A SCIF Is a System, Not a Collection of Scopes

This is Part 2 of Building a SCIF That Performs, a six-part series by Danny Heck, Technical Director, Secure Solutions at SPG, Inc., on the difference between completing a SCIF and delivering one that performs as intended.

A SCIF is a system not a collection of individual construction scopes.

One of the biggest mistakes we can make in secure construction is looking at individual components as though they operate independently.

• The walls are one scope.

• The doors are another.

• Electrical belongs to the electrician.

• Mechanical belongs to the mechanical contractor.

• RF shielding belongs to the shielding contractor.

• Access control and intrusion detection belong to the security integrator.

From a contracting and project-management perspective, dividing responsibilities in this way makes perfect sense. But there's a problem:

The secure perimeter doesn't recognize contractual boundaries.

Everything eventually has to work together. Conduit, ductwork, cabling, piping, doors, structural connections, grounding and bonding, security devices, penetrations, shielding systems, and architectural assemblies can all interact at the secure perimeter.

One contractor can perform excellent work within their individual scope and still unintentionally affect another security requirement.

That's why trade coordination on a SCIF project has to go beyond asking: “Does everyone's work fit?”

We also need to ask: “Does everyone's work function together as a complete security system?”

That is a very different question.

Successful SCIF construction requires more than installing compliant individual components. It requires understanding how those components interact once everything is assembled in the field.

And that leads to another important distinction. What happens when every individual component appears compliant, but the completed facility still doesn't perform?

Previous in the series: Part 1 — Building a SCIF vs. Building a SCIF That Performs

Next in the series: Part 3 — Compliance Is Important. Performance Is the Goal.

About the author: Danny Heck is the Technical Director for Secure Solutions at SPG, Inc., a veteran-owned firm that works across the full life of secure facilities design, preconstruction, construction, testing, and accreditation and teaches the standards behind that work.

Planning a secure facility? The best time to bring experienced secure-facility professionals into the conversation is early while the problems are still lines on a drawing. Contact SPG, Inc.

Building the expertise in-house? SPG, Inc. teaches courses on TEMPEST shielding and ICD 705. See available courses.

More lessons from the field: follow Danny Heck on LinkedIn.