AUCSO evolves Benchmarking Platform in response to member demand

Following the successful launch of AUCSO’s Benchmarking Report 2025, the Benchmarking Platform has rapidly developed into a live, sector-wide intelligence tool that’s shaped directly by member engagement and real-world operational challenges.

Now comprising 92 university profiles from institutions across the UK, Ireland and the international stage, the Benchmarking Platform is providing increasingly robust insights into how higher education security teams are structured, resourced and evolving.

Unlike traditional benchmarking exercises, AUCSO’s Benchmarking Platform is being actively refined in response to member discussions and emerging sector priorities. Insights from member forums (including recurring questions around security-to-student ratios, team structures, shift patterns and technology use) have directly informed the next phase of development.

While existing data is already enabling meaningful comparisons in areas such as workforce scale and operating models, gaps identified by members are now being addressed through the introduction of new and targeted data points.

Julie Barker, chief operating officer of AUCSO, noted: “What has been most powerful about the benchmarking programme is how quickly it has become something the sector actively uses and shapes. We’re not simply collecting data. We are listening to our members, responding to the questions they’re asking and building a tool that reflects the realities of modern university security.”

Martyn’s Law preparedness

Central to the Benchmarking Platform’s enhancement is the introduction of new questions designed to help institutions assess their preparedness for the forthcoming Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, commonly known as Martyn’s Law.

Figen Murray OBE, Patron of AUCSO and the leading advocate for Martyn’s Law, said: “Understanding preparedness is the first step towards improvement. By embedding Martyn’s Law readiness into its benchmarking, AUCSO is providing university teams with a clear and practical way in which to assess where they stand and what more needs to be done. This kind of sector-wide visibility is essential as we move towards implementation.”

Rather than focusing prematurely on compliance, the Benchmarking Platform will initially capture a clear picture of where institutions are in their journey, whether actively preparing, monitoring developments or they’ve yet to begin. This approach reflects the evolving nature of the legislation, with further and more detailed measures to be introduced.

New data areas

The next phase of the Benchmarking Programme will also introduce new questions in areas identified as priorities by AUCSO members, including:

*shift structures and demand management, providing insight into how institutions resource 24/7 operations and respond to peak pressures

*emergency preparedness (including whether institutions have documented and tested procedures in place for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and mass communication scenarios)

*Martyn’s Law readiness focused on introducing a baseline measure to understand whether institutions are actively progressing, monitoring developments or have yet to begin, in turn helping to identify where further support or guidance may be needed

*future modules covering surveillance platforms, communications protocols and partnership working

These additions will allow academic institutions not only to benchmark current practice, but also to identify more sustainable and effective operating models across the sector.

Trul powerful

Nick Beale, CEO of ISARR, explained: “This is where benchmarking becomes truly powerful: when it moves beyond static comparison to dynamic and actionable insight.”

Beale continued: “Working alongside AUCSO, we’ve built a Benchmarking Platform that doesn’t just collect data, but also turns it into a decision-support tool for security leaders. As the dataset deepens and incorporates new areas such as Martyn’s Law readiness, institutions will be better equipped to quantify demand, evidence their resource needs and make more informed decisions about risk and resilience, all supported by a community of peers facing the same challenges while remaining committed to raising standards together.”

AUCSO emphasises that the strength of the Benchmarking Programme lies in participation and collaboration. With growing evidence that members are already using this tool to inform decision-making and respond to operational challenges, the organisation is encouraging wider engagement to further strengthen the dataset and its value.

Central role

As the higher education sector’s security landscape continues to evolve, with increasing expectations around safety, well-being and regulatory preparedness, AUCSO believes the Benchmarking Platform will play a central role in supporting institutions to respond with confidence.

This enhanced benchmarking capability sits alongside the recent publication of a new sector-led framework entitled ‘The To Protect Model: A Practical Approach for Implementing Protect Duty (Martyn’s Law) Responsibilities’, which is designed to support higher education sector institutions in preparing for the requirements of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.

Taken together, these initiatives will provide the sector with a clearer and more consistent understanding of preparedness for Martyn’s Law, enabling institutions to move forward with greater confidence, co-ordination and clarity.

*Further information is available online at www.aucso.org