It's easy to do the tabloid outrage, but you have to wonder what senior councillors and the CE are for.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
"City council appoints £94k-a-year ‘head of strategy and insight’ "
(15 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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"It's easy to do the tabloid outrage"
Especially when, over many years, it doesn't appear as though senior appointees improve things much.
"
The moves come amid a period of ongoing upheaval at the council, which is seeking to make savings of at least £148 million over the next four years.
Around 2000 staff are expected to leave as part of cost-cutting efforts, while a number of senior roles have also been reshuffled.
All six of the new appointments were finalised on November 7 and will take up position in the coming months.
"
Nah, it's just easier to blame the councillors.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I'm not suggesting that this would be better, just that different is possible.
Contrast to UK/Scotland's increasing centralisation -
"
The city of Portland is governed by the Portland City Council, which includes the Mayor, four Commissioners, and an auditor. Each is elected citywide to serve a four-year term. The auditor provides checks and balances in the commission form of government and accountability for the use of public resources. In addition, the auditor provides access to information and reports on various matters of city government.
The city's Office of Neighborhood Involvement serves as a conduit between city government and Portland's 95 officially recognized neighborhoods. Each neighborhood is represented by a volunteer-based neighborhood association which serves as a liaison between residents of the neighborhood and the city government. The city provides funding to neighborhood associations through seven district coalitions, each of which is a geographical grouping of several neighborhood associations. Most (but not all) neighborhood associations belong to one of these district coalitions.
"
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland,_Oregon#Law_and_government
Portland does a lot of bike stuff.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Thew neighbourhood associations sound a bit like a cross between Community Councils and local Neighbourhood Partnerships.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Faux outrage would be very easy.
But I seriously think Edinburgh could do with 4 or 5 more street sweepers / environmental wardens than it could do with another senior manager with a rather vague but grandiose remit.
Strategy and insight can take a back seat for now if the council can't fulfil its basic requirements on sanitation and the public environment.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"neighbourhood associations sound a bit like a cross between Community Councils and local Neighbourhood Partnerships"
Yes.
Would be interesting to see anyone trying to make that happen.
At least there are murmurs
"
The problem for Scotland’s un-loved councils is that no-one is on their side as the Scottish Government pulls them apart. Opposition parties are scared to put the case for smaller town councils to a council-sceptic public.
But the question Nicola Sturgeon must answer is this. If local government is so unfit for purpose that carefully-crafted work-arounds are needed, where are her plans for sensible reform? Will the SNP restore powerful, budget-raising town, island and rural councils or undermine local democracy with more casual and unaccountable arrangements?
The urgency of this question – just six months before the local elections – has prompted the creation of a new group #OurDemocracy which launches in Glasgow next Monday to kick-start a long overdue debate. Critics, councillors, MSPs, Ministers and voters are most welcome.
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Posted 8 years ago # -
IMO, £94k is chump change for an organisation with the budget of CEC. If you get someone good, the money they'll save/value they'll add will be a large multiple of that... assuming they're allowed to do their job.
However, when I read the appointment is "one of the driving forces behind the UK Government’s City Deals and “Northern Powerhouse” plans", I do wonder if they have gotten someone good.
Posted 8 years ago # -
However, when I read the appointment is "one of the driving forces behind the UK Government’s City Deals and “Northern Powerhouse” plans", I do wonder if they have gotten someone good.
They'll have got someone with good links to folk who deal with (UK) national devolution strategy and potential sources of grant funding, which in today's cash strapped local government is not a bad thing to have at all. If he brings in some funding that kickstarts some big ticket projects then he'll have more than paid for himself.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"assuming they're allowed to do their job"
Also depending what it is.
"strategy" ought to involve plans to spend money/invest.
Anyone can suggest what.
Key thing is raising the cash.
Did he get any from Osborne?
(Not that that would mean he could get more from Westminster or Holyrood.)
I think Jim Orr got money for Leith Walk from his (then) mate Keith Brown.
Maybe it's more about politics than "strategy"(?)
Posted 8 years ago # -
"If he brings in some funding that kickstarts some big ticket projects then he'll have more than paid for himself."
Yes.
But part of the problem is "big ticket projects" - especially if they get money instead of a range of smaller projects.
And of course the perpetual (why?) problem of capital money OK, not enough revenue for maintaining or running things..
Posted 8 years ago # -
But part of the problem is "big ticket projects" - especially if they get money instead of a range of smaller projects.
Yes. Smaller amount of money for less-glamorous things like cleansing and sanitation are much more needed than "big ticket" grand projets.
Having a strategy for getting the city being back to relatively clean, visually attractive and with less dog turds is in my most humble of opinions far more important (and a far bigger return on much smaller investment) than the sort of visionary / world class / iconic bunkum we've been trying in the last decade or so.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I'm assuming this is him -
https://mobile.twitter.com/laurencerockey
"
East of England LGA (@eelga)
10/03/2015, 15:54
Most successful devo deals have a vision and take time @LaurenceRockey @CabinetOffice #TechEast2015"
This must be him -
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/laurence-rockey-0283a929
Moves around.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Posted 8 years ago #
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Of course if CEC wants to save money and know about insight and strategy then it just needs to have a few focus groups (food and drink provided) with some CCEers.
'We' clearly have more insight and wisdom than is possible with any individual. Pretty good on strategy too...
Posted 8 years ago # -
@chdot
"Moves around."
In some professions, that's a pretty bad sign. It's often the sign of someone who looks and talks the part - and uses that to stairstep up their field - but doesn't actually get anything done.
Posted 8 years ago #
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