About Us
The Development of the OSPAs
The Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs) recognise and reward; companies and people across the security sector. The OSPAs are designed to be both independent and inclusive, providing an opportunity for outstanding performers, whether buyers or suppliers to be recognised and their success to be celebrated.
The criteria for these awards are based on extensive research on key factors that contribute to and characterise outstanding performance. This research can be found here: Aspiring to Excellence, a Security Research Initiative report conducted by Perpetuity Research.
Journey of the OSPAs
In 2014, Professor Martin Gill of Perpetuity Research led a project to examine the factors which contributed to outstanding performance in the security field (Gill, M. and Randall, A.). Aspiring to Excellence: The Case of Security Suppliers and Corporate Security. A Security Research Initiative Report). The research was designed to fill a knowledge gap. Despite there being an abundance of research on business excellence, very little research focused specifically on the security sector.
The findings were instructive. They underlined the importance and value of different approaches to recognising outstanding security performers. Credible awards schemes help attract positive attention to security generally; serve to attract the attention of potential recruits specifically; and provide a benchmark for others to emulate. So, from this and other findings, the idea for the OSPAs was born. The OSPAs are based on the identified factors which contribute to security excellence and are designed to promote the security field and show the world that security is a fundamental and vitally important factor in business success.
Our Core Values
INDEPENDENT
The OSPAs are independent. You don’t have to be a member of an association to be involved – anyone from the security sector can enter a category which is relevant to them. The only requirement is that you have shown outstanding performance in your field.
CREDIBLE
The criteria for each award category have been carefully considered and based on extensive research across different security sectors and by looking at how outstanding performance is recognised and judged in other fields. There is strict criteria for who is appointed as a judge and for ensuring that judging decisions are fair and impartial. Representatives from each country will assess entries and make the final decisions on the winners.
TRANSPARENT
We want everyone to know the criteria for entering, how judges are selected and how the judging process works, so these details are published on the website.
RESPECTABLE
The OSPAs is a worldwide brand, generating honour and opportunities for our winners. Furthermore, winners are widely recognised as driving outstanding performance across the sector.
Why enter the OSPAs?
Credibility
You will become part of an evidence based scheme which understands what ‘outstanding performance’ really means, and recognises it.
Gain Recognition and Brand Exposure
If you become a winner, or even a finalist, you will have been identified as being outstanding by your peers following a recognised process based on a set of ethical principles.
Industry Benchmarking
The OSPAs finalists and winners will become reference points for outstanding performance, recognised by an initiative which is committed to a transparent and ethical approach.
Business and Networking Opportunities
The OSPAs brings together people from across sectors, you’ll have the chance to meet new people and make important industry contacts.
The Awards Ceremony
You will be part of one of the premier events in the security calendar; providing the opportunity for customers, colleagues and friends to share in the celebration.
Winners
You have the chance to become the winner of an OSPA, and to be promoted on both your country’s OSPAs website and the Global OSPAs website. Winners of key categories will automatically qualify for the Global OSPAs, learn more here.
Who Can Enter?
Anyone working in the security sector of Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kingdom of Eswatini, Kingdom of Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, & Zimbabwe can enter the Southern Africa OSPAs.
You don’t have to be a member of an organisation or association to do so. The main criterion for entry is that you can show that a company, person or team have performed at an exceptional level as a person can enter an individual other than themself.
If you have any enquiries about entering the awards please contact us.
OSPAs Ethics
The aim of the OSPAs, is to be transparent and credible. In a commitment to this aim, the OSPAs have set out key ethical guidelines to ensure best practice in the running of all OSPAs schemes around the world. The OSPAs in each country will:
- Publish requirements for entry to the OSPAs in that country.
- Publish a Judges Code of Ethics and require all judges to adhere to the policy during the judging process.
- Make the process for selecting the judging panel publicly available
- Publish the criteria the judges use for assessing the awards.
- Have a policy which clarifies the role of sponsors.
The Judging Process
Each judge is a security expert with experience and knowledge of working within that country’s security sector. Judges are shortlisted by partner organisations working with the OSPAs and are then independently reviewed by the international OSPAs team. The judges mark all entries against the criteria set out in the category requirements (viewable on the ‘Enter’ pages) and the highest scoring entry following the judging will be the winner. Entries are assigned to judges avoiding any known possible conflict of interest between entrant, judge and sponsor. All judges follow a strict code of ethics which can be found below. The finalists in each category are announced prior to the awards event; however the winner of each category will not be revealed until the awards ceremony.
Judging Panel Selection Policy
The OSPAs represents best practice in security performance and as such the OSPAs are committed to recruiting the best possible panel to review the entries entry and decide upon category winners. As such, the criteria for an OSPAs judging panel has been set out. The panel must include individuals:
- with experience, knowledge and expertise in business and security
- who are familiar with the country’s security culture
- who have undertaken different roles in different aspects of business and security
- who have a proven business knowledge and have been successful
- who adhere to the Judges Code of Ethics