What is the post-exercise/incident critique used to evaluate an emergency plan's effectiveness called?

The evaluation of an emergency plan's effectiveness after conducting exercises or responding to incidents is commonly referred to as an After Action Report (AAR). This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the actions taken during the incident or exercise, assessing what worked well and identifying areas for improvement.

The AAR typically includes objective data about the response, participant feedback, and recommended actions to enhance preparedness for future incidents. This systematic reflection on performance is essential in ensuring that emergency plans evolve based on real-life experiences, allowing stakeholders to fine-tune strategies, protocols, and training practices.

In contrast, an Incident report analysis may focus more on the details of the incident itself rather than the evaluation of the plan's effectiveness. A Final evaluation summary usually represents a concluding assessment but lacks the structured learning components present in an AAR. A System review report might cover broader aspects of the operational systems but would not specifically target the lessons learned from an exercise or incident as an AAR does. Thus, the After Action Report serves as a crucial tool in the continuous improvement of emergency management practices.