Security professional register under development

As part of this project, a series of public workshops will be conducted in Australia and New Zealand to develop professional register criteria and governance arrangements for such a registry.

Attendance at the registry workshops is free and open to all security professionals.

Future proposed dates include:
Perth 11/12 August
Adelaide 13 August
Melbourne 24 August
Canberra 26 August
Brisbane 7 September
Wellington 14 September
Auckland 15 September

Specific locations and times for the series will be advised.

More details on ACSP and the definition of ‘security professional' can be found at the ACSP website: http://www.securityprofessionals.org.au/

Background
At its meeting on 7 June 2010 in Canberra, the ACSP moved to develop a register of security professionals which, subject to the New Zealand-Australia mutual recognition arrangements, would also register New Zealand nationals who met the criteria for registration.

The ACSP was successful in gaining support from the Attorney-General's Department for the development of the register.

The support provides funding to develop an acceptable and effective register model and provision of initial establishment and temporary running costs with the aim of the register becoming self funding.

The ACSP will also be drawing on research resources of Edith Cowan University, the Policing, Intelligence and Counter-Terrorist Centre at Macquarie University and the Australian Security Research Centre and such other appropriate qualified bodies who are willing to assist.

Additional support will be sought from corporate sponsors and security associations in both cash and kind.

Proposed plan
It is planned to conduct a four-stage development process commencing in July 2010.

Research phase
- Determine the nature and extent of the group of persons who would be eligible for registration.

- Develop and propose governance and management arrangements acceptable to government, associations and industry.

- Determine the mix and weighting of criteria for registration.

- Develop communications, application and registry management processes and a review mechanism for the register.

First pass approval
The detailed proposal developed in the research phase shall be presented to the ACSP who, subject to general ACSP representative agreement and following consultation with government, will establish an appropriate constituted registration board to implement the registry.

Implementation phase
The registry board will:
- establish the registry as a legal not-for-profit entity;

- implement the agreed communications strategy and registry management mechanisms;

- develop and implement a program to ensure that the registry becomes self funding by its second year of operation.

Review phase
Within eighteen months of its establishment the registry and its operations will be independently audited.

The results of this audit are to be reviewed by an agreed governance board, reflecting the relevant professional and governmental constituencies.

Benefits
The creation of such a register will provide a single authoritative point of reference and confirmation on the status of any persons who purports to offer professional security services as an internal provider or external contractor.

By setting independent, transparent and contestable criteria for professional status it will enhance security practice and provision of services, provide guidance to education needs and services and assist uses of security services to make an informed decision concerning the level of expertise and service that can be expected of registered individuals.