Risk and Security Management Forum

The Risk and Security Management Forum (RSMF) is a non-partisan, non-profit making organisation established in 1990 with the aim of promoting professionalism in risk and security management and to provide a forum in which members can discuss problems in an atmosphere of confidentiality (all meetings are held under the Chatham House Rule).

It consists of some 60 senior security practitioners and risk managers drawn from a wide range of commercial and industrial organisations, government departments, the armed forces and the police. There are, in addition, a number of academics with an interest in such things as crime prevention and public order.

Membership is by invitation only and most have a background at a fairly senior level in the police, armed forces or other public sector departments. It meets four times a year to discuss topics of mutual interest and to exchange ideas and information. The aim of the RSMF is to advance the effective management of risk in all areas of security and to bridge the gap between the public, private and government arms of the security profession.

It works in association with a number of groups including:

• AKJ Associates an: "international facilitator in the new world of public private partnerships, business risk and international security... known for consolidating working partnerships comprising international corporations, government, policing and intelligence agencies."
• Information Security Forum ,
• the National Infrastructure Security Co-ordination Centre,
• the National Crime Squad,
• the Home Office.
• the Office for Civil Nuclear Security.

RSMF uses the expertise of its members to:

• identify and communicate effective risk and security management;
• promote the benefits of effective risk and security management to senior executives;
• advise opinion formers in the public and private sectors on these issues; and
• develop inclusive ways of identifying, analysing, assessing, and controlling risk for the public and private sectors.

Information assurance is becoming a more significant part of RSMF work, particularly the areas of data centre protection — both physically and electronically and the impact of e-crimes on corporate brands, including market value.

RSMF holds four seminars each year on a wide range of information security-related topics. Recent subjects include the Government’s counter-terrorist programme and Crown control in emergencies. RSMF has run master classes for senior security professionals focused on communications and the human resources issues associated with response management of major terrorist attacks. While these activities are aimed primarily at members, other senior security professionals are invited to attend.

In some RSMF security fora in which there is high interpersonal trust, businesses also learn from private information sharing about unpublicised cases, these operate under 'Chatham House rules.'

Members

• Rachel Briggs: a member of RSMF, and of Demos and the Foreign Policy Centre and organised a seminar (December 14 2005 and 18 January 2006) on Risk and Security management. Speakers included, Nikki Heath, CEO, SOE Academy; Linda Sharpe, Interim Chief Executive, Skills for Security; Professor Edward Borodzicz, Director, Centre for Risk, Crisis and Security Management, University of Portsmouth; and David Burrill, (below).

Seminars were chaired by Briggs, Head of International Programmes at Demos and were part of a Demos research project, Getting Down to Business: Aligning security with business objectives. The project was supported by BP, British Airways, Control Risks Group, E.On, Group 4 Securicor Global Risks Ltd., HSBC, Kroll, Prudential, Qinetiq, and Shell.

The Foreign Policy Centre have also published, 'Global Europe' which stems from their project of the same name which aimed: " to provide concrete policy recommendations concerning the European Security Strategy and new initiatives for European action". An overview of its approach is set out in Global Europe: Implementing the European Security Strategy by Mark Leonard and Richard Gowan which was produced in association with The British Council, The European Commission and Wilton Park ("an academically independent and non-profit-making Executive Agency of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Launched in 1946, it has become one of the world's leading centres for discussion of key international policy challenges, organising about 50 conferences a year while holding to the values of its founders to promote honest and open debate on the key issues."

• Professor Martin Gill: Director of Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International (PRCI)
• Dr. Giovanni Manunta: Ex-military Italian security consultant and lecturer.
• Mike Hoare: Undertaking long term research into the educational needs of security practitioners at management level and is working in collaboration with a number of higher education providers and the Security Institute
• Mike Groves, also of the Security Institute.
• Stephanie Daman: Fibre optics entrepeneur with UK Government Cabinet Office security-related experience.
• David Burrill: A professional international Intelligence and Security operator/manager and hororary Deputy Colonel Commandant of the British Army’s Intelligence Corps.