Choosing a Local Partner in Poland and Ukraine: What International Security Firms Should Ask

Sooner or later, an international security firm gets a request it cannot deliver with its own people. A client needs protection in Warsaw next week, or wants to send a team to Kyiv, and the firm's name will be on the assignment even though someone else is on the ground.

The choice of local partner is therefore one of the most important decisions in the assignment. A polished website proves little, so here are the questions we would ask in your position. We act as a local partner to other firms ourselves, so you can put these questions to us as well.

Who will actually deliver the work?

Some local providers are mainly brokers: they win the assignment and then look for people. Ask directly:

• In which countries do you deliver with your own people?

• Where do you rely on partners, and how do you vet them?

• Who answers for the team if a partner is involved?

• Who will your point of contact be, and is that person the one running the assignment?

Our own answer: we deliver directly with our own people in Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland. Elsewhere we work through vetted partners, and we answer for everyone on the assignment, including those partners.

Are they licensed and legally able to do the work?

Rules on security services and armed protection differ from country to country. Ask which licence the provider holds, what it covers, and whether armed protection is lawful for this specific assignment. "Where the law allows" should come with a clear explanation, not a shrug. Vague answers here can become your problem and your client's.

How are operators selected and tested?

Ask about the people rather than the brochure. What are their backgrounds? How are they vetted? How often do they train, and in what? Who has medical training? Our teams include former Special Forces operators, police officers and government agents, every operative is selected and vetted, and the team trains continuously.

Also ask whether the operators fit the client. Language, manner and experience with the type of principal can matter as much as a CV.

In Ukraine, what does presence really mean?

Many companies list Ukraine on their websites. Fewer have current knowledge of it. Good questions include:

• Do you have a permanent team in the country?

• How do you verify a destination before you accept it, and when do you say no?

• How do you choose a border crossing and assess a route?

• What is your plan for air alerts, shelters and curfews?

• What have you actually done there since February 2022?

We keep a permanent team in Ukraine, coordinated with our Operations Centre in Warsaw. Because of the war, we confirm each destination only after internal verification. If we cannot reach a place safely, we say so. Since February 2022 we have completed over 250 evacuation missions in Ukraine and brought more than 2,000 civilians to safety.

What happens when something goes wrong?

A local partner is tested when the plan fails, so ask to see how it would respond. Who coordinates at night? What is the evacuation plan? Which medical arrangements exist, and who provides them?

For Ukraine, we can arrange evacuation and contingency plans, medical cover with verified partners, and medical evacuation to Poland or other European countries, as well as medical transfer to a hospital in Ukraine for clients already there. Air transport within Ukraine is not currently possible, so a partner that promises it deserves further questions. Find out early what is included and what is charged separately. With us, medical cover is optional and evacuation may be charged separately.

How will they protect your client relationship?

You are trusting a partner with your client, and often with sensitive details about that client. Agree the following at the start:

• An NDA before any details are shared

• A clear, written scope and budget

• How reporting will work, how often, and to whom

• Who may speak directly to the client

• A debrief when the work is complete

Complete discretion should be the default. A partner that talks freely about other clients will talk freely about yours.

Start small, if you can

If time allows, begin with a short assignment or a risk assessment before a major deployment. You will quickly learn how the partner communicates, reports and handles a change of plan.

Working with GSC

Global Security Centre is a licensed Polish executive protection and crisis management company, active since 2014, with over 300 executive and diplomatic protection missions behind it. We run assignments from our Operations Centre in Warsaw and work as a vetted local partner for international firms in Poland, Ukraine and Central and Eastern Europe. You can read more about us.

If you have an assignment in the region, or want to establish a relationship before you need one, request a confidential call. An NDA is available before any details are shared.