Contracting Out Security
Abstract Private security companies (PSCs) currently receive a great deal of attention in the news media, in sensationalist reporting, and increasingly in scholarly books and articles. While the scholarly books and articles make significant contributions to our understanding of this global phenomenon, there are several impediments to analysis that must be recognized and overcome if analysis is to be improved. Three of these impediments are reviewed in this article. The author suggests that US government material is currently available to minimize impediments and offers a framework to make analytical sense of it. Since contracting out is based on contracts, and unless the complexities of awarding and managing contracts are understood, recommendations made to reform the process of contracting out security are unrealistic.
Political, Bureaucratic, and Organizational Obstacles in Regulation of the PSCs
This chapter takes on the deconstructed identities and continues deconstructing the political process of regulation first and then the bureaucratic process. It explores the political factor, seen in ideological battles within Congress and departmental competition. It demonstrates that both agents and structure cause obstacles in the regulatory process and analyzes issues as bureaucratic struggles, institutional memory loss, revolving doors, urgency caused by media pressure, organizational obstacles, and influence of personality and personal connections on regulatory process. By discussing practices, the chapter demonstrates where those obstacles are visible and introduces the conditions that gave rise to the regulatory process.
Research requirements to reduce maintenance costs of civil helicopters
The maintenance problems faced by the operators of civil helicopters that result in high costs are documented. Existing technology that can be applied to reduce maintenance costs and research that should be carried out were identified. Good design practice and application of existing technology were described as having a significant impact on reducing maintenance costs immediately. The research and development that have potential for long range reduction of maintenance costs are presented.