International security – managing the risks
Special exportlink feature by Claire Fleming, Senior Intelligence Analyst, AKE Ltd
“The phrase ‘International Security’ is one that has been increasingly used in recent weeks in Aberdeen City and Shire. Events hosted in the city, not least an International Security Seminar held by Grampian Police and the UK West Africa Action Group (UKWAAG) in April, have highlighted the important consideration of political and security risks to those companies, both large and small, operating in some of the world’s most hostile environments.
The attendance levels at these recent events and the feedback from them have demonstrated the mounting concerns of the North East’s business community over such topical issues as kidnapping, terrorist attack and travel safety in locations as far-flung as the Niger Delta and Algeria.
Indeed, these issues are particularly pertinent for the energy industry with recent kidnappings in Nigeria amply demonstrating the vulnerability of personnel deployed there. While of course it is always better to be proactive, rather than reactive, where security and risk prevention are concerned, it often takes events of this kind to engender positive industry developments.
Understanding the risks
AKE has worked with companies in Aberdeen for a considerable time; since establishing its full time presence in the city last year, it has been involved in many of these events and is working at various levels with companies in the region to operate safely and with confidence in locations as diverse as West Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
A company’s key asset is its personnel, whether your company is responsible for large quantities of rotational staff overseas, expatriate workers, or frequent or occasional overseas business travellers. The risks to which all of the aforementioned are exposed have evolved in the past 15 years from a simple concern about criminal targeting to the consideration of threats ranging from terrorist incidents to sudden and bloody government collapse.
The primary means to mitigate the risks faced by companies is to understand them and how they may impinge upon operations, alongside a consideration of defences that an asset has in place (or that may be called upon to reduce the effects of any hostile action).
All risk management is complex, but none more so than security risk management. There are a variety of internal and external factors that may negatively impact on a company, from physical illness or mental stress to climate, crime, terrorism, liability, corporate image, community relations, nationality and politics: and it should be borne in mind that rarely will one of these elements occur in isolation.
Risk management requires a sophisticated understanding of the potential threats that may impact on the company, and aim to reduce the risk to the lowest acceptable level without compromise to the company’s values and objectives and to put in place crisis management procedures that – should control over events be lost – ensure that operations be resumed with minimum negative impact on the company.
It requires a company-wide commitment, necessitating the active involvement and participation of all in the company to maintain security measures and awareness of security risks, as even the most thorough risk management system cannot guarantee absolute security.
It is critical that procedures are well-rehearsed in order to minimise the time from incident to response, if not avoid the problem altogether.
The importance of planning
The most effective risk and crisis management system is one that takes into account the peculiarities of the individual company and its inter-company dependencies, but is flexible enough to respond to any risk and is clear in the delineation of responsibility. Risk management must be as evident in the boardroom as it is on the ground.
While this macro-approach to risk management is preferable and cannot be substituted by more limited measures, it is possible to adopt some ad-hoc but nevertheless positive procedures, such as travel safety or hostile environments training, that will have mitigating affects.
Furthermore, timely and accurate intelligence can establish a firm foundation for the subsequent planning of the trip. Good planning will both reduce the likelihood of encountering potential security incidents, and reduce the time from incident to response if problems do arise.
But most of all, security concerns should not be an automatic deterrent from operations in any area (and thus from the potential economic benefit such operations could reap), and a researched understanding of the risks that are faced by a company can only help it to overcome those risks and subsequently flourish.
At AKE, we show our multinational clients how to reduce risk and achieve their business objectives safely and successfully.”
For more information about AKE Group Ltd, click here.
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