An Cosantóir

| 37 www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE The Challenge was 'To Improve Employee Relations in the Defence Organisation'. The proposed solution was based on research about the Military-Civilian interface in international Defence Organisations. We looked at negative culture influences such as tribalism, control, group dynamics, and also learned about human-factor needs in the work-place such as psychological safety, as well as inclusion and personal and professional development, in an aesthetic and modern environment. Some of the aspects we covered are mentioned in the draft Defence Forces Civilianisation Policy 14 JUL 23, which is great to see and I look forward to it impacting the day-to-day work-life for Defence Organisation employees. Some of the highlights of the programme were getting to meet a broad range of people from diverse backgrounds who had volunteered to undertake the challenge and were motivated to work together to achieve a positive outcome. At first I was sure I could not be of help, as I felt that I knew nothing about employee relations. It had almost nothing to do with my background or my day-job, I thought. As I began to learn more about the topic and apply it to the Defence Organisation I could see the relevance it held for all Defence Organisation employees. I felt it was really important work which was very motivating. We were really happy with our work and proud of our solution because we understood the value of it and the potential positive effect it could have for all employees of the Defence Organisation. Team Collabor8 Comdt Barry Hannon, recently returned from serving with 122 Inf Bn UNIFIL. Comdt Ronan O'Reilly, recently promoted Defence Forces Data Protection Officer in J1 DFHQ. Capt (AR) Niall Stringer, currently serving with J3/5 Current Ops, whose civilian role is as a Consultant with high-potential start- up businesses and established companies seeking growth opportunities. Ms. Eimear Ní Fhallúin, Defence Forces Senior Physiotherapist. Team 'SCIA' Team: Lt (AR) Shane Dunne, Armn Aaron Crampton, John Hackett (DOD) The SCIA framework seeks to revolutionise and enhance installation security for Defence Organisation facilities. By optimising, modernising, and standardising security practices, SCIA intends to provide a comprehensive framework that will transform how installation security is currently managed. The SCIA framework holds the potential to significantly improve security outcomes by • preventing more security incidents. • enhancing responses to ongoing incidents. • facilitating more effective learning from past incidents. Ultimately, the goal is to fortify the Defence Organisation's Security Culture, leading to better protection for installations and the personnel, assets and sensitive information contained within them. Key components of the SCIA framework include: • Access Control Management: The introduction of advanced access control measures, involving the use of ID cards, fixed scanners, handheld scanners and various digital identity technologies. This system ensures that all entrants, whether pedestrians or vehicles, are verified, even during high-volume periods. • ANPR for Vehicle Tracking: Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology will be employed at entry gates to record and track vehicles entering and exiting the installation. This data can be correlated with CCTV footage and access control records for further verification. • Visitor Management: A visitor management system will streamline the process of managing visitors to Defence Organisation installations. Pre-booking, thorough checks upon arrival and the issuing of visitor IDs will enhance security. • Security Reporting Digitisation: The transition from paper- based reporting to digital systems will simplify and improve incident reporting. Security staff can use handheld devices to submit incident reports, attaching relevant media and therefore enable greater visibility of collected security data. • Security Patrol Verification: A system that mandates security staff to verify their presence at specific check-in points during patrols. NFC tags or similar technology will be utilised to confirm the completion of patrols. • Security Staff Training: Enhanced training opportunities will be provided to security staff, enabling them to identify suspicious behaviour and respond more effectively to potential threats. • Civilianisation of Security Staff: Transitioning gate guard duties from Defence Forces personnel to civilian staff can enable military personnel to focus on their core duties. This potential change is projected to lead to improved security outcomes and potential cost savings for the Defence Organisation. In a constantly evolving threat landscape with resourcing challenges, the SCIA project represents a proactive response to meet security needs. By investing in this framework, the Defence Organisation will be better prepared to adapt to changing circumstances while maintaining adaptable security measures and leveraging practical technological solutions to secure its installations effectively. Team 'Evolution Bridge' Team: Pearse Dunne, Capt Sean Maguire, Capt Dr Lisa McNamee, CS Willie Moran, Lt Cdr Cathal Quigley Justin Trudeau said that "the pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again" (World Economic Forum 2018). Defence must keep pace too, and the promotion of innovative thinking is one way in which the Defence Organisation can accelerate and begin registering larger magnitudes on the change-o-meter. "Exceptional ideas which have been researched to an elevated level by motivated Defence employees, through academic research and other means, are not being developed into exceptional contributions. The organisation's innovation engine needs to evolve to pull these exceptional ideas into a dedicated risk tolerant incubation habitat which will function as an organisational catalyst to accelerate strategically aligned, high value, high impact solutions. Team SCIA with their presentations

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