The "Tabletop" Exercise

Tabletop exercises are an excellent way for non-profits to practice their continuity and recovery plans. These exercises are simply group activities that can be completed in only an hour or so, that are conducted while sitting at a table. A typical tabletop involves a specific, theoretical scenario that will be considered by the participants. If you're thinking to yourself, "that sounds kind of like a game," you're on the right track. Tabletop exercises are like a game, and these useful training activities can and should be fun for everyone involved.

First let's take a look at what Jack Moyer has to say about why organizations may not have ever conducted such tests in his article, Table Top exercises: How you can use them to prepare for water system incidents^[1]. (Although Mr. Moyer writes about public water systems, the material is just as relevant to non-profit organizations.)

"Unfortunately, most managers have not undertaken or participated …incident tabletop exercises. The reasons for this may include:

• a lack of recognition of the need for or value of such exercises,
• a lack of time or resources,
• a fear of recognizing risks or vulnerabilities,
• a difficulty functioning well under "abstract" or "imaginary" conditions,
• a concern for potential exposure of vulnerability information, and
• a lack of understanding of the ease of conducting such exercises."

[1] "Table Top Exerises: How You Can Use Them to Prepare for Water System Incidents", Jack Moyer. American Water Works Association. Journal. Denver: Aug 2005. Vol. 97, Iss. 8; pg. 52, 7 pgs