PREPSHIELD to Conduct Pilot Tabletop Exercise in Piemonte on 19 September

On Thursday, 19 February 2026, the PREPSHIELD consortium will carry out its second pilot exercise in Piemonte, Italy. This Tabletop Exercise (TTE) represents a key milestone in the project, serving to strategically test and validate core methods and tools developed within PREPSHIELD.

A Strategic Test of Inclusive Crisis Preparedness

The exercise assumes an already established Prepared State, allowing participants to focus directly on decision-making processes and response dynamics. The primary objective is to assess how effectively PREPSHIELD’s approaches support inclusive and citizen-centered crisis preparedness and management, while also evaluating the TTE methodology itself as a structured testing and learning environment.

A Safe Space for Experimentation and Learning

The Piemonte pilot provides a controlled environment for experimentation, reflection, and iterative learning. By simulating realistic crisis conditions, participants can explore decision-making processes, communication strategies, and coordination mechanisms without real-world risks.

The insights generated will directly inform the refinement of PREPSHIELD’s tools, methodologies, and overall approach, strengthening the project’s contribution to more inclusive and resilient health crisis preparedness in Europe.

We look forward to sharing highlights and key takeaways from the exercise in the coming weeks.

What Will Be Tested?

The pilot will focus on several key components developed within the project:

Best Practices for inclusive crisis communication and management (UPO) tested under realistic, participatory conditions.
Integration of the PREPSHIELD online platform (SSG) into the decision-making process, within the current stage of technical development. At this phase, communication is limited to one-way interaction (Platform → App), including data visualization and markers from the app.
Testing of the public-facing mobile application (ICCS), currently enabling survey and quiz distribution without platform mirroring or automated evaluation.
Validation of the Storybook structure and usability (THK) as a narrative framework guiding the exercise.
Assessment of the TTE methodology itself (THK), including facilitation design, participant engagement, information flow, and structured reflection mechanisms.
Exploration of cross-sector collaboration among public authorities, healthcare institutions, emergency services, civil society organisations, and local community actors in Piemonte.
Identification of barriers and enablers for effective and inclusive communication and stakeholder engagement.