WHOM CONSULTANTS CONSULT?

Where from do they get the standards??

By: Capt S B Tyagi, FISM, CSC

In India, the Industrial Security Consultancy needs to come to international standards, where the Consultants essentially have to be un-biased, truly professional and with up-to-date information, without having stakes in any of the parties – may it be the Solution Provider, Integrator, Man-power Provider or the Service Provider!

The Consultants need to prove them to be thorough professionals. They need to attain certain educational and professional standards. Just being out-of-job or retired from service and claiming to be Consultant will not do! Part time consultancy will ruin this profession! The retired police officers or the officers of armed forces do not automatically become Security Consultants! They have to do lot of un-learning before learning the skill-sets of the imperatives of Industrial Security Management, which is all together different cup-of-tea! For a person to gainfully spend the post-retirement time is noble idea by any standard. But, the consultancy in the field of Industrial Security Management is not similar to starting insurance agency or consultancy on feng-sui!

Independent and professional security consultants have the knowledge and experience to be able to recommend security measures that address risk, protecting people, assets and image, whilst complementing the client’s business operations.

Security consultants have to have the ability to provide their clients with guidance on virtually all aspects of security and risk management. All Security Consultancies must be subjected to rigorous validation and ongoing monitoring, thereby offering further peace of mind to their clients.

Code of conduct for Security Consultants
Unbiased Approach:

Being unconnected to security installers or service providers, the independent consultancy is able to devise effective security strategies and provide unbiased advice. They can assess the exact needs of their clients and assist in the preparation of tender management documents, the design and project management of security systems and/or procurement of services; ensuring best value is obtained for every installation or service.

Thorough Knowledge of the field:

If the consultants have first hand knowledge and experience in the particular aspect of security management where consultancy is sought then only they are able to assist in the development of security policies, procedures and infrastructures, and give additional support through the provision of appropriate management and staff training. The security consultants today need to specialize in banking security, cash transaction, mall security, residential security, hotel security or hospital security. Every field is different then others and every segment have divergent needs of security management. They have to develop insight of the chosen field and there too need to cover all aspects including physical security, technology integration, manpower sourcing, training and audits etc.

Up-to-date knowledge of product / practice:

This profession is something like law and medical practice! The consultant need to read more and frequently and also meet sales / marketing representatives of various security products and solution providers then only he can keep his knowledge and information up-to-date. The average shelf life of the technology in the field of industrial security is four to five years. While recommending a particular technology or the product, the consultants need to understand the rate of redundancy and after affects of obsolete technology or product. The scope of technical up-gradation or area of future improvement become of the recommendations must make an integral part of the consultancy report.

Continual Improvement:

It shall be the duty of every consultant to continuously upgrade his/her skills and knowledge, strive for creativity and innovation and nurture the values of team working and harmony. He/she should promote and exhibit public and private conduct in keeping with the appropriate behavior and standards of excellence and integrity. He/she should support the juniors in the latter’s efforts to resist wrong or illegal directives and in abiding by the Code of Ethics. At the same time, they should reward good work and punish any dereliction of duty and obligations based on objectives and transparent criteria.

Recommendations with justifications:

While making recommendations for certain product or practice, the security consultant needs to give detailed justifications so that the client understands the purpose and objective in mind. In the ‘Consultation Report’, the ‘Return-on-investment’ (ROI) must be indicative in terms of increased productivity or decrease in ‘down-time’. The Consultants need to have scientific and methodical approach to the proposals they are offering to the Management and must own-up these proposals till they are successfully executed and start giving proposed ROI!

No stakes in the recommendation made:

Independent and professional security consultants whom posses the right mix of knowledge and experience only are able to get respect and business in the field. The name – good or bad- travels far and fast! If there are stakes involved in the particular product or solution offered by the consultant this will be known sooner then later and that is the end of the career of the consultant / consultancy service.

Confidentiality agreement with the clients:

In the course of vigorous interaction with the Clint, the consultants more often come to possess information which is critical and vital for the productivity and profitability of the client. At times the financial viability of the client’s operation will be seriously under danger if information leaks. Therefore it is very essential that the security consultant enter in to legally binding confidentiality agreement which clients can invoke if consultant leaks out / shares the information with any one without authorization.

Conflict of interest and peer pressure:

Every consultant should refrain from decisions in respect of which they have reason to believe that it is calculated to benefit any particular person or party at the expense of the public interest. Every consultant shall disclose any clash of interest when there is conflict between public and private interest, or he/she is likely to benefit from any act of omission or commission while discharging his/her functions.

Accountability and responsiveness to the public and client

Consistent with accountability to the client and public at large, the consultant should practice accountability to the people in terms of quality of service, timeliness, courtesy, people orientation and readiness to encourage continual improvement.

Standards for Security Consultants

Industry-developed and regulated Standards in the field of Industrial Security Consultancy need to go through the process of evolution and need to mature. What presently required are the pragmatic views by the service users as they have to be very objective, exacting and careful while awarding the consultancy assignments? The demand of professionalism and quality-consultancy from the service-users will presently set the rule of the game.

