Addressing Security in Early Stages of Project Life Cycle

Abstract

This article summarizes the first phase of a three-phase research effort to develop and deploy best practices for project security on industrial projects. It shows how to address security early in the project life cycle and its impacts on the capital facility delivery process. Three dimensions of security for capital projects are examined—physical, personnel, and information—and linked to the key concepts of threats, consequences, and vulnerability assessment. A select set of industry best practices provides the basis for integrating security into the project delivery process. This selection includes six best practices: (1) preproject planning; (2) alignment; (3) design effectiveness; (4) constructability; (5) materials management; and (6) planning for start-up. The article outlines the methodology for updating best practices to include security. It includes a brief description of each practice and documents the key updates for incorporating security-related considerations into the practice. Security implications for the project delivery process are provided as well as recommendations to industry.