SKD awards new contract for security services – DWSI to remain security provider – strict quality controls – staff on duty during break-in suspended
12 October 2023MI Sicherheitsdienstleister
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD) held a Europe-wide call for tenders for surveillance and security services for the period starting on 12 December 2023. “Dresdner Wach- und Sicherheitsinstitut GmbH” (DWSI) was the clear winner in the tender process, and will therefore remain the security provider for SKD. SKD awarded the new contract, which is scheduled to run for three years with an extension option, to DWSI.
The tender procedure was supervised from the outset by an independent, internationally recognised security planner and a lawyer specialising in procurement law. The external specialist planner also compiled the list of criteria for the award procedure. The new contract was awarded in a transparent procedure, with all participating bidders receiving equal treatment and the same chances of winning.
Several DWSI employees were under investigation in connection with the break-in at the Historisches Grünes Gewölbe (Historic Green Vault) on 25 November 2019. These investigations were concluded without a final conviction proving that the company or individual employees were in breach of their obligations. As a result, there was no legal mechanism to terminate the existing contract prematurely. The staff on duty in the command centre at the time of the break-in had already ceased to work at SKD immediately after the incident.
For this reason, SKD was forced under budgetary law to sue DWSI for damages, as the Free State of Saxony is of the opinion that culpable misconduct, and thus a breach of the contractual obligations by individuals, must be assumed. A legal assessment found that this civil law suit may not lead to the exclusion of DWSI from the award procedure. Accordingly, SKD was obliged to allow DWSI to take part in the service contract award procedure along with the other bidders.
Besides reviewing the existing security concepts, SKD also critically assessed the current service contract, significantly improving many aspects of it in the tender process. The service provider will be required to deliver significantly better quality. The review and evaluation options have also been substantially enhanced. They will allow the new Security department at SKD to effectively supervise the service provider, as well as facilitate precise and close governance of the latter’s operations.
SKD emphasises that only very few DWSI employees working in the command centre can be accused of misconduct. The other employees, who primarily work in the museums, have always done their jobs at SKD properly, responsibly and with great dedication. SKD can look back on a long-standing, trust-based cooperation with these people and refuses to place them under general suspicion. In spite of the ongoing damage compensation proceedings, SKD is looking forward optimistically to working with DWSI in the future.
