G4S Risk Consulting Intelligence and Advisory Service analysts regularly spend time in the countries they collect and analyse information on. This makes our work more accurate and nuanced. It allows our team to inform clients on actual (rather than perceived) risks and ways to manage them. Risk Analyst Owen Spalding has just returned from Afghanistan.
Notes from Kabul
ANALYST VISITS AFGHANISTAN TO SUPPORT CLIENTS' RISK MANAGEMENT DECISIONS
"I recently spent two weeks in Kabul with G4S Secure Solutions Afghanistan, learning more about our sister business and gaining first-hand insight into the political and security risks businesses face in the country. My time in Kabul encompassed exposure to all aspects of the business, from logistics and procurement to operations and compliance, and gave me a unique appreciation of how G4S helps its clients succeed in hostile environments."
I spent time with our clients at the British Embassy and the World Bank, learning more about the steps taken to secure both sites and personnel in the city. I spent time with the management teams at these projects, who shed light on overcoming the complexities of doing business in Afghanistan, from facilitating the safe movement of clients around Kabul to securing physical infrastructure and crisis planning.
I was also fortunate enough to gain first-hand experience of the training new G4S Close Protection Officers (CPOs) undertake while preparing to begin work in the country, including weapons drills, defensive driving and emergency first aid skills.
As the South Asia specialist in the Intelligence and Advisory Services (IAS) team at G4S Risk Consulting, the trip allowed me to expand my understanding of the security and political risks inherent to Afghanistan and develop my network of human sources, which help inform our intelligence products. The visit underscored how our timely and actionable intelligence enables our clients to make risk management decisions with confidence."