It does not work...
by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
The target-driven culture that has developed over the last decades and was started, if I am not mistaken, under Margaret Thatcher, has not and is not improving real service by a single iota, despite of all the claims.
Most of the quality of the general work is deteriorating, such as in municipal parks and open spaces, where target have to be dealt with which, more often then not, are not linked to the performance of the job, per se, but are extra things to do.
Thus the normal routine tasks and quality of that work suffers because of the targets that are set and the achieving of which and excelling in the completion of them takes priority as the only way to progress in the job and to get to a higher pay grade is linked to those targets and how they are achieved. This is all entirely wrong!
It is also proven that the entire target driven culture in public service in Britain has brought productivity of central and local government down to a very low level, and not just in the perception of people.
In real terms the quality of the work has gone down because meeting and excelling in their given targets decides as to whether or not the employees can progress in their role and climb up the pay scale ladder.
The only way that public service workers will ever get back to really doing the work that they are supposed to be doing to the highest standard if they get measured with reference to their day to day jobs that they are meant to perform.
In Parks and Open Spaces this could be measured on how well kept and maintained the grounds are and not on which little project that someone had thought out has been fulfilled properly and in time and been exceeded.
When it comes to refuse collecting it should not be how fast the operators can run to get the bins and empty them (and then leave half the rubbish flying all over the street) but on how they can do that efficiently without leaving a mess and causing a nuisance.
And this list could go on and on but we shall just keep this as a small example of the absolute stupidity that is going on.
You do not enhance productivity by having people do some project that is not – really – connected to their daily routine work or by having them try to do it faster and faster and leaving a mess behind for other, eventually, to clean up.
Time for a serious rethink methinks...
© 2010
