Open Letter to Potential Clients

 

Principal Protection Service is keenly aware the impact current oil prices have had on International Oil Companies, particularly exploration and development.  Though it may seem counter-intuitive this may be a very good time to engage Principal Protection to provide some specific services during these lean times.

 

Most IOC use security companies based near their operations.  This is prudent as it; keeps costs down, ensures familiarity with the local threat and risks, satisfies corporate responsibility regarding the use of local companies and employment of personnel.  These companies may be part of a larger company with experience providing security services regionally or internationally, and others may be smaller independent companies bidding trying to get their first contract with an IOC. What is often lacking is a link between the security provider and the company’s executive management team.

 

In addition to being highly capable in the security field an Independent Security Consultant must also be comfortable and competent delivering services to corporate executives or engaging with government officials. An Independent Security Consultant must be un-affiliated with, nor influenced by, any security provider. This allows him to act solely in the interest of the IOC client.  This may seem obvious yet experience has shown that many IOCs contract a Consultant to manage their security operations through a company that also provides security services, products, equipment, emergency response etc. Once the Contractor is embedded he can, and often does use his position to favour his parent company business objectives. This certainly doesn’t ensure the IOC is getting the best value for costs and often quite the contrary.

 

Engaging an Independent Security Consultant is the best approach when;

• Experienced personnel are unavailable either in-house or on the project,

• Time is of the essence,

• Dedicated security expertise and skills are is required for a short period of time or ad hoc basis,

• When in-house or existing contracted security personnel would be less than accepting of a contractor affiliated with a competitor, or

• The IOC needs to be confident their existing security is operating as efficiently and effectively as possible.

 

 

Situations when enlisting an Independent Security Contractor could be considered particularly advantageous:

• Start-up – getting the project ramped up quickly with a suite of Policies, Procedures and Plans.

• Pre-deployment – threat/risk analysis and mitigation strategies.

• Contracting Local Security – generate a Scope of Work, assist the commercial team in preparing the Invitation to Bid, and evaluation of the bid tenders and preparing a short list or final recommendation.

• Security Plan Implementation – Designing security plans for sites with stake holder collaboration.

• Training – Initial and recurrent training of corporate personnel to enhance their security while abroad. Training of indigenous security personnel within the parameters of international law, host country laws and corporate policies.

• Special event security – Occasions when in-house security personnel would become overwhelmed or distracted from important more routine duties.

• AUDIT – an un-biased review of existing security with the ability to identify areas in need of improvement and providing practical and cost effective solutions.  Identifying areas where cost savings could be realized without compromising security or adjusted to a change in the threat environment.

 

Cost Effectiveness - In all the above situations and more an IOC can utilize an Independent Security Consultant for the duration of the task or an agreed to term of service.  The IOC Senior Management can be confident that proprietary, sensitive or industry valuable information is not being unscrupulously gleaned and funneled to a third party, competitor, media or governmental/non-governmental organizations.

 

There would be no conflict of interest associated with an Independent  Security Consultant verses one retained from a Security Company intent on exploiting the position to generate more business. Some security companies pay their personnel a commission for generating additional business from a contract.

 

The IOC will know that when contracting Principal Protection the percentage of the day rate paid to the Consultant is 85% or greater; whereas some security companies take as much as 85% of the billed day rate.

 

So despite fiscal restraint and downsizing there may be a consultant you want to engage to ensure you get value for your security costs and help you prepare your security for the next phase of economic growth.