SINGAPORE - Organisations purchasing security services now have a guide to turn to, to help them focus on outcomes rather than headcount.

The Guide for Outcome-Based Security Contracts was developed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, in consultation with stakeholders.

It provides principles and templates for service buyers to adopt procurement contracts at every stage of the tender process.

Training on the use of the guide will be available by the end of this year.

Buyers of security services will need to adapt to the manpower crunch in the industry by adopting outcome-based solutions instead of manpower-based ones, said Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo.

"While technology will change the way security services are delivered, one major frustration for security agencies is the refusal of some customers to move with the times," said Mrs Teo on Wednesday (July 18).

"In other words, even as the supply side modernises, so too must the demand side."

She was speaking at the Security Officers Day Awards Ceremony, where she launched the Security Industry Digital Plan, which aims to help smaller security agencies adopt digital technology.

The Government is leading the way in putting out security service tenders for outcome-based contracts, and it was announced earlier that the target is for most government agencies to adopt outcome-based security contracts by 2020.

There was good progress, said Mrs Teo, adding that JTC Corporation and the Singapore Land Authority have adopted outcome-based contracts in recent tenders.

"We have engaged two major government buyers - MOE (Ministry of Education) and HDB - whose security contracts are due for renewal over the next year, to adopt outcome-based security contracts," she said at the event, which was held at NTUC Centre in Marina Boulevard.

Mrs Teo added that the annual security contract value of these four agencies was more than $70 million.