What is Online Security Services (OSS)?

Online Security Services provides access to the following;

• Security Risk Assessment Library
• Interactive Risk Map
• Country specific news alerts and bi-weekly newsletters which are sent directly to you phone.

What Online Sources have OPM used in the Past?

OPM has contracted its online safety and security information from various sources:

Protection Group International (PGI) 2015-2020

PGI has provided the risk mapping, incident reporting and narrative that was the foundation for the development of the OPM Security Risk Analysis (SRA) proforma. The SRA Proforma allowed the security provider and OPM to develop SRA for each project location worldwide and was an industry-lead process. Over time OPM built an SRA library which could be easily updated and aligned to changes in Preventive Security Requirements (PSR).

Dataminr 2020

Dataminr was a social media-based information system that allowed the security provider to filter and advise in-country teams and Project Managers (PM) of safety and security incidents impacting their staff in real time.

Emergency Line

The OPM Emergency Line is a Call-Centre managed 24/7 contact and communication system: it is a redundant system for normal incident communications.

Why is OPM no longer using these online sources?

All three of these online sources have their limitations

• PGI was not a responsive agency and the update of SRA narratives and in-country narratives needed to be undertaken by OPM/security provider for upload onto the PGI system.
• OPM did not have unlimited access to the service and so used IMO as the platform for access.
• Dataminr was effective when social media platforms were not shut down by national authorities and as such proved to have limited operational worth during high risk events (Lebanon, Ethiopia Pakistan).
• Emergency Line has been used once in the last four years because travellers and field staff use line management and RSA communication channels to raise alerts and request assistance.

What will replace our current online sources?

OPM’s contracted security provider has captured all of our current SRA's into a database that can be easily updated for existing project needs and also for any new locations under award.

• The security provider has developed an Interactive Risk Map that will allow project staff and Bid Managers to reference risk ratings, identify incidents and communicate with related safety and security staff.
• The security provider has developed a Bi-weekly Reporting and Analysis Service that provides regularly updated information to project staff, Oxford/IO managers and in-country teams.
• The subscription comes with four days of GSA time per month to manage the system.
• The resource also provides a TravelSafe live training component that can be easily adapted to the travel and operational safety requirements of each OPM project.

How will this service be paid for and how much does it cost?

Since January 2018 all project bids have included a monthly cost (£25) for access to our online services: no one has been charged for this cost.

• The Online Subscription Service (OSS) will cost each project £25 per month and will be invoiced by the security provider.
• Since January 2018 all project bids have included a contingency line for incident response: no one has been charged for this cost.
• OPM will pay a central retainer of £6,000 pa for unlimited access for managers, Central Operations and Bids and Acquisition staff.

Online Travel Safe Training (optional extra)

The security provider will offer an optional, live, online TravelSafe training which will replace HEAT and will align OPM to the UN/RCRC mandatory online training systems. Individual participation will be charged at £100 per four-hour training which all projects can charge from their allotted Contingency Line.

When will this service be availble?

OPM’s security provider (Spearfish) will begin the Online Security Service on 1 February 2021. The new system will be piloted during February 2021: no one will be invoiced in February. Billing will commence from the 1st March 2021.

OPM Directors will send out information on the new platform including information on the service, invoicing detail and sign-up material.

How will this service be rolled out across OPM?

The RSAs will drive sign-ups from their respective projects by actively engaging on a project by project basis.

During this time the OPM Emergency Line will be tranisttion within the Online Security Service until June 2021.

How Do you access this Service?

To access this service you will need to sign up through here; OSS Sign Up

Summary

The proposal establishes our contracted security provider as the manager of OPM’s online safety and security requirements at a fraction of the cost to OPM Overheads of previous contracts.

As the GSM has been involved in the framework for this new range of services OPM will be getting bespoke services rather than generic services which may-or-may not suit our particular needs. Projects have already approved the expenditure of the Emergency and Contingency lines but have never recharged/utilised the budgets.

By re-directing the budget lines to a fully comprehensive information and training resource, invoiced monthly, OPM will pay less from overheads whilst providing significantly better services across a wider range of requirements without requiring additional approval from Donors.

The platform will provide scope for future development and significantly increases OPM’s level of Duty of Care implementation worldwide.