The World Health Organization (WHO) Ghana Country Office has strengthened its emergency preparedness and organizational resilience by conducting a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Tabletop Simulation Exercise (TTX), aimed at ensuring the continuity of critical operations during emergencies.
The one-day simulation brought together WHO Ghana staff, including security personnel, to test the office's readiness to respond to a simulated office fire. The exercise assessed key elements of the Business Continuity Plan, including incident response, activation and deactivation of the BCP, staff communication, relocation procedures, and recovery measures.
The exercise was facilitated by experts from WHO Ghana, with support from a representative of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS), reinforcing a coordinated United Nations approach to emergency preparedness and business continuity.
Participants worked in small groups to respond to a series of five evolving scenario injects, discussing the actions required to sustain essential operations while protecting staff and organizational assets. The exercise enabled staff to review their roles and responsibilities, identify strengths and gaps within existing procedures, and develop practical recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the Business Continuity Plan.
To promote accountability, each recommendation was accompanied by clear timelines and designated focal persons for implementation. The outcomes from each group were presented during a plenary session, allowing participants to validate proposed solutions, share lessons learned, and build consensus on priority actions to strengthen the office's preparedness.
The simulation also provided an opportunity to reinforce collaboration across teams and enhance staff understanding of the coordinated actions required during an emergency. By testing the plan in a realistic but controlled environment, the exercise highlighted areas for improvement before an actual incident occurs, helping to reduce operational risks and improve organizational resilience.
The Business Continuity Plan Tabletop Simulation Exercise forms part of WHO Ghana's broader commitment to maintaining uninterrupted support to the Government of Ghana and its health partners, even during emergencies. The recommendations generated from the exercise will inform updates to the Business Continuity Plan and strengthen the office's capacity to respond effectively to future disruptions while safeguarding the safety and well-being of staff.
