The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic does not mean that we can’t continue delivering our preparedness services. In fact it is in such unfamiliar situations as we currently find ourselves that our creativity is fuelled. What was originally scoped for a one-day client tailored training in Denmark had to be delivered through a fully virtual session due to travel restrictions. We led a two-hour training element on Tiered Preparedness and Response followed by a workshop on interrogating the client’s preparedness level for an exploratory operation.

The positive virtual experience proved that our training courses can still be facilitated effectively and creatively using video conferencing including the use of breakout rooms. In fact, the delegates fed back that that was the best form of remote training ever received.

Drawing on our own experience of managing recent virtual exercises and incident management teams, both internal and with members, we believe OSRL has some valuable lessons learned to share with industry. For this reason, we are running a virtual IMT webinar on 6th May (Lessons Learned from Establishing Virtual Response Management Teams)  – details and registration available on our website and look forward to sharing these lessons with you.

We have always sought to understand our clients' requirements and adapt flexibly to help them overcome their unique operational challenges. With this in mind, we are currently working hard to assess our preparedness services to identify which training courses and consultancy and secondment services could be delivered remotely if required.