Unexpected outcome

I spent a couple of days last week in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. The weather was characteristically seasonal - horizontal rain blown in by a storm force wind - but the welcome was warmth itself.

I was over in the Province to deliver a workshop on communications during change to a bunch of forensic scientists. They were a great crowd and it was a good couple of days with a huge amount of knowledge transfer (both ways I might add!).

These guys are facing an unexpected challenge in coping with Northern Ireland's peace dividend. World renowned for their expertise in the forensic science of bomb damage, blood splatter and the detritus of terrorism, they're now having to adapt to being a market-led service operating in a peace time environment - and it's not easy. Suddenly they have customers and competition and a distinct lack of clear purpose. For 30 years they were part of the fight against sectarian terror in the six counties. Now, they deal with burglaries and run of the mill crime - alongside the odd murder.

They will change - they have no choice. But sometimes even peace can have a few casualties.