Disaster Preparedness and Response Planning Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Emergency Preparedness Managers, Business Continuity Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-DRM-013

Before you join: Participants should have basic familiarity with their organisation’s operations, sites, services or programme activities.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Disasters expose weaknesses in risk assessment, coordination, communications, resource control and decision authority. Floods, storms, wildfires, earthquakes, disease outbreaks, industrial incidents and conflict-related displacement can interrupt essential services, damage assets and put people at risk. Organisations need plans that work under pressure: clear activation criteria, defined incident roles, tested communications, usable resource arrangements and recovery priorities linked to operational realities.

This course develops the practical planning skills needed to prepare for, manage and recover from disruptive events. Participants assess hazards and vulnerabilities, build risk registers, set preparedness objectives and establish incident management structures. They develop emergency operations plans, warning and notification procedures, evacuation and shelter arrangements, logistics plans, stakeholder communications and continuity measures. The course applies the Sendai Framework, ISO 22301, ISO 22320 and Incident Command System principles to public agencies, humanitarian organisations, critical infrastructure operators, financial institutions and corporate sites.

Teaching combines short technical briefings with sector-based cases, group planning work, table-top simulations and structured peer review. Participants progressively develop sections of a disaster preparedness and response plan, beginning with risk analysis and ending with a tested, presentation-ready plan. They leave with reusable templates, decision tools and a practical action plan for strengthening preparedness in their own organisation.

The course is suited to professionals who contribute to emergency planning, business continuity, safety, facilities, operations, security, humanitarian programmes, community resilience or public administration. It is particularly valuable where leaders need defensible preparedness arrangements before a disruptive event tests them.

What you will be able to do

  • Assess disaster risks using hazard, exposure, vulnerability and capacity analysis
  • Develop a prioritised disaster risk register with treatment actions and ownership
  • Design an emergency operations plan using incident management and activation criteria
  • Establish incident command roles, decision rights and coordination procedures
  • Create warning, notification and crisis communication protocols for affected stakeholders
  • Prepare evacuation, shelter, relief logistics and resource mobilisation arrangements
  • Conduct table-top exercises and document corrective actions through after-action reviews
  • Present a complete disaster preparedness and response plan for organisational approval

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce a credible disaster preparedness plan rather than isolated emergency procedures
  • Lead structured risk workshops using hazard and vulnerability assessment methods
  • Clarify incident roles and escalation decisions during high-pressure events
  • Run table-top exercises that reveal gaps before an actual emergency
  • Build evidence for preparedness investment, training and resource decisions

For your organisation

  • Reduces confusion by defining activation thresholds, authority and incident roles
  • Improves protection of personnel, visitors, communities, assets and essential services
  • Strengthens coordination with emergency services, suppliers, regulators and humanitarian partners
  • Identifies preparedness gaps before disruption creates avoidable losses
  • Creates auditable plans, exercise records and improvement actions for governance review

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can explain disaster risk concepts and assess their organisation’s preparedness maturity.

  • Disaster risk equation: hazard, exposure, vulnerability and coping capacity
  • Sendai Framework priorities translated into organisational preparedness responsibilities
  • Risk governance roles from board oversight to incident command
  • Distinguishing emergency management, business continuity, crisis management and disaster risk reduction
  • Legal duties, humanitarian principles and duty-of-care decision thresholds
  • Baseline maturity assessment using evidence, scoring criteria and improvement actions

Participants can identify priority hazards and document defensible risk ratings.

  • Hazard identification using site data, historical events and climate projections
  • Scenario statements defining location, trigger, scale, duration and consequences
  • Likelihood and consequence scales calibrated to organisational risk appetite
  • Risk matrices tested for low-probability, high-consequence disaster events
  • Bow-tie analysis linking preventive controls, escalation factors and recovery barriers
  • Risk register entries with owners, controls, residual ratings and review dates

Participants can analyse who and what is exposed, vulnerable or able to respond.

  • Exposure mapping for people, buildings, systems, supply routes and communities
  • Vulnerability indicators covering physical, social, economic and environmental conditions
  • Capacity assessment of personnel, equipment, facilities, partners and mutual aid
  • Disaggregating risks for children, older people, persons with disabilities and migrants
  • Critical dependency analysis for power, water, communications, transport and suppliers
  • Prioritisation criteria balancing life safety, service continuity and recovery cost

Participants can establish governance arrangements that support timely preparedness decisions.

  • Preparedness policy statements linked to risk appetite and statutory obligations
  • Accountability map defining approval rights, operational authority and escalation routes
  • Preparedness committees, terms of reference and reporting cadence
  • Budgeting preparedness measures through risk-based investment cases
  • Mutual aid agreements with public authorities, suppliers and neighbouring organisations
  • Document control for plans, contact lists, maps and controlled revisions

Participants can design an incident management structure suited to their organisation.

