manshimajin Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Dan, has the timeline for submitting the form passed by? I filled it in, hit 'Submit' and nothing happened. It doesn't work with Apple Mac apparently. Could that be your problem? Oh...well there's an immediate improvement if your thinking of e.government Dan! (saw your reply just now Dan - don't overlook the fact that the creative minds 'out there' use Macs ) A general observation: IMO there is often confusion in the Public Sector as to who their 'customer' is. IMO there is a simple answer to that. The term 'service' confirms why they exist and that the customers are the people paying for and receiving services. They are the only people who can possibly decide on the quality of services, whether the right mix is being supplied and whether they offer VFM. I get the impression that many senior Public Servants see politicians as their primary customer. This IMO demonstrates a basic lack of understanding of the role of politicians and places 'self' ahead of 'public'. Politicians fulfill a role similar to a senior management team in a business. They have to identify the markets, the customer demand and preferences, the amount of money needed to run the business and how money will be allocated on the various priorities within the business. Clearly they will want to know whether the services are meeting the needs of the customers - but then they need to ask that question of the service funders and recipients. The customers decide whether the politicians are getting it right or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 That sounds all very well but in reality, as far as running the public sector is concerned the politicians have very little power, even if they are the relevant Minister. The only real power a politician has is to say 'aye' or 'nay' to a piece of legislation going through parliament. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moghrey Mie Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Soon we will hear Tony Brown talking about how there has been a full and thorough consultation with the public on Government Services. It is NOT having a 'say on Government Services', this is only to do with having a say on how Government Services are delivered, not the services themselves. Dan, try asking the switchboard operators, people on the desk and the mail desk staff for most of your answers. That however, does not make it look like something is being done. Along with the largely needless 'Government restructuring' this is yet more window dressing. Challenge Using only the phone book and IOM government website find out who is responsible for footpaths on the island and how you get one repaired. Phone 685685 (the main switchboard) and briefly tell them what you want and they will direct you. Probably to the DoT reception but they should be able to transfer you to someone who can help. Probably. Challenge back Using only the phone book and IOM government website find out who is responsible for overstaffing, overpaying and over pensioning probably the vast majority of Government employees. On the trail of 'Who is responsible for footpaths and how do you report that repairs need to be done?' Looked at government website searched 'footpaths' no result Rang 685685 main government switchboard DOT 686665 Customer service Anna Goldsmith responsible for public rights of way Information about Public Rights of Way on website Map of Public Rights of Way available from Department of Tourism But apparently some footpaths are responsibility of DAFF or Local Authorities. DOT responsible for signage on Rights of Way Question remains how do you report that repairs need to be done on a footpath? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahc Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 On the trail of 'Who is responsible for footpaths and how do you report that repairs need to be done?' Looked at government website searched 'footpaths' no result Rang 685685 main government switchboard DOT 686665 Customer service Anna Goldsmith responsible for public rights of way Information about Public Rights of Way on website Map of Public Rights of Way available from Department of Tourism But apparently some footpaths are responsibility of DAFF or Local Authorities. DOT responsible for signage on Rights of Way Question remains how do you report that repairs need to be done on a footpath? Rang Governmne And lost the will to live it seems! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manshimajin Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 That sounds all very well but in reality, as far as running the public sector is concerned the politicians have very little power, even if they are the relevant Minister. The only real power a politician has is to say 'aye' or 'nay' to a piece of legislation going through parliament. They have the power to raise and allocate money between departments - if they are not up to managing this then heaven help us. It still does not alter the fact that the reason we have a public service is to provide service.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hboy Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Along with the largely needless 'Government restructuring' this is yet more window dressing. Precisely .. Dan Davies invites responses on government restructuring. Now all I'm waiting for is Alex Brindley's long awaited re-write of the zero-ten strategy ... with pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moghrey Mie Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 The thread says "Have your say on Government services". I could write a book. Seriously. Some of my experiences would shock decent minded people to the core. They are ongoing and so I feel a public internet forum is not the place to discuss them. I will use a relatively innocuous example to illustrate: April 2006 I took the trouble to write to the Department of Transport about a matter. I received an acknowledgment stating that my letter would be passed to Mr Hannay. October 2006 I wrote again as I had heard nothing. A few days later I received a reply apologising for not responding to my April 2006 letter and that my letter had at that time been passed to Mr 'X', for his attention, and who it was explained had since retired. My correspondence had now been passed to Mr 'Y' with a copy to Mr Hannay. Since then . . . . nothing. __________________________________ I looked at this thread and realised that it was not an opportunity to have a say on Government Services at all, but just a survey on the delivery of those services and more particularly how we, the public, contacted the Government. Would the service have been any better if I had phoned, faxed, emailed or gone down to the DoT in person? Seriously, the survey looks like something I have seen St Ninians school children carrying out in Strand Street for a school project. Dan, please forgive me for being a little personal, I am sure you were lured away from your excellent work at Manx Radio by a fat pay cheque and even fatter pension promises etc. but if this is the sort of work you are contributing to our society . . . I think you have sold yourself out. It seems they have already decided how they will deliver public services because Tony Brown was on Manx Radio this morning saying they are going to have 4 one-stop shops in Douglas, Ramsey, Peel and Castletown. Why pretend you are consulting the public when the decisions have probably been made already? