The Evolving Contingency Contracting Market PKSOI Papers | Page 12

vices. These private sector firms providing “contingency contracting” services can be classified into four
broad categories of operations: logistics and support
companies, private security companies, security sector reform and development companies, and industry
support organizations.
More specifically, logistics and support companies (LSCs) are companies that specialize in providing logistical support, aviation services, construction
services, unexploded ordnance and landmine clearance, water purification, medical care, and other life
support services that are generally useful in less developed or post-disaster societies, and are not specific
to other complex or combat environments. Such LSCs
have historically made up a great majority of the contingency operations industry.
Private security companies (PSCs) are firms that
specialize in providing protection for people, places,
or things. Although their clients frequently are other
companies, they also include governments, NGOs,
humanitarian and civil society actors, and a variety
of other international organizations. PSCs allow operations to continue in extremely dangerous environments, including operations such as humanitarian relief, reconstruction, and infrastructure development.
They may employ armed or unarmed personnel depending on their client and operational environment.
PSCs are the smallest category of these four primary
contingency contracting designations, and as with the
other sectors, they predominately staff their personnel
rosters using local hires and host country nationals.
Regardless of the sensationalist stories that have made
headlines in recent years, most PSCs are carefully administered professional enterprises with remarkably
comprehensive quality control processes.

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