Comments on: 40 things wrong with public services http://www.edemocracyblog.com/political-blog/40-things-wrong-with-public-services/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Thoughts on eDemocracy, eGovernment, politics and technology Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:02:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Richard http://www.edemocracyblog.com/political-blog/40-things-wrong-with-public-services/comment-page-1/#comment-253 Richard Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:50:18 +0000 http://www.edemocracyblog.com/?p=797#comment-253 Good point - apart from the things you can find with some <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=social+media+local+government&btnG=Search&meta=cr%3DcountryUK|countryGB&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=" rel="nofollow">random Googling</a> and from the <a href="http://www.socitm.gov.uk/" rel="nofollow">usual sources</a>, I don't know of any really useful sources of information on this. Perhaps the absence of social media from Total Place is related to one of the issues I addressed in <a href="/political-blog/total-place-the-missing-element/" rel="nofollow">this post</a> - that public participation does not seem to be that high a priority, for now at least. Good point - apart from the things you can find with some random Googling and from the usual sources, I don't know of any really useful sources of information on this.

Perhaps the absence of social media from Total Place is related to one of the issues I addressed in this post - that public participation does not seem to be that high a priority, for now at least.

]]> By: Ibixinsight http://www.edemocracyblog.com/political-blog/40-things-wrong-with-public-services/comment-page-1/#comment-252 Ibixinsight Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:41:14 +0000 http://www.edemocracyblog.com/?p=797#comment-252 Thankyou Richard for this really helpful starter on what deficiencies have been highlighted in the Total Place Pilot evaluation report. I guess what I find surprising for a survey which was delivered by national Govt only last year is the paucity on information surrounding the deployment and uptake of new social media type solutions - any update on this? Carrie Pemberton Ford Ibix Insight Thankyou Richard for this really helpful starter on what deficiencies have been highlighted in the Total Place Pilot evaluation report. I guess what I find surprising for a survey which was delivered by national Govt only last year is the paucity on information surrounding the deployment and uptake of new social media type solutions - any update on this?

Carrie Pemberton Ford Ibix Insight

]]> By: Richard http://www.edemocracyblog.com/political-blog/40-things-wrong-with-public-services/comment-page-1/#comment-97 Richard Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:42:49 +0000 http://www.edemocracyblog.com/?p=797#comment-97 Thanks for the feedback - I wouldn't claim the list is exhaustive, it's just what I picked out of the evaluation reports. Your examples, and the reference to some of the things that could be added in Personnel, I think suggest there is a whole other class of failings which cannot be put in an official report. As you say, these might cover things like gaming the system, self-preservation, political battles, egotism, criticism of staff, etc. Thanks for the feedback - I wouldn't claim the list is exhaustive, it's just what I picked out of the evaluation reports.

Your examples, and the reference to some of the things that could be added in Personnel, I think suggest there is a whole other class of failings which cannot be put in an official report.

As you say, these might cover things like gaming the system, self-preservation, political battles, egotism, criticism of staff, etc.

]]> By: PaulGeraghty http://www.edemocracyblog.com/political-blog/40-things-wrong-with-public-services/comment-page-1/#comment-96 PaulGeraghty Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:32:20 +0000 http://www.edemocracyblog.com/?p=797#comment-96 I think you have made a great list and thank you for distilling the report, but here's some more problem-drivers which you may feel you have already covered or then again perhaps the report has not identified them? Both antipathy and hostility towards the adoption of standards (in LG this can be motivated by self-preservation "then nobody can merge this service with our neighbours", or politics "who are they to tell us what to to, lets do the opposite"). Ditto for systems too. ("System A clearly supplies the best CRM, but we simply cannot adopt it because 2 out of 3 neighbours have got it, too tempting for government to merge us, then I'd lose my job, maybe.") I've heard these excuses used several times in local government. As far as Personnel goes though the list is looking a little light. My experiences turned up chronic levels of poor man management and communication break-downs and just about every management malaise I could ever dream up, perhaps I just had a bad experience? I think you have made a great list and thank you for distilling the report, but here's some more problem-drivers which you may feel you have already covered or then again perhaps the report has not identified them?

Both antipathy and hostility towards the adoption of standards (in LG this can be motivated by self-preservation "then nobody can merge this service with our neighbours", or politics "who are they to tell us what to to, lets do the opposite").

Ditto for systems too. ("System A clearly supplies the best CRM, but we simply cannot adopt it because 2 out of 3 neighbours have got it, too tempting for government to merge us, then I'd lose my job, maybe.")

I've heard these excuses used several times in local government.

As far as Personnel goes though the list is looking a little light.

My experiences turned up chronic levels of poor man management and communication break-downs and just about every management malaise I could ever dream up, perhaps I just had a bad experience?

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