Technical Guidance → Managing security
Managing security
The security and safety of personnel is a growing concern for all humanitarian organisations as unprecedented levels of violence are being directed at agency staff.
Many of these dangers can be avoided or reduced with good security management.
SECURITY MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
1. SITUATION ANALYSIS:
What is the context in which you are working? What are the boundaries of the mandate for your programme? What is your risk analysis? How acceptable are those risks?
| Threat |
Probability |
Impact |
Risk (P x I = R) |
| List all the possible threats to safety and security e.g. car crash; crossfire |
Rate the likelihood of this happening on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high) |
Rate the impact this would have on the programme and/or individuals – 1 (low) to 5 (high) |
Multiply Probability rating with impact rating to determine relative risk levels |
| e.g. Armed robbery at office |
2 |
3 |
6 |
Risk assessments need to be continuously monitoring and re-evaluated.
2. STRATEGY:
What strategies and plans can you put in place to manage these risks? There are 3 generally recognised strategies for trying to manage risk:
ACCEPTANCE – seek to reduce risk by increasing acceptance of your presence and work. Need to invest in and maintain relationships, and manage behaviour (e.g. dress, hair, posture, vehicle, consumption of alcohol) to maximise acceptance and reduce risk.
PROTECTION – reduce vulnerability by using protective measures. Reduce exposure (respect curfews, limit cash, older cars; reduce or increase visibility e.g. logos, T-shirts); strength in numbers (travel in convoy; live in groups); protective devices (guards, radios, flak jackets); protective procedures ( identify cards, travel permissions).
DETERRENCE – aim to deter the threat with counter-threat. Limited scope but could consider armed protection or threaten suspension or withdrawal.
3. SECURITY PLANNING & PROCEDURES:
Based on the above, guidelines need to be agreed, written, shared and practiced.
Standard Operating Procedures
How to avoid incidents |
Contingency planning
How to react to incidents |
| Guidelines on what the procedure is trying to achieve; what needs done and how; who does what; when actions are taken; any supporting documents (e.g. radio call signs) |
Guidelines on how to react in the field to an incidence, and how the incident is managed by the agency. It is vital everyone is aware of these plans and responsibilities are clear. |
| e.g. vehicle movement, cash handling, check points, communications, |
e.g. medical evacuation, staff death, abduction / kidnapping, assault, ambush, bomb threat, withdrawal. |
4. POST-INCIDENT
Ensure timely reporting, inquiry, analysis, and staff support.
Adapted from RedR-IHE Engineering in Emergencies
This page was last updated on 14 June 2011