Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program

Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program
Name	Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program
Acronym	HSEEP
Established	2007
Administered by	Federal Emergency Management Agency
Jurisdiction	United States

Contents

Overview and Purpose

HSEEP establishes common doctrine for exercise life cycle activities to support Presidential Policy Directive 8, Homeland Security Act of 2002, Stafford Act, Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 compliance while aligning with White House, Congressional Committee on Homeland Security, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee priorities. The program promotes interoperability among United States Coast Guard, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Protection Agency partners and informs capability-based planning supported by National Response Framework ESFs, Urban Areas Security Initiative, State Homeland Security Program investments.

HSEEP originated from exercise doctrine and lessons learned after major events such as Hurricane Katrina, September 11 attacks, 2003 Northeast blackout, Anthrax attacks of 2001 and policy reviews by Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction, 9/11 Commission. Initial guidance incorporated best practices from Federal Emergency Management Agency doctrine, United Kingdom Civil Contingencies Act 2004 comparisons, and international standards like those of the World Health Organization and North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Revisions followed after after-action reports from incidents including Superstorm Sandy, Boston Marathon bombing, Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

HSEEP includes doctrine documents, templates, and tools used by Federal Emergency Management Agency exercise professionals, State Emergency Management Agencies, Metropolitan Medical Response System, National Guard Bureau, United States Northern Command planners. Core components are exercise program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning with deliverables such as exercise directives, master scenario events lists, and after-action reports produced collaboratively with American Red Cross, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Department of Agriculture, Department of Transportation stakeholders.

HSEEP defines discussion-based and operations-based exercises including seminars, workshops, tabletop exercises, games, drills, functional exercises, full-scale exercises drawing methods used by North Atlantic Treaty Organization, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, International Civil Aviation Organization. Scenario development uses threat analysis informed by agencies such as Federal Bureau of Investigation and National Counterterrorism Center and consequence modeling from Department of Energy, United States Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Methodologies incorporate performance-based evaluation, task-based assessments, and realistic role players as seen in Operation Vigilant Shield and exercises coordinated with Department of Homeland Security's Office of Health Affairs.

Evaluation under HSEEP employs evaluator guides, capability target matrices, and data collection instruments used by Government Accountability Office reviewers and congressional oversight bodies. After-action reports and improvement plans tie identified gaps to corrective actions tracked across Homeland Security Grant Program, State and Local Implementation Grant Program, Urban Areas Security Initiative funding cycles. Documentation standards support audits by Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, Congressional Research Service and inform updates to doctrine and policy by Federal Emergency Management Agency leadership.

Program governance rests with Federal Emergency Management Agency in coordination with Department of Homeland Security components, state governors, and regional fusion centers including National Fusion Center Association partnerships. Accreditation and credentialing for exercise planners reference training from Emergency Management Institute, Center for Domestic Preparedness, National Emergency Management Association and professional standards from International Association of Emergency Managers. Funding streams include grants administered by Federal Emergency Management Agency, appropriations from United States Congress, and cooperative agreements with Corporation for National and Community Service and private sector partners.

Challenges include resource constraints highlighted in post-incident reviews of Hurricane Maria, interoperability issues documented after 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, legal and liability questions raised during exercises involving Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quarantine authorities, and public-private coordination complexities observed in Deepwater Horizon and Superstorm Sandy responses. Case studies of successful HSEEP application include multiagency exercises supporting Presidential Inauguration, 2012 London Olympics coordination analogs, and regional resilience initiatives linked to California Office of Emergency Services, New York City Office of Emergency Management, Texas Division of Emergency Management programs.