Perhaps it is a politically-correct version of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_fire_drill https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_fire_drill which inc

Perhaps it is a politically-correct version of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_fire_drill https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_fire_drill which includes the substitution of mere activity (all hands on deck & running around) in place of the desired results.