Subject Matter Experts (SMEs): These individuals possess deep, specialized knowledge about the specific hazards, vulnerabilities, and operational realities of the region (like Kochi, Kerala, India). They provide the crucial content for the scenario, ensure its realism, and offer expert insights into how specific challenges would unfold and what appropriate responses would be. Without SMEs, the discussions might lack accuracy and practical relevance.
Experienced Facilitators: These individuals are skilled in guiding group discussions, managing diverse perspectives, ensuring active participation from all stakeholders, and keeping the exercise focused on its objectives. They don't necessarily need to be disaster experts, but their ability to foster productive dialogue, ask probing questions, and synthesize information is critical for drawing out key insights and lessons learned from the participants' discussions.
Together, the SMEs provide the "what" (the realistic content), and the facilitators provide the "how" (the effective process), ensuring that the DMEx is a valuable learning and improvement experience.
