 

• Execute primary exercise planning responsibilities within their organizations 

in support of the NEP 

• Provide members to each exercise-specific working group, as required 

• Serve as trusted agents for exercise planning purposes 

6 
• If necessary, issues requiring adjudication by policy makers, submit to the 

Exercise and Evaluation sub-IPC 

• Develop courses of action for each approved general objective from the 

Federal departments and agencies 

4.1.7 National Council on Disability (NCO) 

• Coordinate with FEMA in carrying out the NEP 

• Provide guidance on the homeland security-related priorities and needs of 

individuals with disabilities 

• Nominate objectives for consideration for inclusion in the NEP cycle through 

the FEMA Administrator on behalf of stakeholders 

4.1.8 Federal departments and agencies 

• Provide an appropriate level of participation for NEP exercises and planning 

events based on their roles, responsibilities, and relevance to the Principal 

Objectives each NEP cycle 

• Identify and submit general objectives to the DRG 

• Provide input, as appropriate, on the development of exercise-specific 

objectives 

• Actively participate in the corrective action process and maintain a corrective 

action program within each department and agency 

• Forecast and budget for exercise personnel and resources to participate in 

NEP exercises 

• Report exercises into the NEXS System 

• Designate an exercise and evaluation point of contact (POC) for 

programmatic coordination with FEMA/NED 

• Assist in the coordination and facilitation of regional, State, local, tribal, 

territorial, private sector, faith-based organizations, NGOs, non-profits, and 

the public into the NEP through existing Federal interagency regional 

administrators and coordinators 

4.2 DHS Roles and Responsibilities: The following DHS officials and offices will play the 

following roles in the NEP: 

4.2. I Secretary of Homeland Security 

• Participate in the setting of Principal Objectives 

• Establish and periodically validate Principal Objectives for each biennial 

NEP cycle through the HSC Principals Committee 

• Review and provide strategic exercise planning guidance to the FEMA 

Administrator 

7 
4.2.2 FEMA Administrator 

■ In coordination with the heads of appropriate Federal departments and 

agencies, carry out the NEP to test and evaluate the national preparedness 

goal, NIMS, NRF, and other related plans and strategies 2 

■ Periodically, but not less than biennially, perform national exercises that have 

the purpose of testing and evaluating the capability of the Federal, State, 

local, and tribal governments to detect, disrupt, and prevent threatened or 

actual catastrophic acts of terrorism, especially those involving weapons of 

mass destruction (WMD)3 

■ Periodically, but not less than biennially, perform national exercises that have 

the purpose of testing and evaluating the readiness of Federal, State, local, 

and tribal governments to respond and recover in a coordinated and unified 

manner to catastrophic incidents4 

4.2.3 National Exercise Division (FEMA/NED) 

■ Provide counsel to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the FEMA 

Administrator on the two-year progressive exercise objectives, exercise 

guidance, and NEP schedule 

■ Facilitate day-to-day operations of the NEP, and guide the planning and 

conduct of Federal participation in NEP exercises 

■ Manage all logistics, coordination, and administrative tasks for the NEP 

■ Oversee HSEEP and supporting doctrine and systems for support of the NEP 

■ Serve as chair of the EiC 

■ Coordinate participation in national-level and senior-Level exercises, as 

appropriate 

■ Coordinate all activities with SLTTs through the applicable FEMA Region 

■ Identify and nominate the range of exercises to be incorporated into each 

NEP cycle, in coordination with Federal interagency partners, the FEMA 

Regions, national organizations, and others, as appropriate 

■ Develop exercise-specific directives in coordination with the Federal 

departments and agencies 

■ Organize and coordinate individual exercise working groups, as needed, to 

assist with the development of exercise-specific directives and the planning 

of individual exercises 

■ Coordinate with Federal departments and agencies to ensure effective 

interagency evaluation and after-action reporting for national-level and 

senior-level exercises 

2 6 U.S.C. §748(b) 

3 6 US C. §748(b) 4 6 U.S.C. §748(b) 

8 
• Oversee the development of the NEP Rolling Summary Report in 

coordination with appropriate Federal departments and agencies 

• Ensure that After Action Reports and Improvement Plans (AAR/IPs), 

including corrective actions, are generated in a timely fashion following the 

completion of exercises 

• Manage the operation of the Corrective Action Program (CAP) System 

• Report corrective action status to the NSS for tracking and oversight 

4.2.4 National Preparedness Assessments Division (NPAD) 

• In collaboration with FEMA/NED and in coordination with appropriate 

departments and agencies, develop performance measures and benchmarking 

metrics for NEP exercises to support larger preparedness assessments and 

trend analysis 

• Ensure observations, lessons learned, and best practices from all NEP 

exercises are promptly submitted to Lessons Learned Information Sharing 

(LLIS.gov) 

