Activities

Introduction

Activities are the core units of work within a Track. They represent individual tasks, operations, training events, or other scheduled components that make up a larger exercise or operation. Activities follow a military-style operations order structure with sections for Situation, Mission, Execution, Admin & Logistics, and Command & Signal.

Activities provide a structured approach to planning, executing, and tracking operational elements within the exercise control system. Each activity integrates with other system components like venues, resources, and communication plans.

Activity Structure

Each activity is structured with the following components:

  1. Basic Information - Name, type, priority, timing, and status.
  2. Situation - Information about enemy forces, friendly forces, terrain & weather.
  3. Mission - The mission statement and objectives.
  4. Execution - How the mission will be accomplished, including venues and risks.
  5. Admin & Logistics - Support requirements and resources.
  6. Command & Signal - Command structure and PACE communication plans.

This structure follows military operational planning principles, ensuring comprehensive coverage of all aspects needed for successful execution.

Activity Types and Priorities

Activity Types

Activities can be categorized into the following types:

  • Training - Educational or instructional activities
  • Exercise - Practical application or simulation activities
  • Operation - Tactical or strategic operational activities
  • Planning - Preparation and coordination activities
  • Briefing - Information dissemination activities
  • Debriefing - Review and analysis activities

Activity Priorities

Each activity can be assigned one of the following priority levels:

  • High - Critical activities that must be completed
  • Medium - Important activities with some flexibility
  • Low - Desirable activities that can be rescheduled if necessary

Priority designations help with resource allocation and scheduling decisions when conflicts arise.

Managing Activities

Activities can be created, viewed, edited, and deleted through the Activity management interface.

Creating Activities

To create a new activity:

  1. Navigate to the Track where the activity should be created
  2. Click on the "Create Activity" button
  3. Fill out the activity details in the wizard interface:
    • Provide basic information (name, type, priority)
    • Set planned start and end dates
    • Enter situation details
    • Define mission objectives
    • Specify execution parameters
    • Add admin & logistics details
    • Configure command & signal information
  4. Click "Create" to save the activity

Required fields include:

  • Activity name
  • Track association
  • Type
  • Priority
  • Start and end dates

The activity creation wizard guides you through all sections of the activity structure, allowing you to enter comprehensive information about the activity, including relationships to venues, resources, risks, and communication plans.

{note} When setting dates for activities, the system intelligently handles date constraints. For example, an activity cannot start before its associated track starts or end after the track ends. Date pickers automatically adjust to respect these constraints.

Editing Activities

The activity edit interface uses a tabbed layout for easy navigation between the different sections of the activity:

  1. Basic Information - Edit core activity details
  2. Situation - Update operational context
  3. Mission - Modify mission objectives
  4. Execution - Adjust execution details
  5. Admin & Logistics - Manage resources and logistical information
  6. Command & Signal - Update PACE plans and communication details

To edit an activity:

  1. Navigate to the activity detail page
  2. Click the "Edit" button in the header
  3. Use the tab navigation to access different sections
  4. Make your changes
  5. Click "Save" to update the activity

Date fields throughout the interface are intelligently constrained based on related dates. For example:

  • Resource required dates cannot extend beyond the activity's date range
  • Actual start/end dates cannot be set in the future
  • PACE plan effective dates must fall within the activity's timeline

Simple and Complex Activity Modes

Activities support two modes: Simple and Complex. This allows users to tailor the activity form to the level of detail required for each scenario.

  • Simple Mode: Only the Basic Information and Participants tabs are shown. Use this for straightforward activities that do not require detailed operational planning.
  • Complex Mode: All tabs (Situation, Mission, Execution, Admin & Logistics, Command & Signal, Participants) are available, supporting full military operations order structure.

