Paper for National Emergency Management Advanced Academy that reviews project management principles and processes to homeland security exercise and evaluation processes.

1. Running Head: APPLYING PROJECT MANAGEMENT TO EMERGENCY MANAGMENT
Applying Project Management to Emergency Management
Darin Letzring
Southeastern Idaho Public Health

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Abstract
Connecting project management principles to emergency management activities provides a
foundation of increased effectiveness and efficiency, resulting in a better overall product for
managers, responders, and taxpayers. This paper demonstrates those connections and focuses on
the processes of HSEEP Exercises as a project while describing the chronology of events that
lead to successful completion of an exercise. The validation of the connection also exposes vast
amounts of project management skills and training to be applied to emergency management.
Key words: project management, emergency management,
Overview of the Project
This project reviews the relationships between processes of professional Project
Management and standard steps within the Emergency Management field. The paper outlines the
Leadership Strategy, Results and Findings that focus on exercise processes, and Lessons
Learned. The paper closes with a Summary and Recommended Reading.
Project management is a recognized profession with standards set forth by the Project
Management Institute (PMI) (www.pmi.org) and published in the Project Management Book of
Knowledge. Emergency Management is a young field of formal work, and the standards used in
this paper are set forth by guidance from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. One
catalyst to match these standards comes from the Program Management Improvement and
Accountability Act.
The purpose of this paper is to expose opportunities for improvement in emergency
management efficiency and effectiveness through demonstrated application of project
management processes. It intends to expand the emergency management profession by directly
linking to the global profession of project management, which is often seen as applicable to only

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the construction and software industries but is specifically developed to improve all management
practices.
This paper is potentially important in that it can be the bridge of understanding that leads
to full implementation of the Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act by
helping emergency management professionals understand its intent and purposes by knowing the
underlying processes that created it. This paper could also result in a more effective emergency
management program in rural areas that cannot afford significant staff or staff with several
degrees and demanding salary requirements; the vast library of project management templates
can be used to facilitate effective emergency management projects and programs. A key element
of these desired improvements is exposing and educating emergency managers on project
management principles, and this paper provides the foundation for that exposure and education.
Leadership Strategy
The development of this paper was based on a simple premise: connect project
management to emergency management by matching the defined project management processes
to defined emergency management processes in an effort to build emergency management as a
profession. With the signing of the Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act,
the “why” became much more important, as this paper can be used to implement that Act by
providing an understanding of program management (and therefore project management by
extension), to emergency professionals at the federal level. Emergency Managers at state and
local levels can also use these findings to gain insight into complex planning and execution of
large projects such as annual work cycles, the writing of plans, mitigation and recovery projects
that require construction, and full scale exercises to ensure results meet expectations and
efficiently use taxpayer money.

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In researching this paper, I reviewed various levels of programs and projects within
FEMA. This included emergency program management, incident management, training
management, and exercise management. Of course, all of these connect to each other. To make
this paper useful, I chose to match detailed processes of project management principles to
incident management and Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation (HSEEP) exercise
management. I also matched on a broader scale the processes in emergency preparedness
planning and incident management.
This paper assumes an intermediate understanding of both emergency management
processes as written throughout FEMA guidelines and project management principles as set forth
by Project Management Institute (PMI) and the Project Management Book Of Knowledge
(PMBOK). Throughout the research process, I referenced the process chart from a well-known
leader in the PMP training industry, Rita Mulcahy (Rita Mulcahy's PMP Examp Prep (8th ed.).
(2013). RMC Publications. "Rita's Process Chart" pg 50).
Results and Findings
I began the research for this paper by reviewing the possible impacts of applying project
management principles to emergency management. Jon Weinstein provides an outstanding
ProjectManagement.com webinar Project Management Success in the Public Sector (2015) that
provided the statistic that the Department of Energy improved project success from 50% to 90%
“on target” over the course of implementing project management in a ten year effort.
It is important to note that “project” has a specific definition in the realm of professional project
managers. According to PMI’s definition, “a project is temporary in that it has a defined
beginning and end in time, and therefore defined scope and resources. And a project is unique in
that it is not a routine operation, but a specific set of operations designed to accomplish a

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singular goal. So a project team often includes people who don’t usually work together –
sometimes from different organizations and across multiple geographies.”
Following that definition, an annual cycle of budgets, training and exercises, mitigation
projects, and continuing recovery projects could all be considered individual projects. They have
a specific time frame (calendar year or fiscal year), not a routine operation because each year
will have new priorities and efforts, and each year has specific goals that differ from the previous
year.
Further, PMI describes on its website (www.pmi.org) that “Program management is a
distinct discipline from project management, and although most project management roles are
present in programs (since programs contain projects), there are roles within program
management that hold distinct responsibilities and as such require particular skills that differ
from their counterparts in projects.” Thus, there is a formal connection between the overall
program management and individual projects such as exercises.
Program management can be seen as the management of combined outcomes of multiple
projects. An example could be the emergency manager, acting as a program manager, ensures
the combined outcome of a planning effort, training schedule, and exercise project (i.e. annual
training and exercise plan). Thus, an emergency manager is both a program and project manager.
And through these definitions, I determined that professional project management principles are
directly applicable to emergency management.
Focusing on emergency management processes that fit the definition of a “project” as
defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and have broad use throughout emergency
management, I chose to relate project management to Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG-
101), the Incident Command System and Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program

