MILITARY Techniques FOR THE CIVILIAN WORLD
The idea behind Evocatus was born on the prairies of Alberta, in Western Canada. The British Army Training Unit, Suffield, is where the British Army trains its heaviest and fastest-moving forces, and in 2011 that training had reached unparalleled levels of complexity, as we prepared units to deploy on operations in Afghanistan. To support training for the thousands of troops in the training audience we provided a complete live simulation, including a Higher HQ to provide orders and direction, a conventional enemy force, an insurgent force, a Pashtun-speaking civilian population, helicopters, journalists and horrific simulated casualties. Behind the exercising troops was a large team of observers, whose job was to capture evidence of what happened in each scenario; this, combined with radio recordings and GPS tracking of everything that took place was turned into After Action Reviews, which we used to help the training audience recognise the strengths and weaknesses in their performance.
Having learned to design and plan live exercises on this scale within defence, it was an obvious progression to the idea of running similar (usually less complex) exercises for the business world to build and train teams, test contingency plans and help to identify risks.
Although we love live exercises in the fresh air, we do recognise that sometimes more can be achieved through bringing exercises indoors and turning them into games, getting people engaged using game design methods developed by the hobby industry and by the film and TV industry. We’ve also recognised that the engagement we can achieve through interactive games is crucial for communicating dry or complicated issues, most effectively at the start point for change management programmes, where cultural changes are required.
We help organisations to think, communicate and train through games and exercises, from simple tabletop games to solve problems and devise strategies through to realistic scenario simulations. We specialise in scenario based team building across the South West.
We work with a global network of like-minded allies, with whom we deliver a bespoke, world-class service anywhere in the world.
EVOCATUS: VETERAN
Evocatus is the Latin word for Veteran. In Ancient Rome, most soldiers served a single term and then retired with a pension. Some, however, chose to sign up for a further term, becoming truly professional soldiers, from whom officers, including the famous Centurions, would be drawn. These men were the Evocati; literally, those who had been called to serve. When we were first setting out into the civilian world, Evocatus seemed an appropriate name for a company whose mission is to apply experience as military trainers and leaders in the business world.
Allied Container Services
Allied Container first approached Evocatus in 2017 for support in our work for the Canadian Armed Forces at the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre. Evocatus provides us with expert advice on training design to help us become more efficient and also provide a coaching and mentoring role our crew, focussing on management and leadership. They integrate seamlessly into our organisation for the duration of each 4-week exercise, helping us to improve the quality of our offering. Now a trusted partner organisation, Evocatus Consulting is our go-to choice for the design and management of live exercises in North America and Europe.
