Reflections of a CSyP DAR Assessor: Garry Bergin CSyP
Following our 2022 profile, we caught up with Garry Bergin CSyP for an update on his career and for reflections from his work as a Document Assessor for the Register of Chartered Security Professionals.
What has changed since we last spoke in 2022?
Quite a lot, all in the right direction. I am still with Manguard Plus as Commercial Manager and Security Consultant, and the company continues on the upward trajectory I mentioned last time.
My role has broadened to include overseeing consultancy projects, intelligence reporting, and several high-performing security contracts. I also design and deliver specialist training, including Counter Terrorism Awareness and Risk Management. Alongside that, I now chair the ISRM Ireland Chapter, which has given me a broader platform to contribute to the sector’s professionalisation.
Reflections as a DAR Assessor for the CSyP
The core of my work as a Document Assessor is reviewing the candidate application. It is a privilege and a responsibility, because the application is the basis for our recommendation on whether a candidate should progress.
My process is deliberately hands-on. I print every application and read it with five highlighters on the desk, one for each core competency: Security Knowledge, Practical Application, Communication, Leadership, and Personal and Professional Commitment. As I work through the form, I colour each piece of evidence against the competency it satisfies. By the end, I want to see all five colours on the page. If a colour is missing, the application is not yet ready, no matter how senior the candidate.
The single most common issue I see is the use of “we”. Candidates tell me what their team or employer achieved. That is not what the assessor needs. I need to know what you did. Your decisions, your interventions, your judgment calls, your outcomes. The Charter is awarded to an individual, so the application has to make that personal contribution unmistakable.
The second issue is evidence. A claim on a form is not enough on its own. If you delivered a strategy, show me the report. If you led a briefing, show me the slide deck.
If you designed a procedure, show me the document. A presentation, report or redacted plan turns a statement into proof and gives the assessor something concrete to map against the framework.
Assessors do not always agree, and that is entirely healthy. We come from different parts of the sector and weigh evidence through our own experience, so constructive challenge is part of the process, working as it should. What we share is a common standard. The Register is only as strong as the weakest CSyP Registrant, so every application must be assessed robustly on its merits.
My advice to anyone preparing to apply is simple. Write in the first person singular. Use “I”. Evidence every claim with an artefact. Map your contribution clearly against all five competency areas, and assume an assessor will be reading with five highlighters in hand, looking for all five colours on the page.
It is also worth remembering that the document assessment is only the first stage of the CSyP process. Those who pass and hold an academic degree in security progress to a professional interview, while candidates without a security degree submit a written portfolio and then progress to a final interview. Understanding the full pathway from the outset helps candidates prepare properly at every stage.
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