4.2.5 FEMA Regional Administrators 

• Assist in the coordination and facilitation of regional, State, local, tribal, 

territorial, private sector, faith-based organizations, NGOs , non-profits, and 

the public into the NEP 

• Nominate objectives for consideration for inclusion in the NEP cycle through 

the FEMA Administrator on behalf of stakeholders 

• Facilitate the reporting of exercises into the NEXS System 

4.2.6 National Advisory Council (NAC) 

• Coordinate with FEMA in providing input and recommendations on the NEP 

• Provide guidance on incorporating the priorities of FEMA's partners and 

stakeholders at the State, local, tribal, territorial, private-sector, faith-based, 

and NGO levels 

• Nominate objectives for consideration for inclusion in the NEP cycle through 

the FEMA Administrator on behalf of stakeholders 

9 
5. Concept of Operations 

The NEP will be conducted as a two-year, progressive exercise cycle based on an identified 

set of Principal Objectives and corresponding general objectives. Based on these objectives, 

the NEP will incorporate, to the highest degree possible, existing exercises established by the 

Federal interagency and SLTT governments. Specifically, each NEP cycle will feature: 1) a 

series of Federal interagency-controlled senior-level exercises; and 2) exercises of all types at 

the SL TT levels as well as exercises within the private sector, non-governmental, and faithbased organizations that will be invited to be incorporated into the NEP schedule. Each NEP 

cycle will culminate in a national-level, NEP capstone exercise that will include participants 

from across the homeland security enterprise. · 

5.1 Cycle: The inaugural NEP cycle will commence on January 1, 2013. Each NEP cycle 

will be two (2) years in duration. Planning for each NEP cycle will begin no less than 

six (6) months prior to the commencement of that cycle. 

5.2 Objectives and Scenarios: The NEP will be objectives -driven and capability-based, 

with established Principal Objectives driving the focus and schedule of each NEP cycle. 

The HSC Principals Committee will set the Principal Objectives for each cycle. In 

addition, some of the NEP Principal Objectives may be required by law or executive 

order. 5 

While scenarios will still provide the means to assess the capabilities associated with 

the Principal Objectives and ensure the presence or absence of a capability can be 

asserted with some proof, they will not serve as a driver of each cycle. Scenarios 

provide a vehicle by which to connect the exercise-specific objectives to current risk 

and threat assessment analysis by providing the necessary conditions to test the 

objectives. Scenarios also provide the means to place the objectives against a wide 

range of relevant situations, protect assessments against sudden swings in priorities, and 

test the objectives against the breadth of a larger strategy . 

In the event that national priorities change or real-world events compel a mid-course 

adjustment to the NEP, the HSC Principals Committee may consider modifying the 

Principal Objectives to meet preparedness demands in an ever-changing homeland 

security environment. 

5.3 Participation: Maintaining a dynamic and successful NEP that incorporates a "whole 

community" approach, including participation from the Homeland Security Enterprise, 

is critical to national preparedness. Active participation at all levels is one of the 

cornerstones of a truly national program. 

To facilitate participation, the DRG will assemble, through an interagency collaborative 

process, a list of specific NEP exercises in which participation by relevant Federal 

departments and agencies should be required. That list shall be submitted, through the 

Executive Secretariat process, to the Deputies and HSC Principals Committees, which 

shall determine the participation of relevant Federal departments and agencies. In 

general, Federal departments and agencies will participate in the appropriate number of 

5 For example , continuity and certain transportation security exercises are currently mandated to be incorpor ated into 

the NEP , as per National Security Presidential Directive 51/Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20 and 6 US. C. 

§ I /36 (d)/6 US.C. § I /66 (d), respectively. 
NEP exercises that are required to evaluate the Principal Objectives and general 

objectives as feasible given operational and budgetary constraints. The extent and 

manner of each organization's participation will vary, subject to their respective 

missions relative to the NEP cycle's Principal Objectives. Participation by Federal 

departments and agencies in Federal interagency exercises that fall outside the scope of 

the NEP will be encouraged through the DRG as appropriate. 

SL TT stakeholders and other partners who choose to participate and whose exercises 

are selected for inclusion in a NEP cycle will be offered various degrees of technical 

assistance, collaboration, networking, and evaluation assistance. 

Participation recommendations and decisions should account for the resource and 

scheduling priorities of the Federal interagency for NEP, non-NEP, legacy, internal, 

classified, intermittent, military, international, and other exercises within the scope of 

Federal interagency real world operational commitments, evolving threat and risk 

forecasts, budget, resources, and other relevant variables. 

