Let me show you how the government flushes your pound notes down the bog

Yesterday I wrote a blog mentioning a seminar being run to encourage local people to stand as Councillors. I thought I'd delve deeper, I was interested to find out more as to why this was being held. It turns out that the seminar is being organised by the "Ideas and Innovations agency". What is this organisation? Well this is their mission statement :-

The IDeA supports improvement and innovation in local government, focusing on the issues that are important to councils and using tried and tested ways of working. We work with councils in developing good practice, supporting them in their partnerships. We do this through networks, online communities of practice and web resources, and through the support and challenge provided by councillor and officer peers.  We also help develop councillors in key positions through our leadership programmes. Regional Associates work closely with councils in their areas and support the regional improvement and efficiency partnerships (RIEPs). 

 And what may you ask are their priorities?

    * Adult social care, health and wellbeing
    * Children and young people
    * Culture, tourism and sport
    * Economy
    * Efficiency, funding and value for money
    * Environment
    * Housing
    * Leading local communities
    * Local democracy
    * Safer communities
    * Workforce

Now if I was to go through all of these priorities, it would be a rather long blog, so I'll just concentrate on a couple of areas close to my heart. Firstly lets have a look at Children and Young people. There was me thinking OFSTED was the agency responsible for doing this. Now I'm sure IDEA will say "oh yes, but we do this that and the other which OFSTED don't do". The point is that there is duplication. People sitting around doing the same things, two salaries, one job.

What about their brief for Tourism. We have the English Tourist board. What exactly does IDEA do? They lobby for local government to be recognised as the principal deliverer of culture, tourism and sport services. So there you have it. There are civil servants being paid a salary to do this.  

Have a look at their press releases. In a world where there is precious little cash to spend, how many of these "vital" initiatives will make the slightest difference to anything.  Even more bizarre is the invitation to debate the LGA's banned word list. Now I sort of expected a list of obnoxious terms (nigger, Paki) which people in public life should never use. Strangely these words don't appear. So what does - robust, priority, proactive, quick win - to name but  a few. A team of people have been paid a salary to draw up this list and approve it. A team of people maintain the list. A team of people maintain the "debate the banned word list website".

Well let me make a suggestion to whoever the incoming government is Take a Proactive approach to saving money. Make scrapping pointless agencies a priority. Take robust action and scrap this pointless quango. This would be a quick win.

Is it any wonder that Barnet Councils finances are such a mess with an agency like this helping them.