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processes. However, this paper addresses only the HSEEP research because the other research
and activities extend beyond the opportunities provided in the assignment of 8-14 pages. I expect
to publish the results of the other activities on LinkedIn.com.
During the research process, I encountered various challenges. Specifically, the process
of matching the processes seemed incredibly simple and basic to me, but as I discussed it with
others not familiar with project management, it was found to be useful. The matching of
processes is simple on the surface, and becomes complex in the details. Specifically within
Incident Command, each process has a specific match. However, within the HSEEP program, the
matches are more generalized such as during the execution and monitor/control phase. To
understand all implications of matching project management to emergency management, one
must also see the reviews of CPG-101 and Incident Command System in conjunction with
HSEEP.
Reviewing Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
Figure 1: HSEEP Management Steps

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The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) is a unique mix of
program and project management (Figure #1) that exactly parallels the intent of PMI’s difference
between program management and project management. Specifically, FEMA determined that
exercise program management is an umbrella that sets and ensures the outcomes of multiple
exercises to meet a higher-level objective. For example, a county exercise manager conducts
program management activities by setting overall annual objectives and then runs multiple
exercises (i.e. individual projects) in a logical order (i.e. training, workshops, drill, TTX, full-
scale exercise) to meet that higher objective.
In matching HSEEP to project management, I again used Rita Mulcahy’s process chart
and matched those processes to the steps outlined in a FEMA graphic of exercise steps.
The HSEEP exercise cycle is dominated by the program management cycle, which can create
unclear transitions between phases of program management. As such, the exercise cycle (the
individual projects within the umbrella of the program) often have unclear transitions. For the
best possible exercise management cycles, clear definitions are required, especially the
beginning and end of the exercise project. With clear start and end dates, the HSEEP exercise
cycle and the project management processes match near-perfectly.
An exercise project should have a defined start date, which can be arbitrarily defined by a
set amount of time before the actual exercise date, or it can be set based on currently scheduled
activities that facilitate planning, such as other planned meetings when the expected team will be
gathered together. When the start date is set, the “Initiating” phase begins on that date and all
HSEEP steps and project management processes should be held on or after that date.

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The “Initiating” phase in Figure #2 contains the classic forming of an exercise design
team, defining the leader and meeting to plan the exercise. Before they actually plan the exercise,
the exercise design team should review documents to determine the “why” (business case) for
the exercise, with the basic need previously defined in the TEPW. Detailed information can also
be found in After-Action Reports, Improvement Plans, new laws, new research, new equipment,
new staff, and new threats. In Figure #4, the HSEEP and PM process are aligned horizontally.
Initiating an exercise includes gathering the team and selecting a leader, defining why how-what
to exercise, and determining the agencies involved (stakeholders). The HSEEP standard
“Master Task List” can be used to directly address the PM step to “divide large projects into
phases.”
Also note that the HSEEP steps often
encompass multiple PM steps. For example, the
Concepts and Objectives meeting will document
assumptions, develop the project charter (normally not
a formal FEMA document), and determine the project
scope. After the scope of the exercise has been
determined, the team moves to the planning stage. This
is demonstrated by the “Concepts/Objectives” box
being adjacent to four project management step boxes
in Figure #2.
In the Exercise Planning phase in Figure #3,
the exercise design team puts details to the project
charter, which could be said as “putting meat on the bones
Figure 2: Initiating Phase

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of the skeleton plan from the initiating phase.” This is where the planning work gets done and the
details of exercise day are determined.
During the planning phase, the concept of
“iterations” from agile project management
processes is applied to the exercise planning process.
The exercise design team will hold multiple meetings
and conferences, each time defining more details of
the day that come from issues brought up during
previous iterations. Project management often
depends on standard templates, and this is when
HSEEP sparkles as a project process.
FEMA has developed standard templates for
each of these steps within the planning phase. This
phase ends with a formal approval of the exercise
plan in a meeting that also has a sense of the kickoff
meeting. I have left the kickoff meeting matched to
the Planning phase here because it could be in either
Planning or Execution. As a Master Exercise
Practicioner with over 20 years of planning and conducting exercises, I find that the best kickoff
meetings are at the start of the execution phase. This is called a StartEx brief and is the standard
way of starting an exercise in the military. It is a subtle but important difference because of the
timing involved. If an Exercise Director briefs the details of the exercise to players too soon, the
details are forgotten; it’s best to brief that immediately before they are to be engaged.
Figure 3: Planning Phase

