Non-job of the week

The UK’s most infamous non-job has been filled. Regular readers will remember 2 December last year, my non-job of the week was a Future Shape Programme Manager, paying £70K a year. Since then this non-job has been talked about by newspaper columnists and has featured on radio and television. North East Lincolnshire Council’s chief executive insists this new role is vital for the council. I beg to differ, but I’ll leave it up to you to decide. In the following video you will see a clip of the new Future Shape Programme Manager, and there is an interview with the chief executive at the end.

These so-called change programmes seem to be breeding. On 23 February I mentioned Surrey County Council was looking for a Performance Manager on £41K a year. I don’t know how big this team is going to be, but now the council is advertising for a Performance Officer and an Intelligence Officer, both reporting to the Performance Manager. The council is also looking for a Change Officer, who will be reporting to the Senior Change Manager. It’s as if someone has asked the question, “Are we over-staffed?”, and they got the reply, “I don’t know, but perhaps we should hire a few more people to find out!”

I know I’m being sarcastic, and of course we want councils to improve performance, and save taxpayers’ money, but does Surrey County Council really need to go to these lengths to do it? It already employs directors on very handsome salaries; has numerous departmental heads, with a vast array of managers beneath them. Surely these people have an idea on how they can save money and improve performance? They can consult with their staff to find out. Councillors will have examples readily at hand too. Do you really need a vast array of new staff to implement new ideas? I don’t think so. If existing managers and directors don’t know what to do, and can’t think of ways of running a tighter ship, then they should be replaced with people who can do their jobs better.

After the publication of the Town Hall Rich List last week, we were constantly being told that to attract the best people you have to pay high salaries. I wish I had a pound for every time I’m told if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Well, we don’t pay peanuts. It’s about time these well paid public servants did their jobs properly and provided first-class services at the best possible price to the taxpayer, instead of creating new departments Sir Humphrey Abbleby would be proud of.

View the original article here

Non-job of the week

The UK’s most infamous non-job has been filled. Regular readers will remember 2 December last year, my non-job of the week was a Future Shape Programme Manager, paying £70K a year. Since then this non-job has been talked about by newspaper columnists and has featured on radio and television. North East Lincolnshire Council’s chief executive insists this new role is vital for the council. I beg to differ, but I’ll leave it up to you to decide. In the following video you will see a clip of the new Future Shape Programme Manager, and there is an interview with the chief executive at the end.

These so-called change programmes seem to be breeding. On 23 February I mentioned Surrey County Council was looking for a Performance Manager on £41K a year. I don’t know how big this team is going to be, but now the council is advertising for a Performance Officer and an Intelligence Officer, both reporting to the Performance Manager. The council is also looking for a Change Officer, who will be reporting to the Senior Change Manager. It’s as if someone has asked the question, “Are we over-staffed?”, and they got the reply, “I don’t know, but perhaps we should hire a few more people to find out!”

I know I’m being sarcastic, and of course we want councils to improve performance, and save taxpayers’ money, but does Surrey County Council really need to go to these lengths to do it? It already employs directors on very handsome salaries; has numerous departmental heads, with a vast array of managers beneath them. Surely these people have an idea on how they can save money and improve performance? They can consult with their staff to find out. Councillors will have examples readily at hand too. Do you really need a vast array of new staff to implement new ideas? I don’t think so. If existing managers and directors don’t know what to do, and can’t think of ways of running a tighter ship, then they should be replaced with people who can do their jobs better.

After the publication of the Town Hall Rich List last week, we were constantly being told that to attract the best people you have to pay high salaries. I wish I had a pound for every time I’m told if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Well, we don’t pay peanuts. It’s about time these well paid public servants did their jobs properly and provided first-class services at the best possible price to the taxpayer, instead of creating new departments Sir Humphrey Abbleby would be proud of.

View the original article here

Non-job of the week

After last week’s non-job, an Interim Head of Parking Services, I received many messages of support. One even wrote this in the comments section:

I NEVER agree with Andrew and the TPA but I ruddy well am on this occasion. This kind of money for a head of parking is quite simply obscene and completely unjustifiable. Outrageous.

Unfortunately – and perhaps surprsingly – there were still some who thought paying £600 a day was justified. I was told I had missed the point; this was an interim job; doesn’t he know this is the going rate? Yes, I did realise this was an interim job. The clue was in the title. If this is the going rate, then councils should make sure they drive it down. Some people really don’t get it.

Never mind, as I said, the majority of comments were supportive from people genuinely shocked a council would pay so much, even if it was ‘just’ for a maximum of twelve months!

This week’s non-job is once again from Surrey County Council. I don’t know what council taxpayers there think, but I get the impression SCC is overflowing with cash, and the services there are second to none. I know there are plenty of taxpayer funded officials in all councils gifted in the dark art of spin, constantly telling us what a great job their council is doing, but Surrey seems to excel in this area more than others. The council is looking for an Internal Communications Officer, at over £32,000 pa, to join its award winning communications team. Here follows the gobbledegook job description:

Excited by the idea of making a difference?

Confident managing a number of client relationships at any one time?

Adept at taking a brief and turning it into a communications plan?

Got a flair for creating and delivering clear and engaging communications?

Understand our role as communicators during times of change?

Our award winning internal communications team is looking for someone who can help develop and deliver engaging communications; with a particular focus on change communications.

You’re a team player, and able to work independently, developing and implementing integrated internal communications campaigns to a high professional standard.

You have an understanding of the role communications has in informing and engaging colleagues, turning strategy into action and maintaining and enhancing our brand. Hands-on and able to think strategically, you use your excellent writing skills, creative approach and strong interpersonal skills to support internal customers, at all levels, across the organisation.

Through your understanding of the communications mix, you use a range of communications channels to reach audiences, to evaluate the success of each, and modify your work accordingly.

What will this post holder be doing? What change are they responsible for communicating that cannot be communicated through existing channels? Apparently this is an award winning team. Who gave the award? I bet it wasn’t Surrey taxpayers!

It is bad enough to watch out money being wasted on communications officers telling us what a great job the council is doing, without having to pay for internal communications departments. This is not what we pay our council tax for.

View the original article here