Table-Top Exercises for Emergency Management: Tame Solutions for Wicked Problems

In response to large emergencies, emergency managers deal with unknown situations characterized by complexity and uncertainty, so-called wicked problems. Existing tabletop exercises are used to train, test and exercise emergency managers but do table top exercises mirror the wickedness? A pilot study where emergency managers were interviewed about the use of tabletop exercises has been carried out. The pilot study and traditional tabletop exercises are analyzed through the lens of wicked problems. The result shows that tabletop exercises partly mirrors wicked problems but cannot handle every aspect of wicked problems. The main reasons for this are, that the planning of tabletop exercises in which the problems and solutions are known beforehand tames the problems and that focusing on the use of plans entails leaving unplanned problems unaddressed. I propose three design ideas to be used when designing tabletop exercises to better prepare emergency managers for wicked problems. First, focus on unsolved (wicked) problems instead of on problems already handled in plans and allow participants to identify them. Second, let participants tame the problems during the exercise instead of taming the problems ahead of time planning the exercises. Third, use existing plans and lessons learned from previous emergencies, and resolve the problems in collaboration.