Security – A Profession?

Australasian Council of Security Professionals

Presenter | Matthew Curtis, Chair

Service Group Manager, Security, GHD

The ‘Profession’

The Security Profession consists of practitioners who provide security services in government, business, academia and NGOs in areas such as security policy, security management and the range of security consulting.

The Profession provides services critical to the public interest and is recognised as a distinct managerial and technical discipline with its own body of knowledge, research and application of expertise.

It is also recognised that the Profession should be held to same standards as other managerial advisors with specific reference to management, governance, planning and application of security as a managerial discipline.

Our Vision

• As the peak group of the Security Profession in Australia, New Zealand and the Region, we seek to professionalise the Security Profession.

How

• We do this by advocating for the Profession, providing thought leadership and being the Profession’s vehicle for communicating matters of relevance within the community.

• Also, we develop and implement through the registration process professional standards, competency and the ongoing education of professionals.

Our History

• Security Professionals’ Congresses 2007 and 2008• Work commenced to create the Council, which had its inaugural meeting

in September 2009• In mid-2011 the ACSP established the Security Professionals Registry –

Australasia (SPR-A) in mid-2011. • The SPR—A is independent of the Council and began its work registering

practitioners as Security Professionals in August 2012.• Throughout, these initiatives have been supported and partially funded by

the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department.

Who We Are

• The Council is a federated body consisting of security professionals with demonstrated commitment to developing the Profession:

• Organizational Members – Organizations that have nominated a representative• Professional / industry groups – including ISACA, ASIS NZ, AISA, SPAAL,

NZSA and VSI• Education/Research institutions – including Edith Cowan, University of

Queensland, Macquarie University, CIT and ANU• Individual Members• Observer – Australian Attorney-General’s Department• Patron – Admiral (ret) Chris Barry.

What the Membership Structure Means

• This enables the Council to be the domain in which the full range of issues, views and concerns relevant to the profession and its further development may be explored and profession-wide initiatives formulated and taken.

What We Do

In working towards the formation of a true profession, we work closely with the Registry to promote professional standards and to ensure that Security Professionals perceive the primacy of service to the community in their work.•We provide •The primary forum for discussion and coordination of issues relevant to the Profession •A place where issues of relevance to security practitioners are discussed, developed and communicated to the wider community•The voice of the Profession in government, business and the wider community.

Advisory Boards

• Education and Certification Advisory Board

• Ethics and Behavioural Standards

• Government Relations Advisory Board

• National and International Security Standards Advisory Board

Benefits

• These arrangements give effect for the first time at a national level – and in our immediate region – to the presence of a defined ‘security profession’. This will bring a range of benefits:

• Broad appreciation within the wider community of the Profession’s standards and critical role in society

• Acceptance within the Profession of this critical role and of the benefits of transparently defined and applied professional standards

• A means of independent verification and validation of your competency and professional standards that will • Enable mobility and• Facilitate robust procurement decisions.

So

• Browse to

• www.securityprofessionals.org.au • and• www.spr-a.com

• Have a read and a think about how you can be involved ….

• and ………..

• R e g i s t e r

Security – A Profession?

Thursday 27 September 2012Dr Miles Jakeman

MemberSecurity Professionals’ Registry Australasia

SECURITY PROFESSIONALSSECURITY PROFESSIONALS’’ REGISTRY AUSTRALASIAREGISTRY AUSTRALASIA

PURPOSE OF THE REGISTRYPURPOSE OF THE REGISTRY

• To support the development of the professionalism of security practitioners and enhance their professional status

• To establish effective competencies and ethical standards that enhance the capacity of security practitioners to meet their primary duty to the community and facilitate their transition to and maintenance of professional status

• Registration is not compulsory but registration will:– Be confirmation of a demonstrated professionalism in one or more

security areas of practice– Provide to the broader community a Register of those that have

demonstrated professionalism in one or more security sub-disciplines

KEY ELEMENTS THAT CONSTITUTE A PROFESSIONKEY ELEMENTS THAT CONSTITUTE A PROFESSION

Group of individuals that:•Adhere to codified ethical standards•Have specialised knowledge or skills•Is socially acknowledged and accepted•Are self-regulated•Is prepared to apply their knowledge or exercise their skills in the interest of others

EXERCISE SKILL IN THE INTERESTS OF OTHERSEXERCISE SKILL IN THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS

•Public service to the community

•Share knowledge and expertise

•Faithful service beyond pure economic self-interest

– E.g. Military, Law, Medicine and Priesthood

TASKS OF THE REGISTRYTASKS OF THE REGISTRY

• Establish and maintain the National Register of Security Professionals

• Endorse or adopt registration systems that protect the community interest

• Ensure the Register operates with integrity in respect of Competition Policy

• Ensure the Register recognises stakeholder requirements

• Promote the value of the Register to organisations that are served by the security profession

• Adopt audit and review systems that are open and accountable

• Provide an accessible independent appeal system

LEVELS OF REGISTRATIONLEVELS OF REGISTRATION• Two levels of registration are proposed:

– Registered Security Professionals (the higher level of registration)

– Enrolled Security Practitioners (for those with some of the required criteria and as a developmental level prior to full registration)

• Each applicant can seek to be registered against one or more defined security sub-disciplines:

– Personnel security

– Physical security

– Information technology and communications security

– Security risk management

– Security enterprise management

APPLICATION PROCESS FOR REGISTRATIONAPPLICATION PROCESS FOR REGISTRATION•An application is received and verified by the Secretariat operating under instructions from the Registry•Peer review teams assess the evidence of competency against the nominated sub-disciplines •The Secretariat and peer review teams make recommendations to the Registry Executive Officer •The Executive Officer reviews the application and recommendations and makes a recommendation to the Registry•The Registrar makes the decision as to registration or enrolment (or rejection)•If accepted the details are entered on the Register•There are integrated Disciplinary and Appeal processes

REGISTRATION - DETERMINATIONREGISTRATION - DETERMINATION

• Registration is based on peer-assessment of qualifications, demonstrated competencies and other defined criteria

• Evidence of continuous professional development will be required to maintain registration

• Registration will be for a period of three years

http://www.spr-a.com/

Security – A Profession?