Due-diligence checklist for outsourced security

A working checklist for vetting a security vendor before you engage. Work it top to bottom and record the evidence for each item; if an item has no evidence, treat it as an open risk, not as an assumption.

Legal authority

• Vendor holds a PSARA licence for each state in which they deploy guards.
• The licence record is shown per state, separate from general operating presence.
• Deployment is vet-and-deploy under a documented process, not a promise.

Supervision and accountability

• A named supervisor is accountable per site, independent of the guard post.
• A named account owner is the escalation point for the contract.
• Field inspections are scheduled and unannounced, and are logged.

Reporting and records

• Attendance is reconciled to the site roster, with exceptions on an agreed cadence.
• Incidents are recorded with time, action and escalation against a written matrix.
• Records are retained and available for audit, with a named source per claim.

Statutory and commercial

• Statutory components are stated per state and per site’s roles and shifts.
• The price is decomposed: labour, statutory, and service charge.
• Scope changes flow through billing transparently.

Commercial and exit

• A clear mobilisation sequence is defined before the contract starts.
• What is not promised is written down — limitations are explicit.
• Exit terms, handover of records and termination notice are agreed in writing.