Simulations SOP

Roles and Responsibilities

Role	Responsibility
Simulation Manager	Builds and configures the SIM. Manages status transitions, inject sequencing, and clock. Resets the SIM after use.
Facilitator	Guides participants through the exercise. Plays injects in real time. Manages participant engagement and debrief.
Participant	Receives injects via the participant play screen. They receive a link to access the simulation. Responds to injects and communicates with teammates within the SIM.
Observer (optional)	Views the simulation without active participation. Assigned by the Simulation Manager as required.

Pre-Simulation Preparation

All simulation configuration should be completed while the SIM is in Building status. Do not change the SIM status to In Progress until all preparation is finalised.

#	Step	Action / Detail
1	Open the SIM / Making a new Simulation	Log in to Battleground Live. Navigate to the Simulations module and open the relevant SIM. If it is a new simulation click on Fill in the detail including Simulation date and time. (Note: You can make up the time, or put in the actual time). Click save and build
2	Verify status is Building	Confirm the SIM is in Building status before making any changes. This screen is for development and configuration only.
3	Adding Participants	First you must click on and put in all the different roles you want to use. Next you must press on and add in each of the different participants for the workshop, and assign them to a role. You can also add in Facilitators and Observers.
4	Add and Review all injects	You can add an inject by clicking on the green plus in the inject timeline. Make sure to put in who it will be sent to as well as Tick whether you want it to be auto played at the set time or manual play. Check every inject for accuracy of content, timing, sequencing, type (email, SMS, alert, memo, social, news, call), and intended recipient roles.
5	Confirm inject routing	Ensure each inject is assigned to the correct role. Injects sent to the wrong role will not appear in the intended participant's inbox.

Launching the Simulation

Click on invite all participants before making the exercise live

Changing the SIM status to In Progress and press on the Play button to make it live. Participants can click on the email link and see their play screens. Only make this transition when all injects and participants have been configured and verified.

#	Step	Action / Detail
1	Final pre-launch check	Confirm all injects are correct, all participants are added with the right roles, and facilitators are confirmed.
2	Invite all, and change status to In Progress	Invite all participants. Move the SIM status from Building to In Progress. Press on the play button. The SIM will synchronise with the web platform and become accessible to participants.
3	Send invitations	Invitations are sent to participants via email. Each participant receives a unique personal link to access their play screen. Facilitators will also receive access.
4	Confirm participant access	Verify that participants can access their play screen via the link. The participant screen will display all their inject inboxes and adjust the clock to their local time zone.

Inject Types Reference

The following inject types are available within the Battleground Live Simulations module:

Inject Type	Description
Alert	General alert notification delivered to the participant dashboard.
Call	Simulated phone call inject.
Email	Inbox email. Participants can reply. Responses are logged in the timeline.
Memo	Internal memo delivered to participant dashboard.
News Broadcast	Simulated news media broadcast.
Newspaper	Printed media inject.
SMS	Text message. Participants can reply.
Social	Social media posts. Simulates Facebook, Slack, Twitter, or Yammer feeds.

Role and Participant Management

Roles define which injects each participant receives. Participants must be assigned to roles before the SIM goes live.

#	Step	Action / Detail
1	Review available roles	Navigate to the Manage Participant Roles. Review all roles configured within the SIM (e.g., CMT Leader, Operations Manager, Communications Lead).
2	Add participants	Add each participant by name and assign them to the appropriate role. A participant can hold one or more roles depending on exercise design.
3	Add facilitators	Assign facilitator access to Battleground staff or client-side facilitators as required. Facilitators are visible to participants during the exercise.
4	Verify participant list	Confirm all intended participants appear in the participant list with correct role assignments before proceeding.

Participant Play Screen

On clicking on the link they received participants will see one of the following states depending on timing:

Screen State	What the Participant Sees
Waiting Room	"The workshop is ready to start. This screen will automatically display your workshop dashboard when the facilitator begins."
Pre-Workshop Questionnaire	If configured: a questionnaire form. Participant enters details and submits before the exercise begins.
Workshop Dashboard (Live)	All inject inboxes are displayed. Notifications arrive visually and via audio when a new inject is delivered.
Post-Workshop Questionnaire	If configured: a post-exercise questionnaire for participant reflection and data capture.
Closed / Presentation	The facilitator has ended the SIM. Results can be presented in this phase.

Running the Simulation

Starting the Clock

The simulation clock must be started by the Simulation Manager when all participants are ready. Injects cannot be played until the clock is running.

