A message to Barnet Tory Councillors from Conservative Home - When Outsourcing proceed with caution

As there seems to be no voices of sanity within Barnet that our Tory Councillors will listen to, maybe they'll listen to some advice from the Conservative Home blog. This gave a reasonably intelligent discussion of the subject by a couple of guys who know what they are talking about. Whilst I don't sign up to what they say lock, stock and barrell, I do think that the summary makes a point our local Councillors would well advised to heed, as they rush in with no business plan, no milestones and no business case (according to Grant Thornton, their own auditors)

This is the summary :-

Summary

There are many factors to consider when considering outsourcing. Its always a good idea to bring in some experienced outside assistance if you lack experience internally, it can save a lot of time, hassle, and money in the longer term.

Above all don't rush in without a clear understanding of how to manage and measure the arrangement. Articulate all expectations, assume nothing even if it seems obvious, and remember that the devil is often in the detail.

The full article is here

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/localgovernment/2010/10/outsourcing-proceed-with-care.html#more

For any council proceeding with outsourcing, I'd say the advice detailed in this piece is the bare minimum you need to consider to ensure you've not been negligent in your duties. I would especially urge them to pay due regard to this sentence :-

The capacity for conflicted interest is enormous and some individuals have found themselves in very difficult positions when a particular arrangement has begun to turn sour

The sooner Barnet Council moves to an open, honest and transparent model, like Windsor and Maidenhead, the sooner I can get back to blogging about football and music.