An article on the Local Government Chronicle website cites Barnet as one council 'thinking the unthinkable' in its bid to make ends meet. In fact, the article cites few examples of councils planning to go down the road of mass outsourcing. It also points out that many will be reluctant to cut local government jobs during the recession, as local government is often an important local employer. However, LGC clearly thinks councils SHOULD be going down this road, so we will still take this article as a piece of propaganda.
The magazine has announced its second annual Efficiency Week, from 9-13 March 2009.
They are correct to publicise the squeeze going on on public finances. Myself, I believe that with different priorities, spending on public services can be maintained and even extended, even in this climate - I'll look for areas where I think efficiency savings can be made, and report back...! We could start with the 'Future Shape' report from PricewaterhouseCoopers which apparently cost a staggering £130,000. No more like that, thank you very much!
I invite ideas from other people.
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1 comment:
Vicki,
Savings nearly always mean job cuts. In Barnet however it seems that there is a culture of waste at the top. This is why top council officers get plasma screen tellies on their desks, brand new top of the range laptops costing thousands to send a few emails, jollies to the south of france and america to attend conferences.
They've also lost millions taking reckless gambles playing the money markets and are spending a fortune on external consultants to draw up blue sky papers on new ways to get vital work done.
My solution? Get a council leader who wants to run the council efficiently, not one who wants to make a name for himself so he can go to westminster and become an MP.
They could also do with a few Tory councillors who have the balls to say no to their leaders.
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