FRIDAY'S Port News contains yet another council reshuffle.
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In the past few years we have had consolidations, unbundling of consolidations, retrenchments, and dismissals of General Managers. Then we have management speak justifying the changes: "the new .. structure aims to make reporting lines more efficient and realign a greater focus on council's key priorities".
Further management babble: "it was important to ensure that the organisation's structure assisted in this aim and wasn't seen as a barrier to our overall delivery". What key priorities and what barriers?
As usual with Council these days, it's all motherhood and apple pie - no specifics, nothing measurable and little or no deadlines. There is also no mention of the Mayor's or Councillors' roles in these decisions.
The Independent Local Government Review Panel (appointed by the NSW Government) in its report "Revitalising Local Government" stated: "In the Panel's view, the governing body should be able to determine, on the advice of the General Manager, the upper levels of the organisation structure, and to ensure that staffing resources are being allocated in such a way that the council's priorities can be pursued".
The panel also recommended: "As a condition of appointment, General Managers should be required to complete a tailored induction program before or within 3 months of their first appointment to such a position, and approved professional development programs thereafter".
It seems that both of these recommendations have not been implemented.
Mr Swift-McNair says that one question put during the restructuring process was: "do we have people who have the skills to fill the role?"
By implication Ms Atkinson does not have such skills yet he avers that she is able to apply for the two new directors' positions.
This seems to me to be something of a contradiction. Anyway, it is doubtful whether Ms Atkinson will apply for one of those roles after the abrupt termination of her contract. Who will be recruited to run one of the new departments, Corporate and Organisational Services, which includes the financial function and was previously run by Mr Swift-McNair?
Hopefully, it will be someone financially qualified because the Council needs clear, regular reporting and good financial analysis and interpretation due to its marginal financial status. This person should operate at director level.
The other new department, Community and Economic Growth, will also be recruiting a new Director. It would be illuminating to know just what attributes and experience will be required for this position. Will the focus be on community or economic growth?
These changes raise the question of when will the Council return to stability? What are the costs of this reshuffle, not just in money but in disruption to Council's activities?
New General Managers always want to appoint their own staff so that they have staff who are loyal to them.
I hope that this is not the situation in this case and that decisions have been made on a factual and logical basis. Only time will tell, but even then an objective view would be difficult in view of the complexities involved.
My belief is that the councillors should have told Mr Swift-McNair to work with what he's been given and get on and prove himself. When he applied for the job, he was well aware of the requirements of the position and of the resources available to him.
Once he had shown he could do the job and overcome the obstacles and barriers, then he might be allowed to make these significant changes. Too much, too soon, I think.
John Oxley, Port Macquarie