PAS 49 Code of Practice triggers industry debate on consultancy

Last month's publication of PAS 49:2002, the draft Code of Practice on security consultancy ('BSI publishes draft Code for consultancies', News, SMT, November 2002, p10) has engendered much debate in the industry. Although many positive comments have been aired, the consultation process for the Publicly-Available Specification has created some strong opinions.

Drawn up following 18 months' research conducted by a Working Party from the Association of Security Consultants (ASC), the Code covers the selection, recruitment and vetting of personnel, the structure of the consultancy organisation proper and the delivery and auditing of all services supplied (as well as other related issues including training and data handling procedures).

The Security Industry Authority is expected to begin licensing consultants in around three years' time, providing a focus for the ASC's research into the draft Code. "We weren't sure what the original Bill [now the Private Security Industry Act 2001] meant by the term 'consultant', so we needed to quantify what it is they do and what's expected of them," said ASC chairman Mike Collier.

The Working Party identified that security installers and suppliers believe consultants don't always understand site-specific needs when analysing the risks involved, which can then lead to problems in correctly specifying appropriate systems. Little surprise, then, that an Assignment Agreement has been included as part of the Code.

PAS 49 also accepts that consultants normally specialise in particular fields, but lists a minimum of subjects in which they should be able to demonstrate at least basic skills and training. These include physical and electronic security systems, fire safety and prevention, Data Protection and Human Rights, manned guarding and disability issues.

"The thinking behind this is that a consultant should then recognise a potential need for measures in these areas, even if they don't happen to specialise in them," added Collier.

However, not all parties are happy about the way in which PAS 49 was put together. Speaking at the organisation's Annual General Meeting, outgoing ASIS (UK) Chapter 208 chairman Bill Wyllie said: "The ASC has done a great job with the document, and I take my hat off to them. Indeed, ASIS is fully supportive of PAS 49. On a personal level, I must say that I disagree with some of the points it makes. Major corporate end user groups were not privy to the consultation period, but they should have been."

Also speaking at the ASIS event – held at The American Embassy in London's Grosvenor Square – Chris Gordon Wilson of Security Consortium International stated: "As a PAS it will still go through further comment stages, and what's already there will be developed. If nothing else, PAS 49 is a good start."

Wyllie pointed out that ASIS members have now been asked for their views. "It's vital that we have a corporate user input to this document and the whole process of industry regulation," he said. "That's what ASIS is all about, and is what we've been asking for these past few years."