Our Approach to Quantifying Performance Objectives in Executive Protection Training

Executive protection professionals today face a myriad of challenging global threats. This complex environment creates the need for highly trained professional executive protection practitioners who possess the leadership, technical, and communication skills to effectively safeguard their principals. The Allied Universal® Executive Protection and Intelligence Services’ Executive Protection Academy (EPA-301) was designed and developed to answer this critical need.

To determine the effectiveness of executive protection training, we rely on training metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to quantify grading criteria with respect to the overall terminal performance objectives (TPO) and each enabling performance objective (EPO) that leads to it. 

Program Development

Our Executive Protection Training Academy is designed utilizing the Instructional Systems Design (ISD) model that is commonly used by academia, defense, public safety, and other industries worldwide. The ISD model follows a step-by-step cycle commonly described as the ADDIE process:

Analysis: Identify the training need or gap
Design: Write the course design document/outline
Develop: Create the course syllabus, lesson plans, instructor guides, and associated media
Implement: Deliver the beta/pilot course
Evaluate: Conduct an after-action-review (AAR) to gauge the results of the beta/pilot course and adjust accordingly

Academy Overview

We have established a 13-day/122-plus hour modular training program designed to deliver a comprehensive blend of both soft and hard executive protection skills for professionals of all experience levels, including entry-level, novice, and seasoned practitioners currently protecting Fortune 500 principals, ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) individuals, and public figures.

This unique, modular academy is delivered via a hybrid combination of live, instructor-led instruction, challenging field exercises, and web-based/online components. The academy culminates with a capstone full-mission-profile situational training exercise (STX) in which students are evaluated on the entire spectrum of skills encompassed by the curriculum.

The modular format provides students with the option of attending all, one, or a combination of the six courses which comprise the curriculum. The six-module training program includes:

1. Executive Protection Training Program (EPT-201): 6-days/48-hours
2. Executive Protection Defensive and Security Driving (DRV-201): 1-day/8-hours
3. Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TEC-201): 1-day/8-hours
4. Defensive Tactics and Use of Force (DTC-201): 2-days/16-hours
5. Active Threat Response for the Executive Protection Agent (ATR-201): 2-days/16-hours
6. Executive Protection Handgun (HGN-201): 1-day/8-hours

We focus on skills and concepts which translate directly to corporate and UHNW protection environments. Students will develop competence and confidence in their skills through a blended, building-block approach. Ultimately, the program is designed to equip agents for the central mission of delivering the risk and service-based components of the executive protection mission profile.

Training Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Training program results must be quantifiable to ensure that students are provided with the skills and attributes desired. Training providers often miscalculate the design and delivery of their training programs because they fail to set measurable grading criteria of the skills. Rather, the training is delivered in an ad-hoc manner with little emphasis on measurable key performance indicators (KPIs). As a result, the training program ultimately fails or significantly falls short of the desired outcome.

With the development of our Executive Protection Academy, our training staff determined the skills that each executive protection agent must be capable of executing operationally. We identified these skills during the design phase of the ADDIE process. To determine this, we established a comprehensive Essential Protection Skills List (EPSL). Each individual skill contains a task, condition, and standard. Examples of individual EPSLs include:

1. Provided with an advance agent checklist manual, conduct a hotel survey, while addressing the service and risk-based components of the principal’s itinerary.
2. Provided with essential equipment and transportation assets, conduct a strong-side vehicle arrival, while maintaining proper 540-degree security. 
3. Provided with an agent individual first-aid kit (IFAK), properly apply a tourniquet to a patient’s extremity, within a time limit of 60 seconds.

During course delivery, students are evaluated on each of the academy EPSLs. There are four possible categories:

1. Exceeds expectations: 4 points
2. Meets expectations: 3 points
3. Partial mastery of learning objective. Demonstrates partial understanding, or can perform portions of the skill with assistance: 2 points
4. Little or no mastery: Cannot demonstrate mastery, even with instructor assistance: 1 point

If a student does not meet the minimum standards of a EPSL, they will receive remedial instruction from the training staff. Upon completion of the remedial training, the student will be evaluated once again. If the student passes the remedial evaluation, they will receive the minimum passing score for the EPSL. If the student fails the remedial evaluation, the student will not graduate with a certificate of qualification. Rather, the student will receive a certificate of attendance.

Our program is delivered on average of four times per year in Las Vegas, Nevada as it provides the perfect real-world venue for training agents. We use a combination of hotels, casinos, restaurants, entertainment facilities, highways, and roads to create an environment that is operationally accurate. While Las Vegas is our primary training location for the academy, we have the capability to deliver the training program at other locations domestically and internationally.

For additional course information, click here(link opens in new window).

To learn more about our executive protection services click here.

About the Author

Duke Speed is the Director of Training for Allied Universal® Executive Protection and Intelligence Services.