Feral Jundi

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Surveys: Danger Zone Jobs–2012 State Of Overseas Contracting Industry Survey Results

Filed under: Industry Talk,Surveys — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 10:29 AM

Here are the results from our fourth annual State of Overseas Contracting Industry Survey. This year 857 people took the survey which consisted of 9 questions and a final option to offer advice to other contractors. I will be releasing the Advice from Contractors section a bit later after I have finished editing it.

William does a great job of putting together this survey every year and they are pretty interesting. Of course DZJ focuses on the entire industry of overseas contracting and not just the gun carrying security contractors. So if there are more contractors than military in places like Afghanistan, then this is a cool little snapshot of what this group looks like.

Probably the most interesting statistic to me was the graph that showed the amount of military veterans versus just civilians in this industry, and that civilians are the top. If you would like to see the other graphs, please go over to their website through the provided link and check it out. –Matt

Link to survey here.

 

 

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Russia: Here Comes The Cossack PMSC

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 10:12 AM

This is interesting. Russia is delving into the PMSC game and looking to use Cossacks as a stepping stone for that.

I was also interested to see where the talent pool for these Cossack PMSC’s would come from? Well one clue that I came across was the forming of a Cossack party in Murmansk Oblast. This particular group was formed in the military town of Aleksandrovsk and these guys will supposedly be used for the following duties.

Among the assignments of the regional Cossack movement will be to guard the border to Norway and Finland, as well as to engage in fire fighting, street patrolling, and give military-patriotic teaching of children and young people, local Cossack representatives said.

It should be noted that there are Cossack groups all over Russia, so it’s hard to say where these companies would come from. Here is a break down of those various groups (wikipedia). You could probably use the color code below to determine where Cossack PMSC’s came from for future reference.

If anyone has anything to add to this information, I am all ears. The Russian PMSC market is something that is of interest to me, but I just do not have the resources or speak the language to really make any accurate assessments about that market. I am also weary of using Russian media sources for this stuff, but that is all I have. So feedback on this would be great. –Matt

Cossack security firms to guard Russian state property
18 October, 2012
By Ramil Sitdikov
Russia will use Cossack security troops to guard military industrial objects both on its territory and abroad, says the head of the Presidential Council for Cossack issues.
The registration of the special Cossack security firms has already started, Aleksandr Beglov told reporters. Special Cossack troops can be used for providing security only to government and state-owned enterprises at federal and municipal levels, but not to private companies, added the official, who also holds the post of presidential plenipotentiary to the Central Federal District.
The Defense Ministryhas already agreed to sign contracts with Cossack companies so that they guarded some of the facilities that are now guarded by “paramilitary security structures,” Aleksandr Beglov noted.
Russia’s defense industry chief, Dmitry Rogozin, has reportedly supported the idea and said that Cossacks should provide security at various foreign-based facilities as foreign companies charge too much for such work.
Beglov added that Cossacks were planning to found and register their own Cossack Party. The founding convention is scheduled for November 24 and the leader of the new party will be elected at the same time, he said.
The official also told reporters that there were plans to set up several new associations of public organizations that would deal with problems of ethnic Russians residing abroad.
Acording to Beglov, President Putin has recently signed the strategy of the development of the Cossack movement until 2020. The document defined the ways of cooperation between Cossack organizations and state authorities of all levels. The financing of the Cossack movement will be regulated by separate programs, Beglov added.
Cossacks were a separate social group in Tsarist Russia, providing servicemen to the army and guarding the country’s borders in exchange to personal freedoms and preferences. Cossacks were monarchists and extreme nationalists, many of them were subject to repressions after the Bolshevik revolution.
Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Cossack movement has slowly been reviving, but it is still split and lacks state support as the government only recently started paying attention to it.
The situation is slightly different in the south of the country, especially in the Krasnodar Region – one of the territories in which Cossacks have traditionally lived. The regional governor has cooperated with Cossack troops for a long time and recently ordered that Cossacks patrolled public territory and provided security at public events.
The move drew criticism from human rights activists over fears of Cossack xenophobia, but so far no real conflicts have arisen.
Story here.
—————————————————————-
War to become a private affair
October 17, 2012
Nadezhda Sokolova
Dmitry Rogozin’s recent statement that Russia’s military-industrial commission is examining the creation of a private military sector is a sign that the market of private military services may soon come out of the shadows.
In the future, Russia’s private military companies (PMCs) could become independent domestic players, free to side with any of the “centers of power” in existence at the time.