  • Incident Command System functions: command, operations, planning, logistics and finance
  • Incident objectives written using priorities, timeframes, owners and measurable conditions
  • Span-of-control principles for scaling teams during prolonged emergencies
  • Command post requirements for safety, communications, information displays and access
  • Liaison arrangements with emergency services, regulators, partners and community leaders
  • Operational briefings using incident objectives, assignments, hazards and communications

Participants can structure an emergency operations plan with usable annexes and procedures.

  • Emergency operations plan sections: purpose, scope, assumptions, concept and annexes
  • Activation levels tied to triggers, authority, notifications and operational actions
  • Planning assumptions tested against credible worst-case scenarios
  • Standard operating procedures distinguishing immediate actions from sustained operations
  • Annexes for evacuation, communications, medical support, logistics and recovery
  • Plan usability checks for accessibility, field conditions and staff turnover

Participants can create warning and notification arrangements for time-critical decisions.

  • Warning chain design from hazard monitoring to protective action
  • Trigger thresholds based on forecasts, sensors, reports and authority alerts
  • Notification matrices identifying audiences, channels, owners and acknowledgement requirements
  • Message templates using protective actions, timing, location and verified instructions
  • Redundant communications through telephone, radio, satellite, messaging and runners
  • Rumour management procedures for correcting false information during emergencies

Participants can plan protective movement, sheltering and personnel accountability measures.

  • Evacuation decision criteria based on hazard onset, routes and safe locations
  • Assembly area selection considering capacity, accessibility, security and weather protection
  • Wardens, sweep teams and accountability roles assigned by location
  • Roll-call procedures reconciling employees, visitors, contractors and vulnerable persons
  • Shelter-in-place protocols for severe weather, hazardous materials and civil disturbance
  • Accessible evacuation arrangements for mobility, sensory, medical and language needs

Participants can specify medical, psychosocial and welfare arrangements for affected people.

  • Triage principles and referral pathways for injured or ill persons
  • First-aid resources matched to workforce size, hazards and response times
  • Psychological first aid principles for distressed staff and affected communities
  • Family assistance procedures covering information, reunification and privacy
  • Welfare provisions for food, water, sanitation, rest and hygiene
  • Safeguarding controls for children, vulnerable adults and displaced populations

Participants can prepare resource, procurement and distribution arrangements for emergency operations.

  • Resource typing for personnel, vehicles, equipment, supplies and specialist services
  • Stockpile calculations using consumption rates, lead times and contingency factors
  • Supplier contingency arrangements with call-off terms and emergency contacts
  • Logistics base selection considering access, storage, security and utilities
  • Relief distribution controls for targeting, tracking, complaints and loss prevention
  • Finance procedures for emergency procurement, expenditure approval and cost records

Participants can prepare coordinated communications for internal and external stakeholders.

  • Stakeholder mapping for employees, communities, authorities, media and donors
  • Crisis communication objectives aligned with safety, trust and operational needs
  • Holding statements prepared before facts, impacts and recovery timelines are confirmed
  • Spokesperson protocols covering approval, media handling and technical briefings
  • Community feedback channels for concerns, rumours, complaints and unmet needs
  • Communication accessibility through plain language, translation and alternative formats

Participants can connect disaster response arrangements with essential service continuity.

  • Business impact analysis identifying critical activities, dependencies and recovery time objectives
  • Minimum service levels defined for essential operations during disruption
  • Workaround procedures for unavailable sites, systems, staff and suppliers
  • Alternative operating locations assessed for access, capacity, security and utilities
  • ISO 22301 continuity requirements aligned with emergency response arrangements
  • Recovery priorities sequenced through life safety, stabilisation and service restoration

Participants can collect, verify and report operational information for informed decisions.

  • Common operating picture built from verified incident, resource and impact data
  • Situation report format covering events, needs, actions, constraints and decisions
  • Information validation rules separating confirmed facts, assumptions and unverified reports
  • Data protection controls for personal information, casualties and affected households
  • Incident logs recording decisions, actions, timestamps, owners and supporting evidence
  • Maps and dashboards displaying affected areas, facilities, routes and resources

Participants can coordinate effectively with authorities, partners and external response agencies.

  • Coordination protocols with fire services, police, health authorities and utilities
  • Memoranda of understanding defining support, authority, costs and information sharing
  • Joint planning meetings structured around scenarios, capabilities and resource gaps
  • Requests for assistance using clear needs, specifications, location and urgency
  • Humanitarian coordination principles for impartiality, neutrality, independence and accountability
  • Cross-border and multi-agency issues involving customs, visas and emergency access

Participants can design table-top exercises that test plans and decision-making arrangements.

  • Exercise objectives linked directly to plans, risks and known capability gaps
  • Scenario injects sequenced to test decisions, coordination and information flow
  • Participant roles, controller instructions and observer responsibilities clearly defined
  • Evaluation criteria measuring timeliness, coordination, communication and resource decisions
  • Table-top facilitation techniques for constructive challenge and realistic pressure
  • Safety and confidentiality controls for sensitive operational exercise scenarios

Participants can evaluate response performance and manage corrective actions to completion.

