The Guardian has a new section of its website designed for local government officers. But there’s some interesting stuff for councillors too – and interested members of the public.
For example this slightly tongue-in-cheek list could apply to councillors as well as officers:
You know you’ve worked in local government too long when?
1. You have to get a purchase order signed off by your mum before you can do the shopping
.
2. You know the exact person to contact when your bin isn’t collected (including which company the collection has been tendered to)
.
3. You ask your friends to fill in an equality monitoring form when they come to your party
.
4. You demand Gantt charts and RAG reports from your children’s school teachers
.
5. You don’t have an invite list for a party, you have a range of stakeholders attending
.
6. You smile at anyone in a high-vis vest in any authority doing any sort of work since “we’re all in this together”
.
7. You set your children performance indicators for their homework
.
8. You see chatting to the person next to you on the bus as a community engagement exercise
.
9. When a friend offers you a lift you think “Ah, the big society in action!”, then you CRB-check them
.
10. Your job title is longer than your address
What is a Gantt chart?
Chris – this explains it all: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gantt_chart. Also very useful for getting a tick in the box at project management reviews with senior managers…..and looks good on the wall of the project office.
Hi Chris
What is a Gantt chart?
If I told you then I would have to kill you !!
You have obviously not been in local government long enough to get in the know !!
John