[BBC News] Call for government relocations

[Albert Tatlock]

In the present economic circumstances talk of spending money on relocating departments seems out of touch with reality.

I disagree. Talking about it, and even doing some groundwork on this is still a reality, but it should at least be being discussed and assessed as a matter of future policy. There are a lot of government 'Turkeys' that would be against these moves, to whom such moves are akin to voting for xmas. Putting off the debate would simply be a victory for them, and a loss for tax and rate payers.

 

The case for relocation and reorganisation is now overwhelming IMO. In these times, such an assessment, relocation and reorganisation could serve as a boost to the construction industry, as well as a basis for reducing government expenditure on the civil service - expenditure which IMO is now out of hand and utterly mismanaged.

[manshimajin]

IMO the danger is that based on what I read in this Forum and see for myself there is a huge danger that a relocation exercise would be piecemeal, full of vested interests and a political football (viz: the now abandoned PS relocation exercise in Ireland).

 

To succeed and benefit the Island it needs a commercial approach. Fix fundamental issues first, do a cost/benefit and have a proper costed plan if relocation is justified. Then make sure that it is delivered within cost and that all the justifications for the move are delivered. This is not the Government approach.

[P.K.]

The case for relocation and reorganisation is now overwhelming IMO. In these times, such an assessment, relocation and reorganisation could serve as a boost to the construction industry, as well as a basis for reducing government expenditure on the civil service - expenditure which IMO is now out of hand and utterly mismanaged.

So where is your proof of this "mismanagement"?

 

So many propose re-orgs:

Lets be realistic, Manx politicians are going to have difficulty actually doing anything major. Nouse and local tactical awareness is a skill in a local councillor - and lets get off our little Mann high horse the IOM government has no more power than a small UK Council - IOM government budget £600 million odd - Kings Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council £300 million.

 

Our MHKs are spectators on the world's events - and have little ability to do anything particularly influential - even for Manx citizens - they've been totally irrelevent in the Icelandic bank problems etc. The results are parochial debates and parish pump politics - these have a role - people do need to have someone to complain about traffic lights, traffic wardens and dogs on the beach, but lets face it, it isn't a career to attract a real go getter, more someone who wants to get mucking in to the local community - and that is what we've got.

 

Me - I think we need to rationalize the tiers of government - flatten the structure massively; creating a semi-unified local system (North, South, West, Douglas) and have a smaller, but more professional upper body. Plus the department of Tourism needs to be abolished and its functions rolled into Home Affairs and DTI - which should be remained Department for Trade, Industry and Services.

I'm amazed that so many bang on about this. It's VERY obvious that "managing" the IOM as a business has never been sized up using modern methods. I mean, is it possible that domestic waste disposal varies from area to area so do all the areas need "representation"? Do they bollocks. Sure Tynwald has various other duties besides that of a Town Council such as a defence budget, tax rates and so on but just how much effort is actually needed to run IOM PLC?

 

Here's a thought - nobody knows...

 

And as folks are naturally resistant to change as they invariably view change as a threat it's not about to be reviewed anytime soon. But it should be as government that "evolves" over time doesn't do it to be more efficient, it just does it because it seemed like a good idea at the time. Rather like relocating departments for votes for efficiencies.

[Moghrey Mie]

There was a good independent report on the Scope and Structure of Government a couple of years ago.

Is this the one?

 

Govt Review

 

In the present economic circumstances talk of spending money on relocating departments seems out of touch with reality.

 

When the opportunity arises sometime in the future the first step of any exercise needs to be to get the strutures and numbers right rather than moving first and trying to sort the structures out after the move.

 

Basic business IT practice is to get the operations as effective as possible first and then design the system. Same applies to relocations.

 

 

Quite agree. They relocated the prison to Jurby and now they're going to have review if the penal system.Wrong way round!

 

It turns out half the prisoners are in for drugs and probably need individual treatment and counselling in the drugs unit at the Strang rather than being put together to swap ideas in Jurby.