Final answer:
The Final Planning Meeting should focus on ensuring all logistical requirements are met, re-engaging officials, and communicating results. It's too late for major changes, and the goal is to confirm readiness and alignment among stakeholders.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Final Planning Meeting (FPM) should primarily focus on ensuring all logistical requirements have been met. This includes verifying that the design of the exercise, its scope, and supporting documentation are finalized and ready for implementation. It is generally too late at this stage for making any major changes.
The FPM is a critical moment to re-engage elected and appointed officials, ensuring their buy-in and that they are informed about the exercise details. Additionally, the meeting serves to communicate results of planning to all stakeholders and confirm that all team members are aligned and committed to their roles and responsibilities.
Buy-in from researchers, stakeholders, and participants is essential, and the FPM is an opportunity to solidify this by discussing the process and requesting feedback, particularly if there have been issues with staff turnover or scheduling conflicts that affected the planning process.
However, extensive changes to project design should be handled prior to the FPM, allowing the meeting to concentrate on fine-tuning and addressing potential logistical issues. Ongoing communication, especially in politically sensitive environments or under funding uncertainties, is crucial for the exercise's success and preparing for potential contingencies.