The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) held an exclusive briefing for its members to provide them with deeper insight into the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI)’s project on guard force motivation – an important initiative aimed at helping assess and improve motivation amongst manned security personnel. The project was initially developed as an aid to improve guard force effectiveness in protecting the national infrastructure, however, its application and relevance has grown to include the whole manned security sector.
The BSIA briefing, held on Tuesday 1st May in London, came as Phase 2 of CPNI’s already popular “Motivation within the Security Sector” guidance nears its launch at the end of May. Phase 1 was published last year and based its guidance on a survey of 800 security personnel across the UK. The new document will build on the success of the original piece of work by providing practical advice on how to run motivation projects, drawing from lessons learnt from a number of pilot schemes across the UK.
The BSIA has supported the project throughout both phases, with many members becoming involved by contributing with case studies or by pioneering motivation projects based on the advice.
David Evans, Project Director for 2012 at the BSIA, commented on the Association’s involvement: “BSIA members represent the highest standards of professionalism in the private security industry, and take pride in the work and welfare of their employees, which is why we have been thoroughly supportive of the project. This is a fantastic piece of work, which allows security companies to benchmark the results from their guard force’s motivation review within their own company as well as against the wider industry.”
BSIA members attending the briefing were given a 45-minute presentation delivered by CPNI and Booz and Co, providing a background to the project, as well as highlighting some of Phase 2 key findings, followed by a unique opportunity to ask questions.
“The briefing gave members an opportunity to see how they can apply the advice provided to the reality in their organisations, and we are now looking forward to seeing the new document published later in the month” concluded David.
BSIA member Mick Iqbal attended the event and was impressed with the quality of information provided: “Although I was aware of the project, I did not have detailed knowledge about it, which is why I decided to attend this briefing. The presentation was extremely informative as it tackled a subject that represents the way forward for the industry, to further assist us in our quest to increase standards.
“This guidance will be an important tool for senior management to analyse and take actions based on their own workforce’s motivation, providing long-term benefits to the organisation as well as, ultimately, the customers. Moreover, in a challenging economic climate, the fact that the advice and its analysis tools are available at no charge makes the project not only relevant but also accessible to all in our industry.”
The updated guidance will be available from CPNI’s website from the end of May. The current version can be viewed by visiting http://www.cpni.gov.uk/advice/Personnel-security1/Guard-force-motivation/.
Organising exclusive briefing and events to keep BSIA members abreast of issues affecting their companies and the industry, is a key benefit of Association membership. For more information on the work of the BSIA or to enquire about how to join, visit www.bsia.co.uk.
You can view a video of David Evans, Project Director for 2012 at the BSIA, providing an overview on the BSIA briefing covering CPNI’s project on the BSIA’s YouTube channel.