controlled. Mail and packages should be fluoroscoped. Periodic inspections should be made of
premises for safety hazards, lethal devices, and sufficiency of security equipment. Adequate
communications should be maintained. All possible emergency situations should be considered.
Persons providing personal or domestic services for the dignitary and his party should be screened in
advance. They should receive a security briefing prior to the dignitary's arrival. This task is the
responsibility of the advance party.
18. Critique and After-Action Report.
The critique is the final stage of the security mission. It is conducted so that all participants will have a
clear, orderly idea of what was done properly or improperly. To improve operations, intelligent, tactful,
and constructive criticism is necessary. The critique can be most effective if held as soon as
practicable after the mission is completed.
The critique is so important that it must be considered a phase of the security mission itself. The
effectiveness of this phase depends upon the flexibility with which the officer in charge employs it. In
the critique, the officer in charge must make criticism or comments in a straightforward, impersonal
manner. Participants should leave the critique with a favorable attitude toward the security mission and
a desire to improve the next one. Examples of personal initiative or ingenuity, type of errors, and ways
for correcting them should be covered specifically. Protective personnel should be arranged to
participate in the controlled discussion. They should feel that the critique is a period for learning rather
than a time set aside for criticism of their performance.
Steps in Conducting Critique. The critique cannot be planned as thoroughly as other phases of the
mission. The points to be covered are influenced directly by the performance of protective personnel.
Advance planning can include the time, and place of the critique, and the general outline to be followed.
During other stages, the DL or PSO and supervisors can take notes to guide the critique, but detailed
planning is not practical. However, the DL or PSO can ensure complete coverage of the important
elements by following the general procedure below.
o Restate objective of the mission. This will enable participants to start on a common ground.
This is necessary. The participants who were concerned with one aspect of the subject may
have forgotten the overall objective.
o Review procedures and techniques employed. In this step, give a summary of the methods
used to attain the objective.
o Evaluate the performance. This is the most important part of the critique. Using notes taken
during the mission, the DL or PSO points out and discusses the strong points. Then he brings
out the weaker points and makes suggestions for improvement. He must he careful not to talk
down to the group. All remarks must be specific and impersonal. Personnel will not profit from
generalities.
1-11
MP2001
Previous Page
