Decision Support on Security Investment

Project Information

DESSI

Grant agreement ID: 261718

Project closed

Start date 1 January 2011

End date 30 June 2013

Funded under

• Specific Programme "Cooperation": Security

Total cost € 1 902 303,73

EU contribution € 1 561 095,91

Coordinated by

FONDEN TEKNOLOGIRÅDET
Denmark

Periodic Report Summary 1 - DESSI (Decision Support on Security Investment)

Project Context and Objectives:

1.1 Overview of project objectives
The overall project objectives of the period were:
• Develop the methodology and infrastructure
• Establish the proper research, including terminology
• Develop the procedure design inherent in the DESSI process
• Disseminate the ideas and core concepts of the project

1.1.1 Methodology and Infrastructure
Developing the methodology consisted of two parts. First of all, the aim was to detail the description of the work in the consortium to a level that allowed for precise and effective scientific coordination between the partners. Second of all, the procedure of the process had to be created and iterated upon, so that every partner had a clear understanding of how the process and actual DESSI procedure would be. The advisory panel was intermediately consulted for feedback on the methodology.
The infrastructure consisted of establishing joint mailing lists, targeting specific work task groups, i.e. the consortium as a whole as well as the management committee. Additionally, the intranet was created in order to foster collaborative and asynchronous work methods intended for all partners.

1.1.2 Dimensions and Criteria
Initially the DESSI project had to establish the proper conditions for approaching the knowledge domain related to the project’s focus. This was achieved through at first delivering a terminology to be used within DESSI internally and applying the DESSI methodology for the assessment of security investments. With the proper terminological framework and methodology in mind, a user workshop with policy-makers and decision-makers was conducted to discuss and finalise a list of dimensions to be taken into consideration in the assessment and comparison process. These dimensions were operationalized by sets of criteria and indicators, which were discussed in a further workshop with experts and stakeholders, in which the relevance, strength and weaknesses for security investment assessment were evaluated. The workshop discussions were integrated in D2.5 Systems of criteria in assessment procedures. The final deliverable D2.6 DESSI system of criteria summarised the dimensions and criteria in a form suitable for direct applicability and transfer into the DESSI tool.

1.1.3 DESSI Procedure Design
The objective WP3 is the development of the procedural framework for the DESSI-method. The main task has involved designing the different procedures in the process, and ensuring that the different steps are integrated and interacting. An important task has been constructing templates and manuals guiding the DESSI process. Another central objective in WP3 has been the development of a procedure for constructing and integrating scenario thinking in the DESSI-process.

1.1.4 Dissemination
The purpose of the first communication package was to communicate the intention of the DESSI project to core target groups. By this we aimed at first establishing an understanding of the challenges that face security investments today, and second to portray the DESSI tool as a viable candidate to meet this challenge.

Project Results:
WP 1 – Methodology and Infrastructure

Significant results
All the contributions and feedback to the project handbook were initially drafted in the first three months of the project in the beginning of 2011. Expected challenges and clarifications arose from the internal work of detailing the responsibilities between partners in each task of the work packages, and gave rise to strengthened collaborative work and efficiency. Most importantly, the project handbook was and is considered to be organic and variable, meaning that it can and will be changed and supplied with additional information, as the DESSI project progresses.
The procedure description of DESSI was finalized and delivered in June 2011. The accomplished work on this task resulted in a clearer understanding of the relationship between the methodology of the project and its intended results as a procedure intended for decision makers. For example, the consortium’s input to the procedure was sufficiently defined, while a classification of the input and output of the process was defined.
Finally the positive contributions afforded by the technical implementations of a project infrastructure have helped to ensure stability and align expectations and planned work within the consortium. Regular IP meetings have cleared away any misunderstandings, while the intranet has served as a platform for sharing knowledge and data.
Achievement of critical objectives
So far the DESSI project has succeeded in establishing a common understanding and methodology between different disciplines. Furthermore, the required tools and knowledge necessary to achieve the goals of the project have also been developed and implemented in the process.

WP 2 – Dimensions and Criteria
Significant results
D2.6 DESSI system of criteria is a critical result for the multi-dimensional assessments approach of DESSI, linking different professional security investment perspectives to each other and allowing for an interdisciplinary and transparent evaluation and decision making process. A significant contribution is also the strong and consentaneous confirmation and support of the DESSI approach gained in the two workshops from experts, stakeholders and users representing various and potentially conflicting interests.

WP 3 – DESSI procedure design
Significant results
The work conducted in WP3 has resulted in two deliverables as described in former section. Both were submitted in April 2012, according to the timeline described in the project DOW.
Deliverable 3.1 Assessment procedures in DESSI outlines the overall process of a full DESSI assessment, and specifies all procedures and elements involved. The objective of the procedure assessment in the DESSI method is to clarify and sensitize the user of the DESSI process for the various aspects related to the user’s query. This document represents the specification of design guiding the DESSI web tool development in WP4.
Deliverable 3.2 Scenarios for security investment assessment provides a step by step manual for employing the WISE-module, an optional foresight element within the DESSI methodology. Through adding a condensed session of scenario engagement, this process provides a tool for stress testing security investments against possible future change. This test can provide important indications on the investments robustness to unanticipated change in societal contexts, be it political, technological, legal or economic. The WISE-process involves the construction and employment of small scale what if-scenarios within the DESSI procedure.

WP 6 – Dissemination
Achievement of critical objectives
The dissemination process has two distinct phases. The 1st phase seeks to establish an understanding of the challenges that face security investments today:
The post-911 era is still upon us, where the security dimension clearly overshadows other critical dimensions in investment decision. This one-dimensional approach to security investment decisions has led to a securitization of several areas of society, such as transport, public space, health care, etc. Decisions are seemingly immediate responses to specific security issues, often technologically driven, and made behind closed doors. There is an urgent need for a political framework that directs all processes that lead to decisions on security investment to be transparent and participatory, and that accounts for context and multi-dimensionality of society.
We have used web page, facebook, mail, poster and flyer to reach our target groups.

Potential Impact:
The DESSI project is expected to produce a thoroughly tested web-based assessment tool based on relevant background knowledge, design procedures, participatory processes and dissemination. These products will serve to alleviate the decision-making within the domain of security issues. Therefore, DESSI is expected to produce a versatile method for transparent and rigorous assessment of alternative security investments from a set of societal important perspectives and with a future look into possible changes in contexts. The viability of this method and the accompanying tool will be ensured by rigorously testing it in real and actual cases of security investment considerations through participatory processes of dialogical assessment procedures which may include users, stakeholders, experts, decision-makers and/or citizens.

On a wider scale, the DESSI project is striving towards affecting several different areas in society. It is designed to become widespread in use, easily accessible, and to provide a combination of a fast overview of the security investment assessment and deep insight into the considerations behind it. As such, the DESSI method is designed for users, which can be divided into four groups:

• Because of the societal relevance of the threats and security investments, the public authorities on European, national, regional and local levels (e.g. cities) are important user groups.
• Developers of security solutions can use the DESSI tool proactively by pre-assessing solutions, e.g. before making research plans or marketing.
• Specific commercial enterprises may have to decide on internal security investments because of the potential societal consequences of hazards (for example energy companies, chemical plants, etc.).
• Social organizations, NGO’s, media and other actors involved in the public discourse on security can use DESSI to make their own comprehensive assessment as input to strategic discussions or public debate.

DESSI is expected to appeal and alleviate to the above targeted groups.

List of Websites:

http://securitydecisions.org/