Feral Jundi

Very interesting news and this reminds me of the discussions we all had with Jake Allen and others on his website about implementing an ISO standard for the industry.  This is also the next phase of the International Code of Conduct that made the news awhile back.

What this means for everyone is that companies will have to maintain these standards in order to be contract compliant.  So that in turn will apply to contractors seeking work with the companies and the training they will have to go through.  I like it because then there will not be any guess work as to the industry standard for training.  It is either government/ISO/ANS approved, or it isn’t.

Be sure to stay tuned as to what those standards are so you can train and be prepared for them. My guess is that you will not see too much deviation from what most of the top tier companies already do based on current contract requirements. I would suggest that the DoS standards for security contractors is probably the closest thing to industry best practices right now, just because of how much attention has been placed on that training, and how dangerous the job is for those PSC’s involved with protecting DoS folks.

ASIS also has a lot of experience with close protection and security management.  It makes sense that they were chosen for this contract and we will see what they come up with.  Also be sure to give them a call if you would like to help their committee with developing this standard.  I am sure folks like David Isenberg or Doug Brooks will be called upon extensively for guidance.  Not to mention the vast pool of highly experienced security contractors and combat veterans that have performed these dangerous tasks in this war for close to ten years now. –Matt

ASIS Seeks Committee Members for Private Security Contractor Standard
By Lisa Williams
Mar 25, 2011
ASIS International is developing a standard that will be a cross between the ISO 9001, ISO 31000 and ANSI/ASIS.SPC.1 (quality, risk and resilience management, respectively) for private security sector organizations, according to Marc H. Siegel, chair of the PSC.1 technical committee and commissioner, ASIS Global Standards Initiative.
A standards development organization, ASIS announced the contract award from the U.S. Department of Defense in mid-March, seeking applications from the security industry and client and rights groups worldwide. The deadline to submit an application to standards@asisonline.org is March 30. Details of the contract award were not disclosed.
Governments often employ private security contractors when conflict or disaster undermines the rule of law. Earlier this year, President Barack Obama signed the Defense reauthorization for fiscal 2011 (pdf), which included a requirement for standards and third-party certification for private security service providers. The law calls for guidance to establish criteria for:
• defining standard practices for the performance of private security functions, which shall reflect input from industry representatives as well as the Inspector General of the Department of Defense; and
• weapons training programs for contractors performing private security functions, including minimum requirements for weapons training programs of instruction and minimum qualifications for instructors for such programs.
Siegel said that ASIS is preparing a “starting point” example document that the technical committee will use to begin discussions. It will be based on principles found in the Montreux Document on Pertinent International Legal Obligations and Good Practices for States related to Operations of Private Military and Security Companies during Armed Conflict and the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers.
“This global initiative will codify benchmarks for best practices consistent with the goals of assuring quality of services and respect for human and civil rights,” Siegel said. He offered several examples of best practices that private security companies should be implementing, including:
• identifying legal, regulatory and other requirements related to its facilities, activities, functions, products, services, supply chain, subcontractors, the environment and stakeholders, as well as relevant international humanitarian and human rights agreements and customary international law, and determining how all of these requirements apply to its operations;
• retaining sufficient personnel and staff with the appropriate competence to fulfill its contractual obligations;
• establishing, documenting and implementing procedures for background screening and vetting of all personnel and staff; and
• establishing a procedure to document grievances received from clients and other parties.
He said he expects to have a draft report back to Congress within 250 days; ANSI processing will take longer. Once the standards have been developed, they will have worldwide relevance, Siegel explained, adding that private security companies will have to have quality-assurance management systems implemented and certified by third parties in order to be considered for DOD contracts.
ASIS International, with more than 37,000 members, is dedicated to increasing the effectiveness and productivity of security professionals by developing educational programs and materials that address broad security interests.
Story here.
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ASIS Awarded Department of Defense Contract to Develop Standard to Improve Performance and Accountability of Private Security Service Providers

March 16, 2011

ASIS International has been awarded a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to develop an ANSI standard that provides principles and requirements for a quality assurance management system for private sector security organizations to abide by and demonstrate accountability to internationally recognized norms of civil and human rights while providing quality assurance in the provision of their products and services. The standard will enable private sector security service providers to demonstrate their operations and services are consistent with the principles of the “Montreux Document on Pertinent International Legal Obligations and Good Practices for States related to Operations of Private Military and Security Companies during Armed Conflict” and the “International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers” (ICoC).
“Private security service providers are critical elements for supporting peace and stability efforts in regions where the capacity of societal institutions have been overwhelmed by disruptive events,” says Dr. Marc Siegel, chair of the PSC.1 technical committee and commissioner, ASIS Global Standards Initiative. “This global initiative will codify benchmarks for best practices consistent with the goals of assuring quality of services and respect for human and civil rights.”
The proposed standard, Management System for Quality of Private Security Company Operations – Requirements with Guidance (ASIS PSC.1), builds off the Montreux Document and ICoC to assure conformity to pertinent legal obligations and best practices related to operations of private military and security companies in conditions where the rule of law has been undermined by conflict or disaster. It provides auditable requirements based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act model for third-party certification.
The Department of Defense reached out to ASIS in the summer of 2010 after the House passed H.R. 5136, which called for standards and certification of private security service providers. Subsequently, new legislation was enacted and passed by Congress and in January 2011 President Obama signed P.L. 111-383, The Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, which included a requirement for standards and third party certification for private security service providers. Specifically, the legislation calls for guidance to “(1) establish criteria for defining standard practices for the performance of private security functions, which shall reflect input from industry representatives as well as the Inspector General of the Department of Defense; and (2) establish criteria for weapons training programs for contractors performing private security functions, including minimum requirements for weapons training programs of instruction and minimum qualifications for instructors for such programs.”
Committee formation is now underway and a call for participation has been issued to the security industry, as well as client and rights group worldwide. Interested parties need to submit the application form to ASIS by March 30, 2011. For more information, visit www.asisonline.org.
ASIS International is the preeminent organization for security professionals, with more than 37,000 members worldwide. Founded in 1955, ASIS is dedicated to increasing the effectiveness and productivity of security professionals by developing educational programs and materials that address broad security interests, such as the ASIS Annual Seminar and Exhibits, as well as specific security topics. ASIS also advocates the role and value of the security management profession to business, the media, government entities and the public. By providing members and the security community with access to a full range of programs and services, and by publishing the industry’s No. 1 magazine — Security Management — ASIS leads the way for advanced and improved security performance.
The work of preparing ASIS Standards and Guidelines is carried out through the ASIS International Standards and Guidelines Commission and its committees. ASIS International is an ANSI accredited Standards Development Organization and actively participates in the International Organization for Standardization, developing standards and guidelines within a voluntary, nonproprietary and consensus-based process, utilizing the knowledge, experience and expertise of ASIS membership, security professionals and the global security industry. View a complete list of all ASIS Standards and Guidelines currently under development.
Story here.