Meet Iain Holland – Oxford Test of English appoint new Assessment Security Lead
With nearly a decade of experience in defence and national security, Iain brings a wealth of expertise in intelligence management to the world of assessment security. After transitioning from a role focused on immediate life threats to a more holistic approach, he now applies the principles of the Intelligence Cycle to ensure the integrity of high-stakes examinations.
Tell us about your background and what led you to Assessment Security?
After almost ten years working in defence and national security, I wanted to move from intelligence involving ‘immediate threat to life’ to something more holistic. Working in exams is different to what I have done before, however the basic principles of intelligence management through what is known as the ‘Intelligence Cycle’ (namely the Direction, Collection, Processing, Analysis and Dissemination of intelligence data) apply in any security context.
As a ‘newcomer’, what are your first impressions of the assessment industry?
It’s an industry that takes security very seriously. In other sectors, security can sometimes be seen as ‘just a cost centre’ that no one pays attention to until something goes wrong. There is a deep understanding across all individuals within the team working on the Oxford Test of English suite, of the inherent need to protect the integrity of the test. Security is deeply embedded in all ways of working and there is also a willingness to invest in this area.
What lessons are you bringing from your previous experience?
The Intelligence Cycle framework will be well known to other intelligence professionals, as it provides an excellent tool on which to base security processes and procedures. I’m looking forward to applying this in my new professional context.
Where do you see the future of assessment security going?
AI will be increasingly used to automate the Collection element of the intelligence cycle, removing labour intensive investigative work, so that intelligence professionals can focus more on the Direction and Analysis stages of the cycle. We will therefore need to become more skilled in how we train the AI to collect meaningful data. Developments in technology will allow us to identify malpractice or other security incidents in real time, so there will be an expectation that these should be dealt with immediately. Security professionals will be held to increasingly high standards but we must not sacrifice integrity in the name of speed.
