Not exactly a pie in a briefcase. Pic – Custom Vinyl Shop (amazon – click)
The New Zealand government is looking for ways to upskill its spies and those who supervise them.
A recently-advertised pre-tender document calls for an innovative supplier of training services (which is how it got to me) to equip ‘senior officials’ and ‘executives’ within ‘the security sector’.
According to a Notice of Information published by the Government Electronic Tenders Service, the focus of the proposed professional development courses will be to give senior officials, officials, and whatever an ‘executive’ is (in this context) the skills and knowledge ‘to deal with the myriad of security challenges that threaten New Zealand’s wellbeing and prosperity.’ Sounds great.
Given the exquisite agony of New Zealand’s spies and their bosses being thrust into the spotlight by some of their actions and those of the NZ Police and others (‘the security sector’, presumably) which were found to be unlawful or in contravention of the laws relating to NZ residents — in the Kim Dotcom case, for example, illegal surveillance, improper search warrants, improper seizure of assets, improper export of Dotcom’s data (cloned hard drives) to US investigators — it seems only right that some professional development be undertaken.
Perhaps the courses could start with some training in reading and comprehension?
– P
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is looking for an innovative supplier to provide a professional development programme for executives and senior officials within the security sector. The focus of the programme is to equip officials with the knowledge and skills required to deal with the myriad of security challenges that threaten New Zealand’s wellbeing and prosperity.
Three courses are to be delivered within the programme: an executive level course; a senior official’s course; and an official’s course. Course Members, by dint of experience, will have varying degrees of knowledge concerning national security. Courses will need to reflect these different perspectives and skill levels. Accordingly, each course’s duration should reflect the difference in management levels and be no longer than five days duration. The programme will be conducted in Wellington with course members coming from the public service and comprising at least 15 officials on each course.
Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet advertise on GETS – Security Sector Professional Development – click to enlarge
