Getting the right people for the job

The private security industry in New Zealand provides a critical and often under appreciated component of the countries national security – protecting supply chains and critical infrastructure.

The industry employs some 25,000 workers – almost double the size of New Zealand’s Police Force and well over five times those deployed within the New Zealand Army. It also generates in excess of $2.2 billion in annual turnover – approximately 0.8 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. Security providers (companies and individuals) operate under the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010, which ensures providers are of good standing and have the necessary training and skills relative to the occupational category they come under. There are a variety of occupational categories but the largest include Security Officer, Electronic Equipment Trades Worker, Locksmiths, Security Consultants and Alarm Monitoring Operators. The NZSA (New Zealand Security Association) is the representative peak body for the industry and whilst membership is voluntary, the associations members collectively employ over 20,000 workers and generate approximately 85 percent of industry revenues. The main areas of focus for the NZSA include: • Promoting viable career pathways and attracting new entrants to the industry • Ensuring industry training is fit for purpose and meets industry needs • Shaping and improving industry best practice through standards, codes of practice and guidelines • Advocacy and education for continuous improvement, licensing adherence and awareness of security’s importance to the wider community.

Selecting a security provider

When selecting a security provider there are some basic checks that we suggest builders and contractors should conduct – they are:

Ensure that they are licensed

You can either ask for a copy of their licence or check via the PSPLA (Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority) Public Register.

Ensure that they are an NZSA Corporate member

This will verify that they are of good standing, hold necessary licences and insurance cover and operate in compliance with Industry Codes of Practice.

Ensure that all operational staff employed by the provider hold a security licence (also known as Certificate of Approval or CoA)

Staff assigned to your site should have their licence/CoA on display or be able to provide on request. If the licence is blue in colour, it is a temporary licence and only valid for a threemonth period to allow the holder to complete 78 | www.canterburytoday.co.nz necessary training and apply for their full licence (green in colour).

Ensure documentation is correct

Ensure the security provider documents service requirements in the form of Standard Operating Procedures (for Guarding or Protective services), or a System Operational Requirements (for electronic security including alarms, access control and CCTV).

Request references

Particularly from customers within your immediate area and for similar size and scoped service requirements.

Check staff training

Ask the provider to outline training provided to staff – both in-house and NZQA based.

Check the provider’s ability to meet labour requirements

Ask the provider to outline their ability to meet labour resource requirements, and potential staff absence through illness or isolation requirements.

Check the provider’s pricing

Challenge any providers who submit pricing significantly lower than other providers and request “open book” pricing: - For physical security providers (guard and patrol services) the main cost component is labour. If one provider is significantly undercutting other providers, potentially they are paying staff below legislated requirements or using sham contracting arrangements - For electronic security providers it is important to ensure that pricing is based on similar equipment specifications – both the quantity being provided and from reputable manufacturers.

Managing security provider relationship

By following the recommendations above it is highly probable that you will be engaging with a professional and reputable security provider however, it is also important that the relationship is effectively managed. 1. Ensure clear service delivery expectations using the SOP’s (Standard Operating

Procedures) or SRO’s (System Operational

Requirements) mentioned above. 2. Establish clear reporting channels between both organisations along with escalation contacts. This should cover scheduled meetings (frequency as appropriate) and who urgent matters can be escalated to with 24 x 7 availability. 3. Ensue that all service issues or concerns are raised with the nominated point of contact for your security provider – they may not be aware of the issue or the need for corrective actions. 4. Pass on appreciation and constructive feedback when appropriate.

In summary

The academic definition of security is, “Security is a state or condition, in which people, property and assets are safe and adequately protected from all forms of loss damage and harm”. With this in mind, it is helpful for prospective stakeholders/end users of security services to determine what assets are they trying to protect and what is the ‘success criteria’ of their intended asset protection requirements. Once this has been realised, then an adequate scope can be placed around the stakeholders’ asset protection requirements and due diligence regarding engaging a reputable service provider, as clearly outlined, will ensure due diligence in initial asset protection governance decisions. CT

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