observer Posted December 16, 2008 Report Share Posted December 16, 2008 Whilst I'm sure nostalgia wears rose tinted glasses, I can't seem to remember the current level of foul ups by our civil service beaurocracy: we've had confidential data lost, incorrect data produced; huge cost overuns on IT schemes, illegal immigrants employed as security guards by the Home Office; and now 95,000 NHS and MOD pensioners overpaid for 30 years; - so what's happening? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted December 17, 2008 Report Share Posted December 17, 2008 Not nostalgia at all Obs rather the truth, in the "good old days" the Civil Service employed far less people but they were good at their jobs. This was based on attending school when pupils actually got an education, they were actaully taught things that would help them in their careers. The current Civil Service employs persons who cannot get a proper job despite their 12 x A*** on their CVs and don't know sh!t. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2008 Seems it started about 30 years ago then?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted December 17, 2008 Report Share Posted December 17, 2008 could also be down to a change in technology. a memory stick containing a vast amount of data is a very small item and easy to mislay. thirty years ago the equivalent data would take up several filing cabinets at least. not so easy to leave lying around on a train seat. today people rely on laptops to carry information for ease of use at wherever they happen to be going. thirty years ago it was a white van full of flip charts and handouts. today all sorts of information, most probably not required, is taken to meetings etc. thirty years ago only the information needed was taken due to the bulk of paperwork that would have to be moved. how many phone books could you store on an 8 gig memory stick. also with more people working from home as well as in the office there is less of a check on data accuracy plus nobody likes to admit to making mistakes. a quick look at some of the typo's even on this forum will show you how easy it is to input inaccurate info. and finally there is the fact that people want to show up others mistakes as it makes them look good and earns them a reputation for honesty, it also sells newpapers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted December 17, 2008 Report Share Posted December 17, 2008 With regards to carrying laptops full of info around; I don't see why this is necessary with the advent of wireless hotspots etc. My wife works for a company that use VPN to connect to the office network. So she sits at home, connects to the server in the office via the internet and all of her files are there to work on. She saves to the server and nothing has to be on her laptop. Straightforward technology that has been around for years! I think part of the problem is that people try to over simplify things by using items like memory sticks and disks Another thing, if all these civil servants have been overpaid all this pension money, why are they not asking for it back? It isn't their money so hand it over. It would surely fill a hole in the current pensions pot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kennedy Posted December 17, 2008 Report Share Posted December 17, 2008 As I understand it, a couple of centuries ago just a few hundred London based Civil Servants in effect ran a very large British Empire. Regarding cock ups, think they have always gone on, except now we have more things to cock up and freedom of information to make sure we find out about them.....although if you are the likes of Damian Green you run the risk of a dawn raid on your home if you find out too much...good job Cressida Dick wasn't in charge though........he could have been brutally gunned down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted December 17, 2008 Report Share Posted December 17, 2008 [quote name="Baz J" Another thing' date=' if all these civil servants have been overpaid all this pension money, why are they not asking for it back? It isn't their money so hand it over. It would surely fill a hole in the current pensions pot[/quote] I heard yesterday, that if the error is the employer's, there is no legal way that it can be retrieved. If however, the error was because of false information supplied by the recipient, it would be claimed back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2008 Well it's interesting that such incompetance appears widespread nowadays; with the MPs obsession with the Council CEO for example: one would imagine she could be spending her time sorting out the Government's foul ups - " people in glass houses" etc. What's this one about an efficiency drive in the MoT that cost ?millions, and had a computer system responding in German?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kennedy Posted December 17, 2008 Report Share Posted December 17, 2008 What's this one about an efficiency drive in the MoT that cost ?millions, and had a computer system responding in German?! Maybe they know something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 At least the Germans appear to be efficient! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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