(more…)

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Industry Talk: Video Of Drunk, Stoned Jorge Scientific Contractors Puts Company On The Skyline

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 12:23 PM

First of all, this disgusts me. It is embarrassing and it just further emphasizes the necessity of good leadership in the industry, and a lack there of within this contract. Because obviously, this company did not care about putting responsible folks in the position of managing these men.

It sucks, and you see the same thing over and over again with the companies. We saw this with AGNA in Afghanistan, with the G4S Olympics deal and with the WSI Oakridge fiasco. Just imagine if these companies actually invested a portion of their money into leadership and getting good people in those positions of power? Just imagine if this industry actually put some focus on leadership training or a proper system of management that grows good leaders within the company? Just imagine if contracts were written in such a way where good leadership was rewarded, or companies were rewarded for taking care of their people out in the field? But first the companies actually have to ‘care’ about good leadership…..

On the plus side, bravo to these whistle blowers for coming forward and having the courage to do what is right. It sounds like John Melson and Kenny Smith are the guys who are bringing the lawsuit against the company for what was going on out there. Also, Danielle Brian of POGO was able to make an appearance in this story, and POGO has been a big supporter of whistle blowers in the past and bringing attention upon poor contractors in the war zones. We will see how it goes and if anyone from the company or other contractors would like to comment on this deal, feel free to do so in the comments section below. –Matt

Edit: 10/18/2012- Here is a statement from the company about this incident.

Statement from Jorge Scientific Corporation

Jorge Scientific Corporation took decisive action to correct the unacceptable behavior of a limited number of employees that occurred at an administrative living facility in Afghanistan. Specifically, early in 2012 the Company implemented management changes to ensure that employees were maintaining the highest standards of professional and personal conduct. Most importantly, new leadership implemented a no-drinking policy and dismantled the bonfire pit at the center of the misbehavior.
On August 21, 2012, we learned that two former employees filed a complaint that accuses individuals living at the facility of personal misconduct. These individuals are seeking monetary damages by mischaracterizing these actions as “fraud.” All of the accusations pre-date the management changes that Jorge put in place.
The Company is deeply concerned about any employee misconduct. As a result of the complaint, the Board of Directors hired an outside and independent investigation team headed by a former federal prosecutor to conduct a thorough investigation. The Board has also established a special committee, to include a former senior military member with extensive operational experience, to review, approve as appropriate, and implement the investigation’s conclusions and recommendations.
The investigation is ongoing. The Company remains confident that the personal misconduct did not impact the Company’s contract performance.
The former senior executive, the medic and several others mentioned in the complaint no longer work for Jorge; their employment ceased before Jorge received the complaint.
Jorge is dedicated to ensuring transparency and the highest levels of professionalism and conduct, and pledges to fully investigate and correct any mistakes to preserve and continue its history of exemplary performance.
For more information, please contact our press officer at media@jorge.com.

 

 

Exclusive: Video Shows Drunk, Stoned US Security Contractors
By CINDY GALLI, RHONDA SCHWARTZ and BRIAN ROSS
Oct. 17, 2012
Cellphone video recorded earlier this year at an operations center of a U.S. security contractor in Kabul, Afghanistan appears to show key personnel staggeringly drunk or high on narcotics, in what former employees say was a pattern of outrageous behavior that put American lives at risk and went undetected by U.S. military officials who are supposed to oversee such contractors.
The video, provided to ABC News by two former employees, is scheduled to be broadcast in a report this evening on “ABC World News with Diane Sawyer” and “Nightline.”
Asked if a response to an attack by terrorists would have been possible during the events seen on the video, one of the former employees, Kenny Smith, told ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross, “No, sir.”
Questions posed by ABC News to the Pentagon have sparked a criminal investigation by the U.S. Army, a spokesman says.
The contractor, Virginia-based Jorge Scientific, has won almost $1 billion in U.S. government contracts.
The company says it has taken “decisive action to correct the unacceptable behavior of a limited number of employees” and that several of them seen on the video are no longer employed by Jorge Scientific.
The use of alcohol or illegal drugs by U.S. contractors in Afghanistan is prohibited by the military under what is known as General Order Number One.
Yet the former employees told ABC News they saw no evidence of oversight of the company by American military officials and that at least one U.S. Army major, a female, was a regular visitor to drunken parties at the facility, often using a room for sexual encounters.
The two former employees, John Melson and Kenny Smith, say the video documents allegations they have made in a lawsuit against Jorge Scientific.

(more…)

Monday, October 8, 2012

Nigeria: Survey Report Creates ‘Wall Of Shame’ For PSC’s

Filed under: Industry Talk,Nigeria — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 12:26 PM

What is interesting here is the idea of creating a wall of shame for companies. To actually analyze and determine who the good companies are and who the bad companies are, and publish those results. This process is great, if everyone respects the group doing the survey and agrees upon what the industry best practices are–or standards.

