Tabletop Exercise: Chemical Facilities and National Security

Overview

A tabletop exercise provides an opportunity for individuals to identify and discuss possible actions that might be taken in response to problems arising from a hypothetical scenario. In this exercise, participants will look at national security issues related to chemical production and storage facilities.

This exercise is particularly suited to government officials, policy-makers, and civic and business leaders at the state and local levels. It is easy to organize and implement, following a few simple steps.

Step One: Identify Your Participants

At the local level, a group of participants might include city council members, members of the police and fire departments, representatives of the local business community, and representatives of the county government. At the state level, a group might include state legislators or members of their staff, representatives of state agencies (for example, the state environmental agency, commerce agency, or homeland security agency), and representatives of the business community.

Participants in the exercise will be asked to assume roles, and there are unique roles for up to twelve individuals. If you have a smaller number of participants, select those roles that would be of greatest interest to your group. If you have a greater number, you can have two individuals play the same role from different perspectives (for example, a pro-development city council member and a pro-environment city council member). Ideally, however, the group will not exceed 15 participants.

Step Two: Select a Facilitator

You will also want to identify an individual to facilitate the exercise. When selecting a facilitator, remember that you will want someone who

• serves as a facilitator rather than a lecturer,
• remains impartial, shows respect for all opinions, and does not use the position to influence the outcome of the discussion,
• creates opportunities for everyone to speak,
• helps participants look for common ground, but avoids pushing for a consensus,
• keeps the conversation moving and on track by occasionally summarizing points, and bringing the discussion back to the topic if it wanders unproductively,
• raises views that have not been considered by the group,
• asks questions that challenge old assumptions, and
• deals effectively with any problems or conflicts that arise.

The chief responsibilities of the facilitator will be to keep the discussion on track, to ensure that adequate time is given to each portion of the exercise, and to encourage all participants to get involved in the discussion.

Step Three: Schedule a Time and Place

You should schedule a minimum of two hours for the exercise, and ideally provide for four hours to allow participants to fully explore the problems raised by the scenario. Find a room large enough to accommodate all the participants around a table or in a circle of seats – you will want all the participants to be able to see and speak to one another directly during the exercise.

Step Four: Assign Roles and Resources

At a minimum, everyone should be familiar with the background, setting, and scenario of the exercise before the exercise begins. They should also know what role (or roles) they will be asked to play.

The online resources featured on this page provide more detailed information on issues related to chemical facilities and national security. Consider assigning one or more of these resources to the participants – you can send either printed copies or links to the online resource – and ask them to review the resource before the exercise. Give the participants adequate time to do their homework. They should have their role assignments, background materials, and any additional resources at least one week before the exercise.

Step Five: Hold the Exercise

If not all participants know one another, take time at the beginning for brief introductions. Make sure the facilitator knows how much time he or she should devote to the discussion of each problem. Remind participants that they are playing roles in this discussion, and they should try to stay “in character” to ensure that a range of perspectives are brought to the discussion. Participants should be familiar with the background, setting and scenario before the exercise begins. Introduce and discuss each of the four problems separately, devoting between 30 minutes and an hour to each.

Step Six: Discuss Next Steps

Leave time at the end of the exercise (15 – 30 minutes) for participants to debrief and discuss next steps. Has the exercise, for example, raised issues that should be further investigated? Is there a need to consider new policy to address state or local security concerns?