Toggling Modes

  • Use the header action button to switch between Simple and Complex modes at any time while editing or creating an activity.
  • When switching to Simple Mode, you will be prompted to confirm. All complex data (fields and related sections) will be deleted from the database and cleared from the form. This ensures a clean, minimal activity record.
  • When switching to Complex Mode, all advanced tabs become available. If you previously simplified the activity, these sections will start empty.
  • The current mode is preserved in the URL query string (?is_complex_activity=true or false), so refreshing the page or sharing the link will maintain the selected mode.

{info} Switching to Simple Mode is destructive: all complex fields and related data will be permanently removed. Switching back to Complex Mode will not restore deleted data.

Example Workflow

  1. Create or edit an activity.
  2. Use the header action to switch to Complex Mode if you need detailed planning.
  3. If you later decide to simplify, switch to Simple Mode and confirm. All complex data will be removed.
  4. You can switch back to Complex Mode at any time, but the advanced sections will be empty until you fill them in again.

This feature provides flexibility for both quick and detailed activity planning, while ensuring data integrity and a clear user experience.

Viewing Activities

The activity view page displays all activity information in a well-organized, tabbed interface. This layout makes it easy to find specific information about an activity without scrolling through a long page. The tabs mirror the edit interface for consistency.

The activity list page provides an enhanced view with the following columns:

  • Name
  • Type (with icon)
  • Priority (with color indicator)
  • Status (with color indicator)
  • Start date
  • End date
  • Progress (visual progress bar)

Advanced filtering options allow you to filter activities by:

  • Status
  • Activity Type
  • Priority
  • Date range

Deleting Activities

Activities can be deleted when they are no longer needed:

  1. From the activity list, select the activity to delete
  2. Click the "Delete" action
  3. Confirm the deletion in the confirmation dialog

{info} Activities use soft deletion, meaning they are marked as deleted but remain in the database. This preserves historical data while removing them from active views.

Activity Status

Activities can have one of the following statuses:

  • Scheduled - The activity is planned but hasn't started
  • Ongoing - The activity is currently in progress
  • Completed - The activity has been completed
  • Cancelled - The activity has been cancelled
  • Paused - The activity has been temporarily paused

Status indicators are color-coded and display appropriate icons to provide clear visual cues about the activity's current state.

Status Transitions

Activities follow a defined workflow for status transitions:

  • From Scheduled you can transition to:

    • Ongoing (when the activity starts)
    • Cancelled (if the activity is called off)

  • From Ongoing you can transition to:

    • Completed (when the activity is finished)
    • Paused (if the activity is temporarily halted)
    • Cancelled (if the activity is terminated before completion)

  • From Paused you can transition to:

    • Ongoing (when resuming the activity)
    • Cancelled (if the activity is terminated while paused)

Status transitions maintain data integrity and ensure a proper workflow.

Date-Based Status Updates

The activity status can be updated manually, but the system also provides guidance based on date ranges:

  • If the start date is in the future, the suggested status is Scheduled
  • If the start date is in the past but the end date is in the future, the suggested status is Ongoing
  • If both start and end dates are in the past, the suggested status is Completed

{note} The system provides suggestions for status based on dates, but you can manually override these to reflect the actual status of the activity.

PACE Communication Plans

PACE is a military communication methodology that ensures robust communications even when primary channels fail. It stands for:

  • Primary - The main communication method (blue indicator)
  • Alternate - The second choice when the primary is unavailable (green indicator)
  • Contingency - Used when both primary and alternate are unavailable (orange indicator)
  • Emergency - Last resort communication method (red indicator)

Each PACE plan includes details about:

  • Communication channel
  • Call signs
  • Frequencies or identifiers
  • Effective date range
  • Usage instructions
  • Reporting requirements

The PACE plans interface features color-coded badges for each type of communication channel, making it easy to identify the hierarchy of communication methods at a glance.