I have no idea if the group doing the survey is actually respected and legitimate, and the article gave no link to this survey or the company that performed it. But what I wanted to do here is highlight the effort. If Frank Anderson Consulting would like to come up and talk about this survey, feel free to do so in the comments or contact me directly. As it stands, I can’t even find a link to the company and I have never heard of them before.

Not only does the group doing the survey have to be respected, but the same group must also be tasked with doing the survey again in the near future to show any trends.  That way you can see what companies are making a turn around, and which companies are on the decline. It will also help investors and clients determine who the true winners and losers are. –Matt

 

Survey report okays 12 security firms in Nigeria
October 2, 2012
By Kingsley Adegboye
THE report of a survey of private security companies operating in Nigeria just released has shown that most of the security firms guarding homes and business places across the country lack the competence to secure lives and property.
The survey conducted by Frank Anderson Consulting however, gave 12 security companies a clean bill of health after a tour of the nation in the wake of recent security challenges nationwide. These companies that were given A+ rating are; ASE  Security Ltd, Bemil Nigeria Ltd, Cardinal Security Ltd, Crest Security Ltd, Executive Guards, Halogens Security, Kings Guards, Nigid Security Ltd, Monaco Security, Prudential Guards, Technocrime  Security, and Pahek Security Services.
The consulting firm noted that “Our survey and appraisals report of the numerous security companies operating in Nigeria was based on assets, branches, people, technology, refined systems, years of existence, board of directors structure and business focus.”

(more…)

Industry Talk: ANSI Introduces New ISO Standard For PSC’s

Filed under: Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 11:51 AM

Ok, here we go. Finally we are getting into the realm of ISO for security companies, which I have commented on in the past. This has been one of those goals of the industry for a long time, and it is great that the process is moving forward.

Below I have posted two articles packed with some good information on some ISO case studies, and why it will be a good thing for this industry. The case studies section came to some very interesting conclusions as well. Check this quote out?

Overall, the 21 case studies demonstrate that the benefits of using standards are valued, in terms of contribution to company gross profit, at between 0.15% and 5% of annual sales revenues.

So how can standards like these, actually increase a company’s annual sales revenue? Well, the studies came up with some key benefits of the ISO which all contribute to this increase. To me, it is all about getting companies throughout the world, playing by the same rules and standards, which also opens up the market for these companies wishing to be more global. It’s all about having a standard that is universally recognized, so a client knows that an ISO company in Germany is operating on the same level as an ISO company in India. They might not offer the same types of services or even the same quality, but at the least, they both abide by a standard of operation that is agreed to as the ‘international standard’.

Clients will also know what they are getting when contracting with such a company, and they will also know who to complain too if said company is not living up to this standard. Here is a list of a few of the benefits of the ISO.

Streamlining internal company processes
Decreasing waste and internal costs
Increasing the efficiency of research & development
Innovating business processes
Reducing risk
Enabling international expansion
Supporting development of new products and markets

What is also important to note is that this ISO is primarily focused on PSC’s and not PMC’s. Although to me, there is a lot of cross over between the two types of companies. This standard sounds like it is not applicable to maritime either, but I could be wrong there. For this ISO, they are making this distinction and will probably build upon it to make a custom ISO for Maritime Security Companies and Private Military Companies. Here is a quote.

The standard creates a framework for establishing, monitoring, and maintaining management of private security services and applies to any land-based private security provider; the standard does not apply to private military companies (PMCs), which work in military settings and offer direct tactical military assistance.

Pretty cool, and if anyone has anything to add, feel free to do so in the comments. –Matt

 

ANSI Seeks Comments on Proposed New ISO Standard on Private Security Provider Operations
October 4, 2012
ASIS International, a member and accredited standards developer of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), has submitted a proposal for a new International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard focusing on quality management for private security companies. As the U.S. member body to ISO, ANSI invites all interested stakeholders to submit comments on the proposal by Friday, October 26, 2012.
The proposal recommends the adoption of the American National Standard ANSI/ASIS.PSC.1:2012, Management System for Quality of Private Security Company Operations – Requirements with Guidance, as an ISO management system standard. The proposed International Standard provides the principles and requirements for private security service providers, including private security companies (PSCs), with an emphasis on the establishment of auditable criteria, as well as accountability to relevant local laws and international human rights agreements.
The standard creates a framework for establishing, monitoring, and maintaining management of private security services and applies to any land-based private security provider; the standard does not apply to private military companies (PMCs), which work in military settings and offer direct tactical military assistance.

(more…)

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