The Background
Reconnaissance Management S.A. was requested to provide Executive Protection services to the Andrew Grene Foundation (AGF), which was established in 2010 in memory of Andrew who was tragically killed in the Haiti earthquake on 12th January that year to build, staff and run the Andrew Grene High School (AGHS) outside the Cite Soleil neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince.
Our services are required for the founders, board members, donors and visitors alike and we now provide full time coverage when there is AGF visits.
The Challenge
The Andrew Grene Foundation have been using the services of Reconnaissance Management S.A. since 2010. The relationship is an integral part of how the Foundation operates in Haiti.
Often as not, Security Risk Management and charity work experience some degree of incompatibility so when working with a Foundation it’s key to immerse yourself in their own values and what they want to achieve through their work. In this way, a solution can be found that not only provides the correct level of Protective Security services but also works in harmony with the Foundation rather than being a simple but hefty expense that doesn’t provide the client good value. Working with a Foundation, cost efficiency is also a paramount concern.
As the Foundation has grown, their Haiti footprint has also grown with it. AGF now also fund a branch of Servis Fonkoze, a micro finance organisation, in the town of Aquin in the south of Haiti.
An example of finding the balanced solution is the geography, which has also played a challenge in finding the correct solution. While the AGHS is not located within one of the higher risk areas of Port-au-Prince, the city and country can be a volatile, non-permissive environment. This requires route checking and incident management as part and parcel of the package provided to AGF to ensure that travelling parties do not become involved in any of the numerous incidents that occur in the city on a daily basis.
Jane Holden, Director of Fundraising for AGF says: “As a small charity, working, but not permanently based in this challenging country, it is important for us to partner with people who understand our needs, whilst understanding the challenges of the environment where we deliver our two projects.”
The Result
Having a dedicated Executive Protection agent has been of immeasurable value to us, and we consider him to be key member of our team.
We have designed a cost effective Protective Security solution where we provide regular updates and in depth briefings for travelling AGF staff members and have assigned an Executive Protection agent who works closely with AGF on all their trips and has become integral to their team.
As result of this Reconnaissance Management S.A. and the Andrew Grene Foundation have an extremely strong partnership and our support now extends beyond Protective Security and into support to their core functions of fundraising for the AGHS.