PACE Plans Display

The PACE Plans are organized in a grid layout for improved readability:

  • The first row displays the PACE Type, Channel, Effective From, and Effective Until dates
  • The second row contains Call Sign and Frequency/Identifier
  • Additional details like Usage Instructions, Reporting Requirements, and Notes are displayed in full width below

This organized layout ensures that critical information is easily scannable while maintaining a comprehensive view of all communication plans.

Adding PACE Plans to Activities

To add a PACE communication plan to an activity:

  1. Navigate to the activity edit page
  2. Select the "Command & Signal" tab
  3. In the PACE Plans section, click "Add Plan"
  4. Select the PACE type (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, or Emergency)
  5. Enter the required details
  6. Click "Save" to add the plan

All date fields intelligently handle null values and prevent setting dates outside the activity's timeframe, ensuring data integrity across the application.

Activity Resources

Activities can have resources assigned to them, such as equipment, personnel, or supplies. Each resource assignment includes:

  • Resource type
  • Quantity
  • Unit of measure
  • Required date range
  • Status
  • Logistics classification
  • Source location
  • Notes

Managing Activity Resources

To manage resources for an activity:

  1. Navigate to the activity edit page
  2. Select the "Admin & Logistics" tab
  3. In the Resources section, add or edit resource assignments
  4. For each resource, specify the quantity, date range, and other required details
  5. Click "Save" to update the resource assignments

Resource requests are tracked in the system and can be managed through the logistics module.

Activity Risks

Risk management is an integral part of activity planning. The risks section allows you to:

  • Identify potential risks
  • Assess likelihood and impact
  • Document mitigation measures
  • Create contingency plans
  • Track risk status

Risks are displayed with appropriate color-coding based on their severity (combination of likelihood and impact).

Adding Risks to Activities

To add risks to an activity:

  1. Navigate to the activity edit page
  2. Select the "Execution" tab
  3. In the Risks section, click "Add Risk"
  4. Enter the risk details:
    • Description
    • Likelihood
    • Impact
    • Mitigation measures
    • Contingency plans
  5. Click "Save" to add the risk

Progress Tracking

Activities include a visual progress indicator that shows completion status. The progress bar appears in the activity list and detail views, providing a quick visual reference for the activity's current state.

Progress is calculated based on several factors:

  • Activity status (Scheduled = 0%, Ongoing = 50%, Completed = 100%)
  • Timeline (current date relative to start and end dates)
  • Completed objectives (if tracked)

The progress bar uses color coding to indicate status:

  • Blue for ongoing activities
  • Green for completed activities
  • Yellow for paused activities
  • Red for activities with issues

Activity Dependencies

Activities can have dependencies on other activities, creating a structured workflow. Dependencies define which activities must be completed before others can start.

To set up dependencies:

  1. Navigate to the activity edit page
  2. Select the "Execution" tab
  3. In the Dependencies section, add predecessor activities
  4. Define the dependency type:
    • Finish-to-Start (most common): The predecessor must finish before this activity can start
    • Start-to-Start: The predecessor must start before this activity can start
    • Finish-to-Finish: This activity cannot finish until the predecessor finishes
  5. Click "Save" to update the dependencies

Dependencies are enforced through warnings when attempting to start activities with incomplete prerequisites.

Attendance Management

The Attendance Management feature allows exercise coordinators to track participant attendance for each activity. This feature helps maintain accurate records of who attended which activities, their arrival and departure times, and manages absences and early departures with proper documentation.

Attendance Overview

Attendance records include the following key elements:

  • Attendance status (Present, Absent, Late)
  • Check-in and check-out times
  • Departure types (Complete, Excused, Emergency)
  • Absence and early departure reasons
  • Authorization for early departures

Managing Attendance Records

To manage attendance for an activity:

  1. Navigate to the activity detail page
  2. Click on the "Attendances" tab to view the attendance roster
  3. You'll see a list of all participants associated with the activity and their current attendance status

Recording Accountability

To record a participant's accountability status:

  1. Locate the participant in the attendance list
  2. Click the "Account" button in the actions column
  3. In the modal dialog, select the appropriate status:
    • Present - Participant attended the activity
    • Absent - Participant did not attend the activity
    • Late - Participant arrived late to the activity
  4. If marking as Absent or Late, select a reason from the dropdown
  5. Enter additional notes if needed
  6. Click "Account" to save the record

{note} When marking a participant as Present, the system will automatically record their check-in time. This can be adjusted if necessary.

