PLANNING AND EXERCISING FOR SUCCESS: THE FOUR-STEP, SCENARIO-BASED PROCESS1

Abstract

ABSTRACT “No two spills are alike” is an important maxim in oil spill response that requires planners and responders alike to remain adaptable in their thinking regarding response actions. The majority of oil spills are small and can usually be addressed adequately within the confines of a rigid response management system. However, a large spill is not simply a “scaling up” of a routine, small spill. Large spills require input from many more stakeholders, public outrage is intensified, and often difficult decisions on environmental, economic, and emotional tradeoffs are necessary. As a result, a catastrophic spill requires responders to have more than the equipment-focused organizational skills that are satisfactory during routine spills. Complex spills require responders to have advanced interpersonal skills such as team building, risk communication, and organizational problem solving. It is very difficult, however, to evaluate the responder's grasp of these skills and ability to implement them, even though these skills are so critical to the success of a large spill response. The skills that often ensure success for small, frequently occurring spills are not the only skills required for success in a large, complex spill incident. On the federal level, the area contingency planning process was established to plan for, respond to, and evaluate the adequacy of response capability in a given area. Currently, area contingency plans consist primarily of boiler-plate language, reference materials such as lists of resources, notification procedures, and general incident command system information, all written to satisfy the format required by the guidelines (U.S. Coast Guard, 1992). What is usually missing, however, is a useful discussion by the area committee on how responders might work together to solve problems and on detailed “how to” strategies for preventing a bad situation from getting worse. As a result, the requirement that there be an “assessment of the effectiveness of the plan” (Public Law 101-380, 1990 and 1992) may not be able to take into account an evaluation of the problem-solving and communications skills of the response organization, which is necessary for both the public perception and the reality of a successful complex spill response. Our objective is to demonstrate how a four-step, scenario-based approach to training, contingency planning, and exercises can improve the response management system's (RMS) performance and ability to succeed. If the area committee is trained with an outward focus on stakeholder needs, develops a scenario-based contingency plan with its stakeholders, and exercises its response organization using these scenario-based processes, it will improve the effectiveness of a response to a major, complex spill.