Enhancing cross-organizational collaboration in crisis management: Outcomes from a full-scale regional exercise in Norway

Cross-organizational collaboration exercises are crucial in improving preparedness and promoting team situational awareness for effective crisis management. Despite their potential, studies suggest that these exercises may often yield results with limited learning and practical benefits. This study analyzes a full-scale regional crisis management collaboration exercise conducted in Norway, involving 10 different organizations, and engaging over 200 participants. Using a survey-based data collection method focusing on the ‘Collaboration, Learning, and Utility-Scale’, complemented by on-site observations and data collection from various exercise locations, we scrutinize the exercise's effectiveness in enhancing collaborative efforts, learning outcomes and overall utility. The findings contribute valuable insights into the strengths and areas for improvement in cross-organizational collaboration, offering practical implications for optimizing future crisis management preparedness initiatives.