PDEX-JIP (UCPM-2021-EX)

Project’s Titel:

Professional Dialogue Exercises – Jordan Israel Palestine

Project start:

15.11.2021

Project duration:

18 months

Coordinator:

European University Cyprus (EUC)

Project’s Partners

  1. D.M.A.T. Consulting KG (DMAT)
  2. Prepared International (PPI)
  3. Resilience Solutions International (RSI)
  4. Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V. (JUH)
  5. Ministry of Interior Cyprus (CCD)
  6. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cyprus (MFA)

Project’s background

The project team for this exercise was requested by the three parties: Jordan, Israel, and Palestine (JIP). Parts of the team have a long-standing background with the Professional Dialogue project.

Mr. Beck was the founder and long-term project manager and mediator of the Professional Dialogue and, currently acting as a reference person for the countries. Mr. Hirschmugl & Mr. Beck were also involved in the UNDAC Disaster Response Preparedness mission to Palestine in 2014. This exercise project has been prepared from the JIP meeting 2019 in Austria onwards where DMAT Consulting KG (DMAT) and Prepared International (PPI) presented the lessons from all previous exercises that have taken place in the region.

The Jordanian, Israeli, and Palestinian emergency management frameworks provide a unique environment for disaster preparedness work. The range of risks and vulnerabilities coupled with the existing framework for response have the potential to cause the entire region to suffer severe impacts in case of a major disaster, such as a strong earthquake.

The project is designed to achieve overall strengthening of disaster preparedness in the JIP region while increasing interoperability and HNS measures for international and regional disaster response.

Aim of the Project

to improve civil protection (CP) preparedness and response inside and outside the Member States of the Mechanism by providing a testing environment and a learning opportunity for all actors involved in CP interventions.

The consortium will:

  1. produce an assessment of the CP situation,
  2. draft joint Standing Operating Procedures on parties’ request (SOPs),
  3. hold joint planning conferences,
  4. implement a Table-Top Exercise (TTX) training Host Nation Support (HNS) in a specific environment,
  5. perform a Joint Full-Scale Exercise (FSX),
  6. provide an Evaluation that includes a Lessons Learned (LL) process and recommendations for the Way ahead,
  7. provide the sub-region with HNS-guidelines considering the specific response environment.

Project’s Objectives:

  1. analyse the CP situation in the JIP region,
  2. conduct joint planning with JIP partners,
  3. develop a joint SOP for international disaster response,
  4. prepare and conduct one HNS TTX,
  5. prepare and conduct one joint FSX,
  6. conduct an evaluation of the current situation in the region
  7. conclude with a LL procedure and recommend a way ahead for the JIP region

 

The Project’s Exercises:

PDEX-JIP – Tabletop Exercise (TTX)

The aim of the TTX is to conduct a discussion-based exercise, in which the planned FSX scenario will be simulated and discussed. All relevant existing plans, documents, maps, guidelines etc. can be used and discussed, possible problems and connected solutions identified and at the end the ground for an efficient simulated FSX should be set.

Objectives of this exercise:

  1. Discuss the possible FSX scenario – Earthquake and cascading effects, including outbreak of a pandemic and lock down during the exercise
  2. Discuss the activation of the EUCPM (Alert, requesting and offering relief teams and relief goods)
  3. Discuss EU HNS Guidelines – procedures of sending states, transiting states and hosting/receiving states – what changes in a pandemic environment – for the guidelines. Discuss and confirm the SOPs developed by the project.
  4. Discuss cooperation with Local Emergency Management Agency/LEMA, EU Delegation on site, UN OCHA ERCC and EU ERCC, UN Resident Coordinator, UNDAC, etc.
  5. Discuss involvement and cooperation of UNHAS/WFP,
  6. Discuss activation and support by Copernicus and UNITAR/UNOSAT
  7. Strategize on supporting most vulnerable groups
  8. Identification of cascading effects and particularities in urban areas
  9. Discuss involvement of modules, ECPP and RescEU in such a disaster
  10. Discuss an exit strategy and hand over / Take over procedures for mission end
  11. Discuss trilateral cooperation of JIP

 

Joint Full-Scale Exercise (FSX)

Aim of this exercise: to conduct an operations-based exercise with deployment and field response to JIP as the affected countries. The scenario is the further developed TTX scenario with all recommendations included. All existing procedures due to a real mission situation will be tested in the field with involvement of a variety of organisations and agencies which one will meet in the field. All real mission activities of UCP will be included in a 12 hrs -per day exercise (minimum 36 hours’ total time) under stressful conditions and time pressure.

Objectives of this exercise:

  1. Exercise a possible FSX scenario – Earthquake and cascading effects, including outbreak of a pandemic and lock down in the field and test specific SOPs for support between JIP entities, specific focus on most vulnerable groups
  2. Activate the EUCPM (Alert, requesting and offering relief teams and relief goods) and deploy an EUCPT on site
  3. Deploy teams from the neighbourhood to support in the first hours after the event
  4. Deploy an EUCPT, TAST, EU modules, teams from ECCP or RescEU (3-4 Skeleton teams or other capacities) to JIP
  5. Test all relevant procedures like the EU HNS Guidelines – information sharing procedures, procedures for assessments and coordination, meetings, incoming relief goods etc.
  6. Experience the cooperation with LEMA, EU Delegation on site, UN OCHA ERCC and EU ERCC, UN Resident Coordinator, UNDAC, etc. in real
  7. Involve other relevant organisations like UNHAS/WFP,
  8. Experience activation and support by Copernicus and UNITAR/UNOSAT
  9. Prepare an exit strategy and hand over / Take over procedures for mission end
  10. Experience trilateral cooperation of JIP