#	Step	Action / Detail
1	Start the clock	Click the play button. Injects will become available to play. The clock represents simulation time, not real time.
2	Confirm inject availability	Once the clock starts, injects will show as playable. Verify that the first inject is correctly queued.

Playing Injects

The Simulation Manager or Facilitator controls inject delivery. Injects do not play automatically by default unless Auto Play is enabled.

#	Step	Action / Detail
1	Manual play	Click the Play button on each inject to deliver it to the relevant participant(s). Participants will hear an audio notification and see the inject appear in their inbox.
2	Auto Play	To set an inject to play automatically, click the M until it turns green . Auto Play injects fire based on simulation time without manual triggering.
3	Monitor responses	Participant replies and actions appear in the timeline. The Facilitator can view all participant activity from the facilitator dashboard.
4	Time jump	Double-click on the inject to advance simulation time. Use this to skip ahead during slow periods or to test later injects.

Participant Actions During the Exercise

Participants can take the following actions from their play screen:

View injects: Click on any inject inbox to read its contents. Injects change colour when a new notification is received.
Reply to injects: Email and SMS injects allow participants to reply. Reply options appear in the top right corner of the inject.
Create new messages: Participants can initiate new emails at any point using the orange New Message button in the top right corner of the dashboard.
View the team: Participant names and assigned roles are visible within the platform to support realistic communication.

NOTE: All participant replies are logged in the timeline and are visible to the Facilitator. Replies to facilitators are routed to the relevant facilitator inbox.

Ending the Simulation

#	Step	Action / Detail
1	End the SIM	Click the End Simulation control. This closes the participant play screens and moves the exercise to the Closed state.
2	Present results (optional)	If applicable, the Facilitator can present the simulation timeline, inject log, and participant responses as part of the debrief.
3	Administer post-workshop questionnaire	If a post-workshop questionnaire has been configured, participants will be prompted to complete it at this stage.
4	Conduct debrief	Lead a structured debrief discussion covering response quality, decision points, communication gaps, and lessons identified.

Post-Exercise Reset

#	Step	Action / Detail
1	Return to Building status	Navigate back to the SIM and change the status to Building. This disables participant access and returns the SIM to configuration mode.
2	Allow synchronisation	Wait for the SIM to synchronise with the platform before making changes.
3	Reset injects	Click Reset Injects to restore all injects to their pre-played state. This clears all delivery history and participant response data.
4	Delete test content	Review the inject list and delete any test messages or responses sent during the exercise that should not persist in the SIM.
5	Verify clean state	Confirm that all injects are in an unplayed state and the SIM is ready for its next use.

CAUTION: Resetting injects clears all delivery history and participant replies for this SIM. If exercise data is required for reporting or lessons-learned review, export or document it before resetting.

Common Issues and Resolution

Issue	Resolution
Participant cannot access the play screen	Confirm the SIM is in In Progress status. Resend the invitation email. Verify the participant is in the participant list with a valid role assigned.
Inject not appearing in participant inbox	Check that the inject is assigned to the participant's role. Confirm the clock is running. Verify the inject has been manually played (if Auto Play is not enabled).
Participant replies not visible	Check the facilitator timeline view. Replies appear there in real time. Refresh the facilitator dashboard if needed.
Clock not starting	Confirm the SIM status is In Progress. Only the Simulation Manager role can start the clock.
Auto Play inject fired too early	Disable Auto Play on that inject (click to turn it back to manual). Re-sequence inject timing in Building mode before the next exercise.
SIM not synchronising after status change	Wait 30 to 60 seconds and refresh. If the issue persists, return to Building status and change back to In Progress.
Participant sees a blank dashboard	The facilitator has not yet started the clock. The participant is in the Waiting Room state. Start the clock to activate the dashboard.

Facilitation Best Practice

The following guidelines support consistent, high-quality simulation delivery:

Conduct a dry run of the SIM in Building mode before the live exercise, particularly for new scenarios or client-facing sessions.
Test the invitation process with a colleague before the day to confirm links are working and the participant screen loads correctly.
Brief participants on the play screen and inject types at the start of the session. Use the Battleground Simulations Participant Quick Guide as a pre-read.
Keep a printed or digital checklist of injects and participant roles to support real-time facilitation.
Monitor the facilitator timeline continuously during the exercise. Participant replies appear there and may require facilitator follow-up injects.
Use the Time Jump function deliberately. Overuse can disorient participants and compress response time unrealistically.
Do not reset the SIM until any required exercise data, observations, or screenshots have been captured.
For demonstration SIMs, always reset to a clean state immediately after use so the scenario is ready for the next prospect or client session.