Security: Context
Security is a fundamental need, shared by people and organisations who wish to operate in a peaceful environment. However, managing security in large corporations has become ever more demanding. The integration of Security and Human Rights policies into an organisation's way of conducting business is often the biggest challenge.
An organisation must understand the risks to 'visitors' to the country/community, but equally importantly, the risks to the host communities. This requires a comprehensive risk assessment analysing multiple sources of risk.
Risks and impacts must be clearly understood from the beginning, stakeholder engagement should be a priority, leaders must send out the right messages, and situation based training should be delivered to build confidence.
Without this holistic view, costly mistakes could be made. A number of incidents have taken place where outsourced security providers misconduct has led to human rights abuse cases. Or, equipment provided or stolen has been used for criminal activity.
Taking responsibility for managing security effectively lies with every individual within an organisation. The right behaviours need to be embedded into the culture, processes and practices, and performance measures aligned with the security objectives.
Our core thinking on security is summarised in our Security Point of View document (opens as pdf in a new window).
Andy Tomkins and Nigel Carpenter featured in a recent arictle in Professional Security Magazine in which they explain more about the importance of holistic approach to security issues, even in an economic downturn.