Recording Departures

To record a participant's departure from an activity:

  1. Locate the participant in the attendance list (must be already checked-in)
  2. Click the "Check Out" button in the actions column
  3. In the modal dialog, enter:
    • Check-out time
    • Departure type:
      • Complete - Completed the full activity
      • Excused - Left early with authorization
      • Emergency - Left due to emergency circumstances
    • For early departures (Excused or Emergency), select a reason
    • Indicate whether this was a scheduled departure
    • Enter any relevant notes
  4. Click "Check Out" to save the record

{note} Early departures require authorization and proper documentation, including a reason. The system automatically records who authorized the early departure.

Attendance Statuses

The system supports the following attendance statuses:

  • Present - Participant attended the activity and was checked in
  • Absent - Participant did not attend the activity
  • Late - Participant arrived after the scheduled start time

Each status is visually indicated with color-coded badges for easy identification.

Departure Types

The system supports the following departure types:

  • Complete - Participant completed the full activity until its scheduled end
  • Excused - Participant departed early with prior approval
  • Emergency - Participant had to leave due to an emergency situation

Each departure type is visually indicated with color-coded badges:

  • Green for Complete departures
  • Yellow for Excused departures
  • Red for Emergency departures

Absence and Early Departure Reasons

The system categorizes absence and early departure reasons to maintain consistent record-keeping:

Absence Reasons:

  • Illness
  • Family Emergency
  • Medical Appointment
  • Personal Matters
  • Religious Observances
  • Travel
  • Other

Early Departure Reasons:

  • Early Medical Appointment
  • Early Family Emergency
  • Early Personal Matters
  • Early Illness
  • Early Other

Bulk Actions

For efficiency, you can perform bulk actions on multiple attendance records:

  1. Select the checkboxes next to participants' names
  2. Use the bulk actions menu to:
    • Check in selected participants
    • Check out selected participants

Viewing Attendance Records

The attendance roster provides a comprehensive view of all attendance records with the following information:

  • Participant name and details
  • Attendance status
  • Check-in status (time and method)
  • Departure status (time, type, reason if applicable)
  • Authorization details

Each column provides sorting and filtering options to help you find specific records.

Attendance Reports

To generate attendance reports:

  1. From the activity detail page, click on the "Reports" dropdown
  2. Select "Attendance Report"
  3. Choose the format (PDF, Excel, CSV)
  4. Configure any additional report parameters
  5. Click "Generate Report"

These reports can be used for documentation, compliance purposes, or exercise evaluation.

Troubleshooting

Common issues and their solutions:

  1. Activity status not updating correctly

    • Verify that the activity dates are correct
    • Ensure all required fields are completed
    • Check for any dependency violations

  2. Unable to add resources

    • Confirm that the resource exists in the system
    • Verify that the quantity is available for the requested date range
    • Check for conflicts with other resource assignments

  3. PACE plan issues

    • Ensure you have only one plan of each type (Primary, Alternate, etc.)
    • Verify that all required fields are filled out
    • Check that the date ranges are valid and within the activity's time range

  4. Progress calculation inconsistencies

    • Verify the activity status is set correctly
    • Check that start and end dates reflect the actual timeline
    • Update progress manually if automatic calculation doesn't match reality

  5. Date selection errors

    • If you receive a null date error, ensure that all required date fields are filled in
    • Check that related dates (track start/end, activity start/end) exist before setting dependent dates
    • Make sure dates respect the hierarchical constraints (e.g., activities must fall within track dates)