Hello,
I've worked in the private and public sector for a number of different organisations over the past 20 years and I've see a few things that have made me seriously question what goes on here, to give a few examples:
- The University which would happily pay a consultancy rates for a weekend's work, but would not allow their own capable and willing staff to do the same work (to a higher standard) at an overtime payment for less than a fifth of the cost.
- The Counter Fraud department which had a minimum order number of 300 items, so when we needed 2 label printers were needed, we were told that purchasing couldn't deal with anything under 300 items, so the answer is to buy 300 and leave 298 label printers boxed in a room for several years.
- The GCAT rules which stipulate only approved suppliers can be used for all items, regardless if it takes twice as long and is twice as expensive.
- The DWP department who's work load came in 3 month cycles, but decided it's easier to employ rooms of contractors for 24 months rather than deal with resourcing - the net result being a couple of room fulls of day contractors sitting around for 3 months twiddling their thumbs whilst waiting for the next work load.
- I've recently come across a case whereby the department of health has forced an organisation to use a new supplier, rather than continue with the incumbent as the incumbent isn't deemed "high profile" enough - the net result is that the project is behind schedule, over budget by £6m and will likely fall significantly short of it's goals.
I'd like to think that a lot of this is a result of someone sensible taking a 50,000 foot view of the world and making decisions for the greater good that have minor inefficiencies here and there, however I can't help but think it's more down to incompetence and fraud...
I've worked in the private and public sector for a number of different organisations over the past 20 years and I've see a few things that have made me seriously question what goes on here, to give a few examples:
- The University which would happily pay a consultancy rates for a weekend's work, but would not allow their own capable and willing staff to do the same work (to a higher standard) at an overtime payment for less than a fifth of the cost.
- The Counter Fraud department which had a minimum order number of 300 items, so when we needed 2 label printers were needed, we were told that purchasing couldn't deal with anything under 300 items, so the answer is to buy 300 and leave 298 label printers boxed in a room for several years.
- The GCAT rules which stipulate only approved suppliers can be used for all items, regardless if it takes twice as long and is twice as expensive.
- The DWP department who's work load came in 3 month cycles, but decided it's easier to employ rooms of contractors for 24 months rather than deal with resourcing - the net result being a couple of room fulls of day contractors sitting around for 3 months twiddling their thumbs whilst waiting for the next work load.
- I've recently come across a case whereby the department of health has forced an organisation to use a new supplier, rather than continue with the incumbent as the incumbent isn't deemed "high profile" enough - the net result is that the project is behind schedule, over budget by £6m and will likely fall significantly short of it's goals.
I'd like to think that a lot of this is a result of someone sensible taking a 50,000 foot view of the world and making decisions for the greater good that have minor inefficiencies here and there, however I can't help but think it's more down to incompetence and fraud...
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