VZCZCXRO6713
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #0599/01 0741743
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151743Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHFSI/DIR FSINFATC
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7839
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 000599 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DIR FSINFATC FOR FSI/LMS/CMT 
STATE FOR S/ES-O, DS/DSS/IP, CA/OCS/ACS, AF/EX AND AF/W 
PEACE CORPS FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AEMR CASC ASEC KESS KCOM OTRA SG
SUBJECT: 2007 DAKAR CRISIS MANAGEMENT EXERCISE: LESSONS 
LEARNED 
 
REF: Houge-Braxton email of March 15, 2007 
 
¶1.  Post wishes to thank FSI for a successful crisis management 
exercise (CME).  The timing of the exercise was excellent as Senegal 
prepared for its presidential elections in late February.  The 
exercise enhanced post's crisis management preparedness and prepared 
post for the February crisis that unfolded in neighboring Guinea 
which involved the ordered departure of direct-hire employees, 
eligible family members (EFMs) and private Americans to the U.S. 
through Dakar. 
 
¶2.  The following responses are keyed to ref email paragraph two: 
 
¶A.  Post found that the training format suited post's needs.  Post 
worked closely with the trainer before his arrival in Dakar to 
customize the scenarios and to use the trainer for additional 
briefings.  Due to an overwhelming mission wide interest in the 
training, post management decided to hold two crisis overview 
sessions and opened the crisis management exercise to American 
citizen community representatives who appreciated being included and 
greatly benefited from the exercise.  Many participants in the 
overview sessions were new to crisis management and learned 
important terms and concepts which enhanced the actual exercise. 
The time allotted for the exercise allowed the scenario to unfold in 
many unforeseen directions, but did not run so long as to cause 
participants to lose focus. 
 
Despite an overwhelming presence in the exercise, the Locally 
Engaged Staff (LES) in attendance did not actively participate. 
Post believes that at the next CME, the moderator or the Emergency 
Action Committee (EAC) chairperson could play a more active role to 
engage them in the debate, both to seek their assessment of the 
theoretical situation and to underscore how they fit in the picture. 
 One suggestion would be to target one LES as being at the center of 
a situation where one hostile group would only negotiate with a 
Senegalese staff member rather than with an American official. 
Another suggestion would be to hold a separate crisis management 
exercise involving only LES, following the overview session.  Post 
believes that a session targeting LES might prime them for better 
participation in the final exercise. 
 
¶B.  The scenarios were very well written, and it was clear that the 
trainer had studied the history and current politics of Senegal. 
However, some participants commented that there were too many 
situations that developed very quickly and covering them in the 
limited timeframe proved challenging.  Post suggests that during the 
next CME, instead of having seven situations that lead to one major 
attack at the end, it would be better to have 4 to 5 situations. 
That would make the scenario more realistic and manageable during 
the exercise. 
 
The last minutes of the exercise were devoted to taking care of our 
own people during and after a crisis.  The presentation by a Mission 
member on her experience with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 
highlighted how important it is to keep each other safe, secure, and 
productive in a stressful situation.  Post realizes that getting the 
job done and taking care of employees under conditions of severe, 
long lasting stress can be one of the most difficult challenges a 
manager may face.  As a result, knowing how to staff a crisis is 
crucial, especially when primary officers are unavailable or 
incapacitated.  The recognition that crises are often of long 
duration mandates that Post have a deep list of those who are ready 
and may be called upon to replace those suffering from stress and 
fatigue. 
 
¶C.  Mr. Michael Braxton's intervention in the exercise was 
appropriate and well timed.  The Ambassador participated in the 
exercise and expressed her overall satisfaction with both CME and 
the overview sessions.  She was also happy to receive an out brief 
from the trainer on the trainer's other briefings and his overall 
observations during his week in Dakar.  Post management was 
especially pleased that the trainer held meetings with the health 
unit, consular section and eligible family members. 
 
¶D.  The exercise highlighted the need to make EAP available to all 
mission employees, especially to LES. One of post's objectives for 
the exercise was to prepare the Mission for any potential violence 
possibly erupting before or after the February 25 presidential 
elections.  In addition, given the political unrest in neighboring 
Guinea, post management used this opportunity to educate mission 
employees on their roles in helping a neighboring embassy in a 
crisis (as demonstrated during the ordered EFM departure from 
Conakry).  The exercise was also useful in explaining and reviewing 
tripwires and how important it is to keep them updated. 
 
¶E.  Recognizing that emergency planning is a mission wide priority 
and shared responsibility, post will adapt its new arrival security 
 
DAKAR 00000599  002 OF 002 
 
 
briefing to include an introduction to the EAP.  Post will also make 
EAP available to all mission employees on the intranet and encourage 
all sections chiefs to share it with American direct hire employees 
and LES. 
 
¶F.  As stated in para. A, post believes that a separate CME session 
for LES as a follow up to the overview training would greatly 
improve the LES's understanding of their roles and responsibilities 
in the event of a crisis.  A preliminary LES-only session could 
build confidence in their crisis management abilities and reduce 
apprehensions about voicing ideas in the presence of direct hire 
supervisors.  An alternative to having a CME tailored to LES would 
be for post management to organize mini CMEs with scenarios 
developed in house. 
 
¶G.  Post is satisfied with the frequency of the current CME 
rotation. 
 
¶H.  Post appreciates Mr. Braxton's excellent presentations and 
willingness to work with various audiences during his stay. 
 
Jacobs