The array of exercises that will be selected for each National Exercise Program (NEP) cycle should meet a host of criteria to ensure a balanced, manageable, relevant, and effective exercise program. These criteria include:
Alignment to Principals' Objectives. The foremost criterion for selection into the NEP cycle is relevance and alignment to the Principals' Objectives.
Geographic Diversity. To be a truly national exercise program, the NEP must incorporate exercises from across the entire country and from all levels of government.
Exercise Type. To build a progressive exercise cycle, a variety of exercise types (e.g., drills, workshops, tabletop exercises [TTXs], full-scale exercises [FSEs]) should be incorporated into the NEP.
Resources. Exercises that will be considered for inclusion into the NEP cycle should already have the commitment of a sponsoring department, agency, state, locality, or other jurisdiction or organization.
NEP Schedule. Exercises will also be considered based on the existing NEP schedule.