UNICEF expects its entire staff to be ready to respond to humanitarian emergencies whenever they occur, and yet, for many years, the organisation had no standardised method for testing the readiness of its country offices around the world. Research has shown that emergency professionals perform better after undergoing “trial run-throughs” and problem-solving drills as a form of active learning. Simulations constitute only one of the many emergency preparedness tools in use, but they have been demonstrably effective.