WORLD BANK
AVIAN INFLUENZA
SIMULATION EXERCISE
Exploring Cross-Sectoral Communications
Background
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Avian Influenza in Africa
Role of the Africa Avian Influenza Task Force
Funding Availability
Africa Country Programs
Collaboration between ESSD, HNP &
Communications
Capacity Building of Staff through Workshop
 Strengthening
technical capacity
 Improving cross-sectoral collaboration
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interactive role-play Ministry exercise
Introductions
National Plans-AI Simulations
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Orientation
Table-top exercise
Drill
Functional exercise
Full-scale exercise
Scope of AI Simulations
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Outbreak and/or Pandemic
Orientation
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An introduction to acquaint participants with:
 Planning
Process
 Overview of the National Plan
 Procedures
 Equipment
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Group setting
Little or no simulation
Discussion possible, but not interactive
Best for ensuring that personnel understand their
roles and responsibilities
Table-Top Exercises
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Interactive learning exercise
Facilitated analysis of a simulated emergency situation,
based on existing operational plans
Informal and stress-free environment
Designed to elicit constructive discussion as participants:
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Act out critical steps
Recognize difficulties
Resolve problems
Best for familiarizing with roles, demonstrating proper
coordination, examining logic of plans and integrating new
policies into the decision making process
Drills
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Coordinated and
Supervised activity
Focuses on only a small
part of the integrated
national plan
Tests a operation or
function onsite
Culling Drill
Functional Exercise
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Emergency simulation
Interactive under
medium stress
May be cross-sectoral
Designed to test the
capability of an
organization
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Held in emergency
agency environment
 Field
operations
simulated through
messages
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Best for training and
evaluating operations
and management.
Full Scale Exercise
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Mobilizes several components of the plan
simultaneously
Simulates a real event as closely as possible by
including a field component
Designed to evaluate on-scene management and
operational capacity of systems with command
center coordination
Highly stressful environment
Serves to evaluate entire plan
Time & Preparation Required
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Orientation
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Table-Top Exercise
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1 month; easy to design, participants need orientation
Functional Exercise
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1 month; scenario development, facilitator and evaluator training,
participant selection
Drill
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2 weeks; participants need no prior training
6-18 months; staff need experience in functions being tested,
controllers and evaluators training, prior drills
Full-Scale Exercise
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1-1 ½ years; prior table-top, drill and functional exercises
Business Continuity “Simulation”
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Corporate senior management
Non-business groups represented: Government,
Healthcare, and International Organizations
Operations consequences and loss of income due to:
 Workforce
shortages
 Supply chain disruptions
WB Avian Influenza Exercise
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Role Play vs Actual Stakeholders
Tabletop exercise
 Act
out steps, identify difficulties & solve problems
 Coordination, plan logic, integrate new policies
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Focus on Outbreak and Suspected Human Case
(WHO Phase 3)
Human Infection(s) with a new subtype, but no human-to-human
spread, or at most rare instances of spread to a close contact.
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Pandemic
Role-Playing 101
Similar to acting, but more sincere
 Forget one’s actual position with WB or a Partner
Organization
 Imagine actually representing the Ministry
 Embrace that perspective, limitations, ‘private’
agendas, etc.
 Be that other person for the exercise
 There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ behaviors
WB Avian Influenza Exercise
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Role Play vs Actual Stakeholders
Tabletop exercise
 Act
out steps, identify difficulties & solve problems
 Coordination, plan logic, integrate new policies
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Focus on Outbreak and Suspected Human Case
(WHO Phase 3)
Human Infection(s) with a new subtype, but no human-to-human
spread, or at most rare instances of spread to a close contact.
1
2
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4
5
Pandemic
Zilmania
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Suspension of disbelief
 semi-conscious
decision in which you put aside your
disbelief and accept the premise as being real for the
duration of the exercise
 Country Narrative
 Visual Cues:
Flag
 Television Newscast
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 Assignments
to Ministries
Scenario Variables
Rural
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Remote village 30km from any city
Governed by headsman
Diseased chickens from backyard farm
Child in contact with sick birds is
suspected case
Neither media nor vet/health
infrastructure
Urban
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Capitol of Baharu
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4 million population
19 large commercial poultry farms and
600 small or middle-size farms
large-scale bird deaths among 40,000
chickens at one farm
Poultry worker suspected case
Mass media and infrastructure
How the Scenarios Differed
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As in real life, the Ministries in the exercise were given
different information and private agendas
‘PROPRIETARY’ information in different scenarios:
Sector appropriate info
 Level of detail
AND
 Information on political sensitivities
 Information on power dynamics
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MOA/MOH/MOC;
Shareholders to Consider
Handout
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Ministries:
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Agriculture
Health
Communications
Army
Transportation
Finance
Commerce
Tourism
Education
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Other Government:
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President/Prime Minister
Parliament
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Partner Organizations:
 FAO
 OiE
 WHO
 ALive
 CDC
 Unicef
World Bank
Bilateral Donors
Poultry Association
Civil Society Groups
Progression of the Exercise
Role-Play Briefing, Zilmanian
Citizenship & Narrative,
Sectoral AI Scenarios
Ministry Forums
Materials Developed
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Zilmania Narrative
Flag
TV
Urban and Rural scenario
 Background
information for each ministry
 Commodity prices for budget preparation
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List of Stakeholders
Technical material binders
Questions/Outputs to address
Facilitation guidelines for execution of exercise
Progression of the Exercise
RolePlay Briefing, Zilmanian Citizenship
and Narrative, Sectoral AI Scenarios
Ministry Forums
Institutional Arrangement
Press Conference
Progression of the Exercise
RolePlay Briefing, Zilmanian Citizenship and
Narrative, Sectoral AI Scenarios
Ministry Forums
Institutional Arrangement
Press Conference
Shift to Stakeholder Role-Play
Outcomes
Reinforced knowledge of technical issues
 Brought to the forefront the importance
of inter-sectoral communications and
collaboration
 Saw the need for effective external
communications
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Nigeria AI Project
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HPAI confirmed in Nigeria Feb. 2, 2006
Between Feb. 2006 and April 2007, outbreaks in
84 localities in 24 states
IDA loan of $50 million
 Facility
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effective June 22, 2006
Emergency Multi-Sectoral Project:
 Response
and containment
 Control and Prevention
 Preparedness and Planning
Project Implementation Problems
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Supervision Mission in May 2007 indicated slow
implementation due to:
 Project
management structured under existing and
separate Agricultural and Health programs (FADAMA II
and HSDP II)
 Lack of effective Monitoring and Evaluation and no
clear, prioritized action plans for the 3 components
 Weak inter-ministerial collaboration
 Interventions not reaching the field level
Addressing the Sectoral Divide
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Workshop for Government Ministers, Federal Sector
Coordinators, and 74 State Officials
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AI simulation exercise will be used to help strengthen
AI technical plan and improve inter-sectoral
collaboration
Ag
Health
Ag
Comm
Health
Comm
Comments; Questions, Discussion