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The StartEx Brief begins the Executing
Phase (Figure #4) and, the “final team” is “acquired”
via assembly to hear the brief, and the exercise
begins the Execution phase. Players will intuitively
follow the execution processes in their work: they
follow processes, work to improve their abilities,
give/receive feedback (recognition and rewards),
and use work authorization (tasking) systems.
The nature of exercises demands that the
monitor and control phase is parallel to execution.
While the players execute their plan, exercise
controllers (with the Simulation Cell) and evaluators
monitor and control (Figure #4) the progress of the
exercise against the objectives and make adjustments along the way. An Exercise Control Plan
and Exercise Evaluation Guides will provide the measurements and variances needed to
determine if the exercise project is “on track.”
Figures #4 and #5 show the direct connections between Executing by players and
evaluators and Monitor/Control phases by exercise controllers and evaluators. Each phase can
be continuous, linear process or loops of iterations, which can be related to agile project
management.
Figure 4: Executing Phase

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If the exercise goes as planned, data is
collected by the evaluators, players are trained, team-
building happens, plans are validated, and the
Execution processes are completed nicely (except
steps related to sellers because they are not
applicable). If the exercise begins “getting off track”
(outside of accepted variances), the controllers will
reference the control plan, recommend/make changes,
and track decisions while evaluators measure
performance.
Upon meeting the exercise objectives, the
Execution and Monitoring / Controlling Phases
conclude concurrently with an EndEx brief. The
Controllers/ Evaluators conduct a hotwash brief with
the Players, which is another opportunity for collection of data
that might have been missed during the events of the exercise.
The Closing phase begins another administrative period for the exercise design team. The
team gathers data and completes reports to determine if all the exercise objectives were met and
to what degree of success, provide a performance report and recommended improvement actions,
update agency records and inform the next planning/execution cycle. These processes are mostly
concurrent and provide a near perfect match of project management to exercise management
processes.
Figure 5: Monitoring / Controlling Phase

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Measuring completed activities against planned
activities is the key concept that provides a significant
connection between exercise management and project
management and provides more validation that the
processes match. The success of any project, including an
exercise, should be measured against criteria set before the
execution phase. Changing measurements and criteria
during the execution phase is an indicator of improper
planning. An After Action meeting is held with
stakeholders to review the success and challenges of the
exercise, culminating as the “final product” of the exercise
project.
Lessons Learned
The research process of matching emergency management processes to project management
processes validated a “common sense” notion that the two have significant elements in common.
This validation can be used to justify an expansion of project management principles into
emergency management and further enhance the emergency management field as a true
profession. Holding certifications as CEM and PMP, it was professionally fulfilling for me to
connect these processes and see the opportunities presented to improve daily work methods,
which I successfully implemented in several ways between July 2016 and June 2017.
The “next-steps” for connecting project management to emergency management include:
1. Elements of each could be applied to the other in a continuous improvement effort.
Specifically, project management templates can be applied to emergency management. One
Figure 3: Closing Phase

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solid example is that of the “Stakeholder Analysis” or “Stakeholder Management” templates
to help manage all the different agencies that might be involved in an emergency
management incident or exercise. The PMI website has a very large library of templates that
could be used in any phase.
2. Almost any training that applies to project management can be applied to emergency
management; this opens a vast amount of education available to emergency managers.
3. Education curriculum for emergency managers should contain project management modules.
This includes Emergency Management Institute and all levels of Higher Education.
4. Emergency management positions should incorporate Project Management knowledge and
skills into position qualifications and criteria. Certification as a Project Management
Professional (PMP) in conjunction with Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) will greatly
bolster the professionalism of emergency management.
Summary
This paper has determined four methods to improve emergency management through the
application of project management principles, using the HSEEP cycle as a model. All project
management principles as set forth by the Project Management Institute and outlined in the
Project Management Book of Knowledge were directly applied to the exercise cycle defined in
the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). Thus, the youthful
profession of emergency management can mature by incorporating a broader sense of well-
defined and mature project management principles in all phases of emergency management.
Emergency managers are encouraged to review and apply the principles of project management
through familiarization with the Project Management Institute and its accompanying site,

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ProjectManagement.com, to find ways to increase to increase effectiveness and efficiency in the
use of taxpayer funds and to meet their expectations.

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References
Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.pmi.org/about/press-media/press-releases/president-barack-obama-signs-the-
program-management-improvement-and-accountability-act
Mulcahy. R. (n.d.). Rita’s PMP Exam Prep (8th
ed.). RMC Publications.
Weinstein, J. (2015, April 17). Project Management Success in the Public Sector. Retrieved
December 23, 2016, from
https://www.projectmanagement.com/contentPages/webinar.cfm?forcemobile=on&ID=2907
27&thisPageURL=%2Fwebinars%2F290727%2FProject-Management-Success-in-the-
Public-Sector
Recommended Reading List
Improving Program Management in the Federal Government. (2015, July). Retrieved December
23, 2016, from http://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/business-
solutions/improve-program-management-federal-government.pdf.
Government Extension to the PMBOK Guide 3d Edition available from Amazon.com.
A parametric approach to emergency response project management from Sanjay Jain, PhD
A project management approach to disaster response and recovery operations retrieved from
http://epublications.bond.edu.au/aubea_2011.