Leadership and trust crucial for successful crisis exercises

It is primarily a lack of leadership, low psychological safety, and limited opportunities for knowledge exchange that hinder effective cooperation between civilian and military actors. This is the conclusion of a new study examining how civil-military collaboration can be improved in crisis management exercises.

The study, recently published in the Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, focuses on so-called team learning – a process where exercise participants learn from each other through reflection, feedback, and the sharing of experiences.

“For this to work, psychological safety within the group is essential – that is, an environment where participants feel safe to discuss mistakes and adapt to new knowledge,” says Erik Hedlund, Associate Professor at the Swedish Defence University, who conducted the study together with Professor Aida Alvinius.

Analysing civil-military exercises

In the study, the researchers analyse seven civil-military exercises carried out between 2022 and 2023. The exercises were so-called tabletop exercises, where participants work through simulated scenarios to discuss and analyse roles, responsibilities, and opportunities for collaboration.

“One of the challenges was that civilian actors with limited experience often felt insecure during the exercises, which inhibited learning and coordination with military participants,” says Erik Hedlund.

Previous research has primarily focused on cooperation between professional crisis management actors such as police, emergency services, and healthcare providers.

“This study contributes new insights by analysing how civilian actors with limited experience handle collaboration in exercises,” Hedlund adds.

The study also shows that trust, clear communication, and a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities are key to effective collaboration.

More effective exercises strengthen crisis preparedness

The study also offers concrete suggestions for improving exercises, including strengthened leadership with clearer guidelines and a well-defined distribution of responsibilities.

“Increased psychological safety within the group, where participants feel confident learning from mistakes, as well as better knowledge exchange with more effective methods for sharing experiences and insights, are factors that can lead to more effective exercises,” says Hedlund.

He believes the research can be useful for authorities and organisations responsible for total defence and crisis management. It can also help shape policies and strategies to strengthen cooperation between civilian and military actors, both nationally and internationally.

“Civil-military cooperation is a crucial factor in strengthening societal resilience against crises and threats. By improving the design of exercises and strategies for collaboration, society's preparedness and resilience can be enhanced on both national and international levels.”