Challenge Guidelines

Introduction

In this competition, you will play the role of a facilities engineer at Island Point Naval Station, a fictional island military installation inspired by real U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps bases. You will prepare several documents and deliverables exploring the resiliency of the base and responding to a given scenario. Before you begin these deliverables, please complete the following:

• Review Island Point Naval Station Infrastructure Information sheet.
• Review this guidelines page describing each challenge component and required deliverable.
• Review provided templates and documents for submission on the Resources page.
   

RESILIENCY ASSESSMENT

The Island Point Energy Manager has asked you to conduct a Resiliency Assessment of the Naval Base and develop solutions to ensure continuity of operations to mission-critical activities in the event of a threat. You will examine and strengthen the resiliency of the base against the following types of threats and examples:

• Natural: Earthquakes, Droughts, Hurricanes, Landslides, Wildfires, and Pandemics etc.
• Accidental: HAZMAT Release, Industrial Accidents and Train Derailment, etc.
• Deliberate: Cyberattacks, Sabotage, Armed Attacks, EMP etc

For more information about these types of threats and how to approach a risk assessment, consider the resource here.

Considering these threats, you must conduct a Resiliency Assessment. What critical activities will be affected by these threats? How will they be interrupted? What infrastructure points are most vulnerable? How does this affect the base’s ability to complete its mission(s)? How resilient is the base to such an event?

Using the provided template, explore the risks and impacts of each threat type and consider the resiliency of the base around the following five parameters:

• Redundancy - Having excess capacity and backup systems to maintain core functionality in the event of disturbances. This ensures that critical infrastructure can continue to operate even in the face of disruptions.
• Flexibility - The ability to adapt to crises, respond flexibly, and neutralize negative impacts. This includes being able to rapidly adjust infrastructure in response to changing circumstances and having contingency plans in place for emergencies.
• Recovery - The ability to regain a degree of normality after an event, be flexible, and evolve to deal with new circumstances. This includes having plans and resources in place to quickly restore infrastructure and operations after a disruption.
• Reliability - The capability to prevent and resist utility disruptions, ensuring that critical infrastructure remains operational even under adverse conditions.
• Efficiency - The ability to optimize resource use effectively and sustainably to meet requirements, while also reducing demand and cost of utilities.
   

RESPONSE

During your time reviewing the base’s resiliency status, a bright flash of light and loud buzzing fills the air. The lights go out across the base, including temporarily in your office before turning back on. In an emergency meeting, the facilities team noted several concerns across the base:

• The base’s electric grid has experienced a power surge. Key electrical infrastructure components have been damaged. Backup generators have kicked in, but there is limited fuel supply.
• Water treatment facilities and pumps are functioning but require electricity from the limited backup generators available. Additionally, the SCADA systems within the facility are malfunctioning and operators are not receiving correct readings.
• Computers and communication equipment on the base are malfunctioning. An automatic alert was sent to base command and received, but no outgoing or incoming communications have been successful since.
• Navigation and communication systems on docked ships are malfunctioning, making it unsafe for them to leave the base.

All non-essential base residents are asked to stay under lockdown as the situation is assessed. A week or two later, experts hypothesize that a weak electromagnetic pulse (EMP) event occurred. The direct cause, and if the event was deliberate, is unknown.

• Draft an Impact Report – Write a brief report describing how the base was affected by the scenario. This report will be provided to the energy manager and compiled with other reports for the base commander. Consider:
  • What risks are present that were not previously?
  • How were critical activities interrupted?
  • How did this affect the base’s ability to complete its mission(s)?
• Design a Response Plan – Considering existing infrastructure and resources, create a plan that outlines the steps Island Point should take in response to this threat, including how critical operations should be prioritized and how resources will be allocated to ensure that operations are restored as quickly and efficiently as possible.

SOlution

Following this threatening event, the energy manager has requested that you identify the highest impacted element of the base and design a solution to improve base resiliency against similar and future threats. Note that the energy manager expects a solution that will cover more than just the risks experienced in this singular event.

1. Create a Solution – Consider the risks highlighted in your risk assessment and the impact report your developed. Develop a solution that will aid the base in similar and future scenarios. Describe your solution in the form of a Solution Canvas that considers: a clearly defined problem statement including critical activities impacted, description of solution and how it will remedy the problem, key partners, impacts, resources, and next steps. 
2. Present your Solution – Create and record delivery of a Presentation around your solution. Consider the following structure:

• Problem Statement and Definition
• Solution Description
• Impact
• Key Partners
• Key Resources
• Next Steps
• Expansion for Greater Impact

Tip: Graphics are highly recommended alongside written text in your solution canvas. Any graphics not designed by the applicant must be properly referenced (see References section below).

An example solution canvas is below.
 

Submission

Project submission guidelines:

✔ Please create a zip file of your project documents. Refer to this resource for help with zip file creation.
✔ The Zip file should follow this naming convention : "MIRDC_Feb2024_LastName_FirstName"
✔ Please ensure all project documents include your contact information (full name, email, school / organization) and that references are properly cited as noted below.

Submissions accepted until August 15, 2024 at 11:59pm MST.

Link to submit project files is provided in the confirmation email received after completing the Participant Information form. 

Feel free to contact us at asuleaps@asu.edu if you experience any issues with submitting your project.

Refrences

Complete a bibliography of references used during your research process for the risk assessment, solution canvas, and presentation. These references should be summarized in a single document using consistent APA or Chicago style format.

✔ Submission Format: Your References document must be exported and saved as a PDF document for upload with your submission.
✔ Naming Scheme: Name your file with the following format “LastName_FirstName_References.pdf”.

Evaluation

Submitted projects will be reviewed by resilience subject matter experts and evaluated according to the following rubric:
 

Reviewers will also be given flexibility to comment on positives or negatives that stood out to them in your submission. In the event of a tie using rubric scores, these comments will enable competition coordinators to select winners.