TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP NEEDED TO DEAL WITH SECURITY CHALLENGES
The key to being success driven in National Security is first and foremost to be Transformational in your Leadership and to adopt a Project Governance approach. It’s the international best practice, and a new dynamic to complement our present system of governance in the Ministry of National Security
One has to know and understand that all objectives, strategies, policies and goals of the wide geographic span of management, that faces the decision makers and by extension the various arms of the Ministry of National Security, has to be encompassed and categorised in the Strategic Alliance and more so the Strategic Fit of projects.
There is a context within which projects take place. Part of creating the means of achieving the objectives in the project-based organization, is to ensure the organizational infrastructure exists to undertake projects effectively and there are two components of this.
The first component creates an infrastructure of program and portfolio management to link projects to corporate strategy, which ensures the right projects are done. The second component ensures the capability exists within the organization to deliver projects successfully, so that projects are done right. The strategic coordination of this level identifies project governance.
In keeping with the international best practice, the Ministry of National Security must begin adopting a business model approach and apply the business strategies of governance, from a Project Governance standpoint.
The old ways have been tried and tested, the environment of our National Security has changed, has shifted from not only National Security but Homeland Security, where all aspects of the landscape now impacts on the security and safety of all. This includes both physical infrastructure and the lives of individuals.
Therefore the drive for change must be led and influenced from the top, the strategists of the Ministry MUST be directing change and guiding the process. The ideal avenue of this change process, is the adoption with immediacy of a Project Governance approach.
This approach, once clearly defined will be able to identify:
The effectiveness and efficiency of the portfolio direction processes
The sponsorship of projects
The management of projects
Transparency, Disclosure and reporting
Accountability
The Ministry must see all aspects of its organisational behaviour as People driven and Project centred and Project based and therefore managed from a Project Governance standpoint.
This ensures that all projects are identified within one portfolio, roles and responsibilities are aligned to decision-making capacity, the teams responsible for projects are capable of achieving the projects’ objectives, and that information to support the decision-making processes is delivered in a timely, relevant, and reliable manner.
All arms of the Ministry will be held accountable from a Tasking and Coordination perspective. Failure to meet these timelines and objectives MUST result in significant consequences. This new drive and strategy in fact, will propel the Leadership of national security to be results based and promote inclusivity.