Question Everything: What would you cut 4.0

Update 24/Oct/2011
Even though OCC are supposedly cutting the back office to save front line services, on top of the 8 new policy officers they are also hiring two deputy directors:

http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=jobs.item&jobid=7556&partnerid=0

Social care is taking 31 million pounds worth of cuts they can still afford to hire two directors on 98k each. Totting up the pension contributions and the numbers below for the new policy officers the total spend on back office will be going up by approximately £467,153.75.

I'm sure the youth centres, elderly and library users will be pleased.

Despite the supposed savage cuts and back office efficiencies Oxfordshire County Council OCC still have enough spare cash to recruit 8 new policy officers. I think in the modern political vernacular they call them SPADS. I don't know if these are new roles or replacements. Either way it sounds like a entire new department being created:

I have totted up the numbers based on the average of the roles and the numbers are below:

They obviously need all these new policy officers to drive through the policies of cutting youth centres, cutting adult social care and cutting rural libraries. Below is the "Main Purpose of Job" bit from each of the roles:

Senior Policy & Performance Officer X2:
"The purpose of the job is to work as part of a small central team providing a
framework within which the council can function effectively. The post holder
will be required to work in a fast paced environment to deliver organisational
improvement and policy development, driving through business efficiency and
cultural change. The post holder will lead by example, promote the values of
the organisation, facilitate others to deliver their objectives and facilitate a
joined up holistic approach and culture across the Council.
The post holder will lead on the delivery of a range of high profile projects that
are critical to the organisation. They will work alongside the service areas to
write strategies and implementation plans, providing support, advice and
challenge on a range of important issues. They will work flexibly and function
within a within a matrix management system.
This post holder is responsible for ensuring that all relevant County policies
and procedures are adhered to and concerns are raised in accordance with
these policies"

Policy & Performance Office X3:

"The purpose of the job is to work as part of a small central team providing a

framework within which the council can function effectively. The post holder

will be required to work in a fast paced environment to deliver organisational

improvement and policy development, driving through business efficiency and

cultural change. The post holder will lead by example, promote the values of

the organisation, facilitate others to deliver their objectives and facilitate a

joined up holistic approach and culture across the Council.

Working to a project manager, the policy officer will be responsible for

delivering wide-ranging projects and vital functions in support of the Council’s

Business Strategy and corporate priorities, based on a matrix-management

approach. This is likely to cover a wide-range of issues, and will extend from

early formulation of policy ideas through to a role in delivery and supporting

others to ensure that change is embedded in the organisation.

This post holder is responsible for ensuring that all relevant County policies

and procedures are adhered to and concerns are raised in accordance with

these policies"

Policy & Performance Support Officer X3:

"This is a training post and the expectation is that whilst the post holder would
contribute to the work of the Policy Unit, they would do so whilst learning on
the job. The purpose of the job is to work as part of a small central team
providing a framework within which the council can function effectively. The
post holder will be required to work in a fast paced environment to deliver
organisational improvement and policy development, driving through business
efficiency and cultural change. The post holder will lead by example, promote
the values of the organisation, facilitate others to deliver their objectives and
facilitate a joined up holistic approach and culture across the Council.
Working to a project manager, the policy support officer will be responsible for
supporting the delivery of wide-ranging projects and vital functions in support
of the Council’s Business Strategy and corporate priorities, based on a matrix management
approach. This is likely to cover a wide-range of issues, and will extend from early
formulation of policy ideas through to a role in delivery and supporting others to ensure
that change is embedded in the organisation. This post holder is responsible for
ensuring that all relevant County policies and procedures are adhered to and
concerns are raised in accordance with these policies"

With the prevailing wind at OCC of getting the communities to provide the services for themselves, its clearly vital we have these brave men and women providing "frameworks", "joined up holistic approaches" and "cultural change". Clearly needed when communities get the one off Big Society grant and have to provide services they have already paid for themselves:

We can all be happy knowing OCC has a top team of policy officers taking up the back office slack. The OCC definition of the big society is to have a expensive team of back office administrators with the plebs delivering the front line services to themselves as volunteers. Remind me what I pay my taxes for again? Below is a OCC run hospital waiting for the volunteer clinical staff to turn up and deliver the services they have already paid for.