Changes to the Security Agencies Grading Exercise(SAGE)

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27 Mar 2020

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Agenda

• Current SAGE Grading System

• Need For Change

• New Assessment Framework

• SAGE 2020 – Transition Measure

Current SAGE Grading System

• Objectives of SAGE

– differentiate better performing Security Agencies

(SAs) from the rest

– raise the overall standards of the security industry

• Grading System since 2018

- SAs are told of their actual scores and the cut-

off points for the respective grades

- cut-off points based on a bell curve to

differentiate the performance of each SA relative

to the others

Need For Change

• PLRD and MHA met with SAS and ACSA in Aug

2019 to discuss future of SAGE

• Need for change because:

– industry had sufficiently matured and bell curve

approach was near the limit of its usefulness

• SAs’ Performance: 61.3% of the SAs had scored

90% or higher in SAGE 2019

• Limits to further calibration: cut-off for A grade

already at 96% for SAGE 2019

• General consensus that a new assessment

model is needed to replace SAGE

New Assessment Framework

• SAGE Review Task Force Set Up in Nov 2019

Taskforce Members

Chair: Director PLRDComposition: Representatives from 1. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)2. Centre of Protective Security (CPS)3. Ministry of Manpower (MOM)4. Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)5. Skills Future Singapore (SSG)6. Workforce Singapore (WSG)7. Enterprise Singapore (ESG)8. Security Association Singapore (SAS)9. Association of Certified Security Agencies of Singapore (ACSA)10. Security Systems Association of Singapore (SSAS)11. Union of Security Employees (USE)

Terms of Reference:

Co-develop industry competencies as baseline for SAGE. This includes identification of the competency categories and achievement levels for each competency category.

Review grading frequency and SAGE assessment format to sharpen current assessment model.

Validate the new SAGE Framework with industry stakeholders and service buyers.

New Assessment Framework

• 3-Level Competency Based Framework

– core competencies

– elective competencies

– niche competencies

• Core and elective competencies to be assessed by

PLRD/MOM

• Niche competency to be assessed by appointed

external auditors

New Assessment Framework

• Assessment Model

– pass or fail (no grades assigned)

– no penalty deduction for infringement(s)

• Meeting all core competencies* will be a criterion

for licence renewal (for 1 year)

• Assessment Period

– assessment will no longer be done between Jun and

Nov of each year

– instead, assessment will commence a few months

before licence expiry

*1st time licence applicants will be assessed based on a subset of

core competencies because they are not yet in operations

New Assessment Framework

• SA which meets all core competencies and X

number of elective competencies will get licence

renewed for 2 years

– this means the SA will be assessed again in 2 years’

time

• all competencies of SAs will be published on

PLRD’s website for buyers’ information

• similarly, infringement(s) by errant SAs will be

published on PLRD/MOM website so that buyers

can make an informed decision

New Assessment Framework

• Overview of Competency-Based Assessment

Niche

Competencies

Elective Competencies

Core Competencies

• SAs may choose to engage external auditors for niche competency accreditation (e.g. video analytics)

• SAs may choose to undergo assessment for elective competencies

• SAs which meet all core competencies and X number of elective competencies will get a 2-year licence

• SAs must undergo mandatory assessment and meet all core competencies as part of licencerenewal

• SAs which meet all core competencies with get a 1-year licence

New Assessment Framework

• Examples of possible core competencies

– each Core Competency will comprise a number of

criteria

– to obtain “Pass” for a Core Competency, all criteria

within that competency must be met

Core Competencies Assessment

1. Command and Control over all its deployment sites and

operations

Pass/Fail

2. Preparedness in Emergency and Security Threat situations Pass/Fail

3. Training, Development, and Assessment of Security Officers Pass/Fail

New Assessment Framework

• Timeline

– details of competency-based assessment framework

expected to be announced in early 2021

– implementation of new assessment framework likely

to start from Jan 2022

SAGE 2020 - Transition Measures

• All SAs will not be required to undergo SAGE 2020

• However, any SA may opt to participate in SAGE

2020 on a voluntary basis

• PLRD will be writing to all SAs to seek their

decision on this

SAGE 2020 - Transition Measures

For SAs which decide not to volunteer for SAGE

2020:

• PLRD will extend the SAs’ grade for SAGE 2019 by 1

year; i.e. grade for SAGE 2019 and SAGE 2020 will

be the same

• A new grade decal for SAGE 2020 will be issued in

due course

SAGE 2020 - Transition Measures

For SAs which decide to volunteer for SAGE 2020:

• Assessment will likely commence after Jun 2020

• Grades cut-off for SAGE 2020 will be the same as that

for SAGE 2019; i.e. no more application of bell curve

approach

Grades Cut-off

Grade 2017 2018 2019 2020

A ≥86% ≥95% ≥ 96% ≥ 96%

B ≥73% - <86% ≥85% - <95% ≥88% - <96% ≥88% - <96%

C ≥50% - <73% ≥50% - <85% ≥55% - <88% ≥55% - <88%

D <50% <50% < 55% < 55%

THANK YOU

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