5.4 Exercise Selection: FEMAINED, in coordination with Federal interagency partners, the 

FEMA Regions, national organizations, and others, as appropriate, will identify 

prospective exercises to be incorporated into each NEP cycle. All exercises must be 

reported into the NEXS to be considered for inclusion in the NEP. The specific 

exercise selection criteria and selection procedures are detailed in the NEP 

Implementation Plan. 

The DRG will review nominated Federal interagency exercises for inclusion in the NEP 

cycle, and will submit that list of exercises, through the Executive Secretariat process, 

to the HSC Principal's Committee for final approval. 

5.5 Planning and Scheduling: The planning and scheduling of each two-year progressive 

NEP cycle begins with the establishment of Principal Objectives. The specific planning 

and scheduling process for the NEP is detailed in the NEP Implementation Plan. 

The following principles will guide the planning and scheduling ofNEP exercises: 

5.5 .1 The NEP shall be carried out, as appropriate, with a minimum degree of notice 

to involved parties regarding the timing and detail of such exercises consistent 

with safety considerations. 

5.5.2 Exercises will be conducted with a high degree of realism and will be based on 

current risk assessment analyses. 

5.5.3 Formal exercise planning and build-up activities will be scheduled and 

conducted in an efficient manner. 

5.5.4 Each NEP cycle schedule should reflect geographic diversity. 

5.5.5 Each NEP cycle will include a mix of all exercise types . The NEP exercise 

schedule will remain agile and flexible to allow for the inclusion of additional 

exercises to address findings from preceding exercises and to account for 

emerging threats. 

11 
5.6 Composition: Each cycle of the NEP will be objective-driven and responsive to 

changes in policy and lessons learned from previous exercises and actual events. 

Therefore, the number of exercises identified for inclusion to the NEP will vary, drawn 

from the catalog of exercises being conducted by Federal, SL TT, non-governmental, 

faith-based, and private-sector entities to the maximum extent possible. The NEP will 

incorporate a wide variety of exercise types. These include traditional formats, such as 

TTXs and FEs, as well as less-scripted policy discussions and other small-scale, shortduration exercises. This flexibility in the design of NEP exercises will enable planners 

to develop and schedule exercises that best suit the Principal Objectives and general 

objectives for a given cycle. 

The specific number of exercises incorporated for each NEP cycle will depend on the 

Principal Objectives and general objectives, schedule compatibility, and other factors, 

such as available resources and budget constraints. NEP exercises will be drawn from 

both the Federal interagency and non-Federal stakeholders: 

5.6. l Federal Interagency Exercises: Exercises will be scheduled through the DRG in 

coordination with FEMA/NED . Exercises may simulate the actual deliberative 

bodies that would convene in the event of a real-world incident. Interagency 

exercises may include exercises of all types. 

5.6.2 Regional, SLIT, NGO, Faith-Based, and Private-Sector Exercises : Prior to the 

beginning of each NEP cycle and after the issuance of the Principal Objectives 

and general objectives, FEMA/NED planners will review the NEXS System to 

identify prospective exercises among SLTT, private-sector, and other partners 

suitable for incorporation into the NEP. Working with those partners that 

volunteer to participate in the NEP, FEMA/NED and the Regions will identify 

and nominate exercises based on their applicability to the Principal Objectives, 

regional distribution, timing, and level of complexity. To build national 

exercise visibility, each FEMA Region will facilitate the entry ofSLTT 

exercises among their constituents into the NEXS. 

FEMA/NED and its Federal interagency partners will also identify prospective 

exercises for inclusion in the NEP through annual Training and Exercise 

Planning Workshops (TEPWs) and other forums . FEMA/NED and the Regions 

will coordinate and work in collaboration with each SL TT and other partner 

representatives selected for participation in the NEP to identify exercise-specific 

objectives and assist with exercise planning and evaluation. 

5.7 Modeling and Simulation: The NEP will actively incorporate modeling and simulation 

technologies and capabilities to increase the accessibility of exercise opportunities , 

encourage experimentation, and improve the efficiency ofNEP planning and exercise 

conduct. 

5.8 National-L eve/ Exercise: The biennial capstone exercise will be a national-level 

exercise that incorporates the elements and progressive lessons of the entire cycle. 

FEMA/NED will lead the planning and administration of the NEP capstone exercise 

and the scheduling of planning conferences and build-up activitie s. 

12 
5.9 Progression: The NEP will employ a progressive model for each cycle. The NEP 

series of exercises will be designed and conducted with an increasing level of 

complexity over the course of the cycle. Some exercises may be informal policy 

discussions to increase participants' familiarity with relevant policies and plans. Over 

time, as the participants display an increasing mastery of the subject matter, the 

exercises will increase in size and complexity. 

