TheNational Exercise Program (NEP)is the primary mechanism used to measure and improve the nation’s readiness across the entire homeland security spectrum. Managed byFEMA, the NEP provides a consistent, multi-year schedule of exercises that test theCore Capabilitiesdescribed in the National Preparedness Goal. The NEP is designed to be "all-hazards" and includes participation from federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as the private sector and non-profit organizations.

While theNational Capstone Exercise(Option C) is a high-profile, biennial event within the NEP that specifically tests the nation's ability to respond to a catastrophic scenario (often involving the President and Cabinet), it is theNational Exercise Program(Option B) as a whole that provides the continuous, systematic measurement of readiness. The NEP ensures that exercises are not just "one-off" events but are part of a larger "Progressive Exercise Program" that builds from small seminars to massive full-scale simulations.

According to theHSEEP (Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program)methodology used by the NEP, the "measure" of readiness is found in theAfter-Action Report (AAR)and theImprovement Plan (IP). By identifying gaps in capabilities during these national-level exercises, the government can adjust its grant funding, training priorities, and policy developments to address the most critical vulnerabilities. For aCEDPprofessional, the NEP represents the "final exam" for preparedness. It provides the empirical data needed to prove that the nation's "Integrated Response" actually works, moving beyond theoretical plans to demonstrated operational reality across all 32 Core Capabilities.