Advanced Diploma: Security Management

Purpose

The qualification will provide a career-focused opportunity to all learners across the board and will uphold the spirit of learner centredness. It will contribute to good and responsible security service providers who will be able to cater for the needs of quality security service to communities, private and public organisations. The qualification will provide for lifelong learning and flexibility. This qualification is aimed at learners who wish to pursue careers as security supervisors and security managers and who seek recognition for essential skills needed at the level of middle management.

A qualifying learner will be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills required of competent security managers in the private and public security industry. The emphasis, besides additional advanced specialised knowledge and information, will be on the practical application of already acquired knowledge. This qualification will also assist in promoting good governance, professionalism and expertise within this sector of the South African economy.

Rationale

The South African security industry is of considerable strategic and economic importance. The security industry's strategic role in ensuring safety and security is highlighted by the vast human and material resources it deploys to protect and safeguard people and property in Southern Africa.

South Africa is by no means an exception, as across the globe, crime remains the single largest threat. This is a threat which not only endangers profitability but may also cause the collapse of an economic system. As with worldwide trends for this specific industry South Africa has also experienced rapid growth in its private security industry.

The security services industry in South Africa serves and protects the interests and assets primarily of commerce and industry, in order to maintain profitability, economic growth and job creation and also develops welfare and stability among the various communities.

This Advanced Diploma will benefit South African society as a whole by enhancing the security risk manager's knowledge, expertise, skills and competencies in the field of security risk management.

Learning is predominantly from written material, thus learners should

• Be competent in the language of instruction, i.e. English, and be able to communicate effectively in writing and orally.
• Be able to interact effectively with people, individually and in groups.
• Have a strong and cohesive knowledge foundation in the security sector.
• Have analytical, interpretive and integrative skills that have practical value for the society as a whole.
• With guided support, take responsibility for their own progress.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

All admission through RPL must be in accordance with the principles laid down in the institutional RPL Policy.

Assessors should assess and give credit for the evidence of learning that has already been acquired through formal, informal and non-formal learning and experience. Evidence may be presented in a variety of forms, including international or previous local qualifications, reports, testimonials mentioning functions performed, work records, portfolios, videos of practice and performance records.

All such evidence will be judged according to the general principles of assessment described in the notes to assessors. Lecturers will act as assessors for RPL purposes.

Access to the Qualification

The learner must be in possession of the Diploma: Security Management, at NQF Level 6.

The Advanced Diploma: Security Management consists of ten compulsory modules of 12 Credits each, at NQF Level 7, totalling 120 Credits. For award of the qualification, a candidate must successfully obtain all ten (10) compulsory modules.

Modules

• Specialised Security Sectors.
• Research Methodology in Criminal Justice.
• Current Issues in Security Management.
• Advanced Security Management.
• Advanced Security Risk Management.
• Advanced Security Risk Control Measures.
• Advanced Security Technology and Information Security.
• Advanced Corporate Investigation.
• Strategic Management A.
• Strategic Management B.

1. Assess and evaluate the security needs of selected specialised security sectors.
2. Manage the security service environment.
3. Manage security risks.
4. Manage security technology and information.

• Range: Security technology includes access and egress control, lighting, CCTV surveillance, computer based systems and management of control room operations by application of the requisite technology and equipment.

1. Identify contemporary needs of the security service industry.
2. Implement security risk control measures pertinent to personnel that are critical in the security management sector.
3. Conduct investigations in the security service industry.
4. Apply research methodology in the field of Security Science.
5. Implement Strategic Management to advance service in the security industry.

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

This qualification enables all the Critical Cross-Field Outcomes to be addressed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• The different sectors within the security industry are identified.
• Problems and issues from these sectors are identified and explained.
• The nature and impact of issues in various sectors are compared.
• Interlinked security systems that apply to most sectors are identified.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• The formulation of a security policy is facilitated.
• A policy implementation framework is applied.
• The implementation of the Minimum Information Security Standards (MISS) and Minimum Physical Security Standards (MPSS), which are mainly used by security managers in government departments, are applied.
• Government tender procedures and the outsourcing procedures of security service providers are developed.
• The cost-benefit analysis process is used.
• Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and performance agreements are described.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Project management processes in the security environment (practical work situation) are implemented.
• The principles of the Security Risk Management process are employed.
• Physical security systems and executive risk management procedures are generated.
• Security strategies for a corporate enterprise are formulated from concepts of business continuity and resilience management.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Job descriptions, policies and procedures for Control Room Operator and Operations are prepared.
• The convergence of CCTV surveillance systems, security and the law are installed.
• Technology to coordinate the flow of incident based information is applied.
• Security IT developments are implemented.
• The prevention of computer related crimes is prevented.
• The Minimum Information Security Standards relevant to IT and the Access to Information Act are applied.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• The current PSIRA regulations, registrations and training skills programmes are explained.
• Depending on the security infrastructure, both latest manual and automatic approaches are evaluated.
• The legislative requirements on labour disputes, gender/equality are explained.
• The roles of latest trends in private security in crime prevention/community safety are identified.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• The principles of corporate governance (King Reports I-III) and the Public Finance Management Act are applied.
• Corruption prevention strategies (tenders and appropriations) in a company from a given scenario/case study are developed.
• Vetting of contract companies/personnel integrity testing/personnel screening/background checks and polygraph are administered.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Confidential investigations, insurance investigations, investigating corruption in the public and private sector and due diligence investigation are practiced.
• Analyses of the problems and issues reflect a purposeful and critical application of advanced theory, current knowledge and expertise in the security service industry.
• Interventions and/or recommendations reflect purposeful and creative plans to seek solutions based on theory and proven methods within the sector.
• Discussions and/or interventions reflect advanced application of appropriate skills, strategies and techniques in accordance with corresponding theoretical assumptions in the security service industry.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8

• Different research approaches, different data collection methods, data analysis methods and writing of a research-based report are selected.
• The research inquiry is planned and conducted on the basis of a range of appropriate research designs, methods, techniques and technologies for the specific research problem.
• Research themes are appropriately identified and demarcated.
• Research reports display skill in extrapolating key findings, justifiable conclusions and making feasible recommendations.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9

• A vision statement, mission statement, goals and objectives are generated.
• Strategic issues are identified and scenario analysis is applied.

Integrated Assessment

Candidates must demonstrate the ability to engage in the security risk management environment in a selected and integrative way, dealing effectively with divergent and 'random' demands related to these work operations. Evidence is required that the candidate is able to achieve the purpose of the qualification as a whole at the time of the award of the qualification.