5. IO Exercise Conduct: All NEP exercises should be conducted in accordance with 

applicable HSEEP policy. Specific procedures and special considerations for 

conducting NEP exercises, including the NLE, are detailed in the NEP Implementation 

Plan. 

5.1 l Classified Exercises: Most NEP cycles will include exercises that are either classified 

or include a classified component. Specific procedures and special considerations for 

conducting classified exercises are included in the NEP Implementation Plan. 

5.12 Evaluation: The NEP will incorporate a comprehensive and efficient system of exercise 

evaluation that focuses on the rapid identification , development, and dissemination of 

lessons learned, as well as the development of corrective actions. FEMA, in 

coordination with the pertinent Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial department 

and agency stakeholders, will facilitate the development of an evaluation program 

tailored to suit the Principal Objectives and general objectives for each two-year cycle 

and will work with appropriate stakeholders to continually refine the NEP evaluation 

component to reflect both changes in the objectives and the lessons learned throughout 

the cycle. A rigorous, effective NEP evaluation methodology will ensure that issues 

identified during exercises are remediated, participants maximize learning, and the 

entire Nation benefits from the knowledge and experience gained through these 

exercises. The specific provisions for the NEP evaluation methodology are detailed in 

the NEP Implementation Plan. 

Key elements ofNEP evaluation will include : 

5.12.1 Evaluation Team: To conduct NEP evaluations, FEMA will coordinate the 

establishment of peer-evaluator teams in coordination with Federal departments 

and agencies and in consultation with SL TT governments, composed of SMEs 

and analysts drawn from a wide range of disciplines and from across the Federal 

interagency and the homeland security enterprise . These SMEs will have 

experience and expertise that is pertinent to the Principal Objectives and general 

objectives for the two-year cycle. 

5.12.2 Evaluati on Conduct: NEP exercise evaluation will maximize the real-time 

collection of exercise issues and observations . The focus will be on rapidly 

developing and disseminating corrective actions and lessons learned following 

each exercise. 

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5.12.3 NEP Rolling Summary Report: Issues, trends, and key lessons learned will 

continuously be captured in a summary report that can provide senior U.S. 

Government (USG) leadership with a near real-time snapshot ofNEP evaluation 

at any point in the two-year cycle. This NEP Rolling Summary Report will also 

enable NEP planners to refine and improve exercise planning in a continuous 

fashion to reflect lessons learned during the cycle. 

5.12.4 Performance Measures and Metrics: FEMA, in coordination with the 

Homeland Security Enterprise stakeholders, will develop a series of 

performance measures and metrics for each two-year cycle that will provide an 

assessment of how exercises are improving national preparedness. These 

measures will be tailored for each set of Principal Objectives and general 

objectives and will help ensure consistency in performance evaluation across a 

given two-year cycle. These metrics will also support longer-term trend 

analysis over the life of the NEP. 

6. Contact Information 

All inquiries regarding the NEP or requests for modifications to this document should be 

directed to the following: 

Director, National Exercise Division 

National Preparedness Directorate 

Federal Emergency Management Agency 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security 

500 C Street SW 

Washington, DC 20472 

(202) 212-4800 

NEP@dhs.gov 

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7. Acronyms and Abbreviations 

AAR 

APHS-CT 

CAP 

DHS 

DRG 

E&E sub-IPC 

EiC 

FE 

FEMA 

FSE 

HSEEP 

HSC 

IP 

LLIS 

NAC 

NCD 

NED 

NEP 

NEXS 

NGO 

NLE 

NPAD 

NSS 

PC 

POC 

SLTT 

SME 

TEPW 

TTX 

U.S.C. 

USG 

WMD 

After Action Report 

Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism 

Corrective Action Program 

Department of Homeland Security 

Domestic Resilience Group 

Exercise and Evaluation sub-Interagency Policy Committee 

Exercise Implementation Committee 

Functional Exercise 

Federal Emergency Management Agency 

Full-Scale Exercise 

Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program 

Homeland Security Council 

Improvement Plan 

Lessons Learned Information Sharing 

National Advisory Council 

National Council on Disability 

National Exercise Division 

National Exercise Program 

National Exercise Schedule 

Non-Governmental Organization 

National-Level Exercise 

National Preparedness Assessments Division 

National Security Staff 

Principals Committee 

Point of Contact 

State, Local, Tribal, Territorial 

Subject Matter Expert 

Training and Exercise Planning Workshop 

Tabletop Exercise 

United States Code 

U.S. Government 

Weapon of Mass Destruction 

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