  • After-action review questions examining expectations, observations, causes and improvements
  • Hot debriefs conducted immediately after exercises or operational incidents
  • Root cause analysis using five whys and contributory factor mapping
  • Corrective action registers assigning actions, deadlines, evidence and accountable owners
  • Lessons management distinguishing local fixes from policy and capability changes
  • Management review reports tracking overdue actions, residual risks and resource needs

Participants can plan recovery actions that restore services while reducing future risk.

  • Recovery framework covering stabilisation, restoration, reconstruction and long-term resilience
  • Damage and needs assessment separating direct losses from service impacts
  • Recovery governance assigning authority for priorities, funding and stakeholder consultation
  • Build Back Better principles applied to facilities, systems and community assets
  • Insurance, grants and donor reporting requirements integrated into recovery records
  • Recovery communications addressing service restoration, claims, support and expectations

Participants can incorporate climate-related hazards and adaptation measures into preparedness plans.

  • Climate hazard trends affecting flood, heat, drought, wildfire and storm planning
  • Seasonal preparedness calendars linked to forecasts, inspections and stockpiling
  • Heat action plans covering thresholds, vulnerable groups and protective measures
  • Flood preparedness measures for drainage, barriers, relocation and utility protection
  • Nature-based measures supporting watershed protection, cooling and slope stability
  • Climate assumptions documented for asset design, emergency capacity and recovery priorities

Participants can establish a maintenance cycle that keeps preparedness plans current and usable.

  • Plan validation checklist covering completeness, consistency, usability and approval status
  • Training needs analysis by role, task frequency and consequence of error
  • Competency matrices for incident commanders, wardens, communicators and logistics staff
  • Annual exercise programme combining drills, table-tops, functional and full-scale exercises
  • Review triggers following incidents, organisational changes, audits and seasonal risks
  • Version control schedule for contacts, maps, procedures, resources and agreements

Participants can build, review and present a complete disaster preparedness and response plan for a defined organisational scenario.

  • Scenario profile defining hazards, exposed populations, assets and essential services
  • Risk register prioritising treatment actions, owners, deadlines and resource requirements
  • Emergency operations plan integrating activation, command, communications and protective actions
  • Logistics, welfare and continuity annexes aligned with operational assumptions
  • Table-top test findings converted into corrective actions and plan revisions
  • Peer review against Sendai Framework, ISO 22320 and organisational approval criteria

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Disaster risk register template
  2. Emergency operations plan template
  3. Incident command role chart
  4. Emergency notification matrix
  5. Table-top exercise package
  6. Preparedness improvement action register

Who should attend

  • Emergency Preparedness Managers — responsible for building and maintaining organisational readiness
  • Business Continuity Managers — aligning response arrangements with continuity priorities
  • Health, Safety and Environment Managers — preparing sites, personnel and contractors for emergencies
  • Operations and Facilities Managers — protecting essential services, assets and critical locations
  • Humanitarian Programme Managers — planning coordinated response and relief operations
  • Public Sector and Civil Protection Officers — strengthening local preparedness and response arrangements

Skills and tools covered

Disaster risk assessmentEmergency operations planningIncident command coordinationCrisis communication planningRelief logistics managementExercise evaluation

Tools and standards

Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, ISO 22301, ISO 22320, Incident Command System

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to establish methods, standards and planning choices. Participants work through realistic disaster cases involving critical facilities, public services, community programmes and relief operations. Group exercises apply risk assessment, incident command, communications and logistics tools to progressively build plan components. Table-top simulations test decisions under time pressure, followed by structured after-action review. Individual application planning helps participants adapt templates, assumptions and priorities to their own organisation.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have basic familiarity with their organisation’s operations, sites, services or programme activities. Experience in safety, security, facilities, operations, business continuity, humanitarian work, public administration or risk management is useful. Participants should be able to read internal policies, discuss operational risks and contribute to planning decisions. No prior disaster management qualification is required. Technical expertise in meteorology, engineering, emergency medicine, humanitarian logistics or civil defence is not required. The course explains the planning methods and standards before participants apply them.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants need basic familiarity with their organisation’s operations, services, sites or programmes. Prior work in emergency management is useful but not required; the course introduces each planning method before application.

Bring any current emergency plans, risk registers, business continuity documents, site maps or incident procedures that can be discussed without breaching confidentiality. Participants may also bring a planning problem or scenario from their own workplace.

The course suits professionals with preparedness, safety, security, operations, facilities, continuity, humanitarian or public protection responsibilities. It also suits managers who approve plans or lead incident teams during major disruptions.

Business continuity focuses on sustaining priority activities, while crisis management focuses on leadership, decisions and stakeholder confidence. This course concentrates on disaster risk assessment, protective action, field coordination, emergency resources and response planning, while connecting these areas to continuity and crisis arrangements.

Participants develop plan sections, templates and action registers that can be adapted to their own organisation. They can use the risk assessment, notification matrix, incident role chart and exercise methods to identify and address preparedness gaps.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The first week establishes risk, governance and response planning foundations; the second week develops coordination, exercise, recovery and plan validation skills, ending with the capstone presentation.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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