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theambo Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 It seems they have already decided how they will deliver public services because Tony Brown was on Manx Radio this morning saying they are going to have 4 one-stop shops in Douglas, Ramsey, Peel and Castletown. Why pretend you are consulting the public when the decisions have probably been made already? To justify his job ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimcalagon Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 "What would be your preferred method of contacting government? Place an X in ONE box" What a ridiculous question. If I go into a post office to buy a stamp, I don't want to have to communicate by email or telephone. If I'm making an official query/complaint I'll send a letter. I want to be able to communicate with different government departments in a way which is appropriate to that department. I don't want to 'pick ONE'. There is no 'one size fits all' answer to this question. And while we are on the subject of communicating with the IOM Government, who's bright idea was it to send out the following spam text message... Did u know about a service for young people that helps you to have ur voice heard? Check it out at: http://www.gov.im/dhss/services/cypas.xml ...which I received on the 8th of February? I'm pleased that some faceless (and brainless) bureaucrat at the DHSS thinks that, at the age of 44, I'm a young person, but might it not actually make more sense to send this to people who it might be relevant to, rather than a random collection of PAYG phone numbers? [edited to add] And does this breach the data protection act? I never gave out my mobile number for the purposes of government spam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moghrey Mie Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 "What would be your preferred method of contacting government? Place an X in ONE box" What a ridiculous question. If I go into a post office to buy a stamp, I don't want to have to communicate by email or telephone. If I'm making an official query/complaint I'll send a letter. I want to be able to communicate with different government departments in a way which is appropriate to that department. I don't want to 'pick ONE'. There is no 'one size fits all' answer to this question. And while we are on the subject of communicating with the IOM Government, who's bright idea was it to send out the following spam text message... Did u know about a service for young people that helps you to have ur voice heard? Check it out at: http://www.gov.im/dhss/services/cypas.xml ...which I received on the 8th of February? I'm pleased that some faceless (and brainless) bureaucrat at the DHSS thinks that, at the age of 44, I'm a young person, but might it not actually make more sense to send this to people who it might be relevant to, rather than a random collection of PAYG phone numbers? [edited to add] And does this breach the data protection act? I never gave out my mobile number for the purposes of government spam. Dan's gone quiet. Is he in a meeting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theodolite Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Harvard. USA. That's where they should send some of our lot again, to learn some stuff. Things like doing surveys and that, and dealing with other human beings will be just a wizz after going there. Harvard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moghrey Mie Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Harvard. USA. That's where they should send some of our lot again, to learn some stuff. Things like doing surveys and that, and dealing with other human beings will be just a wizz after going there. Harvard. They do send people to Harvard from the IOM civil service. Have you noticed the difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theodolite Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 Aye, and I believe there is another crop of brown-nosers, or perhaps rather, some that need to be swung that way, lined up for an earth shattering transatlantic injection of super knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbms Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 Dan's gone quiet. Is he in a meeting? No he has gone to hire a team of consultants to get advice on all the failures of the questionaire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandavies Posted February 26, 2010 Author Share Posted February 26, 2010 Dan's gone quiet. Is he in a meeting? No he has gone to hire a team of consultants to get advice on all the failures of the questionaire. Good plan. Will you be putting yourself forward? In the meantime, I hope you've filled in your questionnaire. You can't please all the people all the time. This is an honest attempt to try and find out what people want in a slightly different way on something important. It's not obfuscation, it's not ticking a box and it's not something which is going to be filed under 'stuff we have to do to look like we care what people think.' It's entirely genuine. In addition to this we are: Collecting data on usage patterns of front office areas Talking to staff Talking to service users Gathering web and phone usage stats Talking to the Government Officers' Association Looking at comparative organisations such as other small Island jurisdictions and small Local Authorities. You're right - the questionnaire probably isn't perfect, but there you go. It's possibly better than what we've done before from a 'whole of Government' approach. Which is nothing. If you'd prefer to submit your comments in an entirely different format then feel free. I'll accept it from you in plain text or whatever. Have a nice weekend Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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