These standards are intended for people who are employed in Security Consultant roles. These consultants would normally be responsible for determining security risks to clients’ assets, proposing and implementing solutions to meet clients’ aims and objectives, determining the effectiveness of security measures and building, maintaining and developing customer relations

Security Consultancy standards should be decided on following basis –

Each Standard comprises: A workplace activity (Element of Competence) With -

Performance + Knowledge + Range Statement

Performance Criteria

• Tell us what we would look for in a competent worker
• Must contain an observable outcome or activity (something that can be seen)
• Must contain an evaluative statement (against which to measure performance)
• They do not tell us how to do something, but how well is should be done.

Knowledge Criteria

• Specify the critical knowledge and understanding that supports competent performance
• They are not aspects of learning, but the knowledge and understanding required
• Relate only to the activity in the title of the standard

Range Statement

• Defines the breadth and boundaries of competence required for an individual to be considered competent
• Sets out the critical categories to be covered in assessment

The proposed standards suggest increasing and encouraging attributes to the security professionals and their clients. It purports to prescribe the qualities and attributes of a security consultant or consultancy. Furthermore, the standards to be set are aimed not be attempts of unnecessary interference in the conduct of a security consultant's business, by directing minimum standards for insurance, accounting, release of organizational information, disciplinary procedures, office accommodation, report writing, document and data retention and storage etc.

There are following areas of competence of security consultants, representing some, but not all consultancy activities, breaking them down into those that are minimum standards for consultants (i.e. must be possessed - able to demonstrate that they have undergone basic training on") and those that are simply desirable to be possessed.

Areas of focus for the security consultants

• Determine security risks to clients' assets
  Should be capable to do security audit through covert and overt method, do ‘mystery shopping’ etc. to find the week points in the systems and procedures and determine the security vulnerabilities of the client.
• Confirm clients' security aims and objectives
  Be in position to collect and assimilate the security concerns of the client and articulate them in the report with the view to meet the aims and objectives of the client organization.
• Propose solutions to meet clients' security aims and objectives
  The consultant must frankly and fairly list out the solutions available, compare them with ROI analysis and point out the most effective solution with indications of cost of having them versus cost of not having them. No efforts should be made only to offer the solution which is expected to find favor with the client if it is not the best solution!
• Oversee the implementation of security measures
  The consultant’s job is not over with submitting the report; in fact it begins in real earnest at this stage as he has to oversee the implementation of accepted recommendations.
• Determine the effectiveness of security measures
  It is the recommending security consultants to foresee and later on ensure the effectiveness of the security measures, not based on perception or assumptions but on quantifiable parameters.
• Build and maintain effective customer relations
  There is no need to emphasize here that it is in the interest of the consultants to have effective customer relations and to maintain it. There is nothing better then a happy customer which can happen to the consultants. Good words from happy customers spread fast and far and give better dividends then investment in advertisement and marketing.
• Manage your own resources and professional development
  The consultants have to invest lot of time and efforts on professional development and their resources. No good will come to the consultant if he is unaware of the latest trend, practice and technology in the market. As in any other field, in this field also customers are very demanding and want the best and latest.
• Provide learning and development in international settings
  No profession can survive without personal development which can be achieved with continuous learning process and continual development. For the consultancy service to be of international standards, it is essential that they understand international practices and benchmarks. The filed is not yet developed fully, the rules of the game are yet evolving, therefore it will be singular and individual efforts initially which may focus on developing learning opportunities.
• Develop training sessions.
  The security consultants individually and collectively have to strive hard to evolve the training sessions since they are going to need helping hands as their business grows. To conduct the business of security consultancy they need to develop second line of experts who can provide professional support to them. Even when retired officers start their consultancy business which grows by the grace of God, they have to train some one for similar skill sets which they possess if they have succession plan. Structured training sessions therefore need to be developed with the aim to inculcate right amount of attitude and aptitude and train the participant to develop required degree of competency.
• Develop your personal network
  To know the write man at the right place and being able to contact In right time is the best strength of the a successful consultant. There are various opportunities such as seminars, exhibition and training sessions through which they can develop their personal network which will come handy when they recommend certain products or manpower sourcing.
• Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, ethical and social requirements
  The consultation report may have some recommendations having legal implications regarding certain compliances. These may also be contrary to certain laws. Therefore, it is imperative for the consultant to understand full legal ramifications of the recommendations made.

Conclusion

While compliance with these Standards may not be a legal requirement in India, a consultant who does not fully comply with these standards could find him/herself in breach of code of conduct and self monitoring system developed by the Industry Confederation can initiate action. CII, IISSM, ASSOCHAM etc. can play very important role in this direction as a lot is put on stake by the promoter of a particular business activity and weak consultancy will result in to weak security – a situation which is better avoided at any cost.

In the newsletter of IISSM NCR Chapter for the July 2006, the editorial raised certain topical points on the code of conduct and standards to be maintained by the security consultants highlighting the present scenario. The Security professionals must appreciate and applaud the initiatives of IISSM aimed at enhancing professional standards in all areas of the security business, including that of consultancy, and we would like to see in place a regime that would bring the highest standards of professionalism, probity and performance to the practice of security consultancy in India.

This, at its most mundane level, could arise from a situation in which a security consultancy practitioner fails to comply these standards will find his name circulated within the fraternity. Such self disciplinary mechanism of the security professionals’ fraternity will ensure high standard of professionalism.

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