Is this non-job #7 - " Internal Communications Manager "

Why oh why oh why do internal communications require the services of a dedicated officer ? Can't the people who deal with external communications, or media or PR or whatever you want to call it, also disseminate information internally. Can't the management of each section brief the other management and they then brief their own staff. Couldn't Mr Walkley put the key information in his weekly rah rah email ( I have seen one, it was deadly dull )

So, here is the purpose of the job ( my comments in red ) :-

To develop and implement a strategy for engaging all employees in achieving the corporate priorities through highly effective internal communications. ( highly ineffective internal communications wouldn't work would they now ! the words "highly effective" are superfluous; just like much of the management at Barnet)
To support major projects in the delivery of key messages across the council. ( You're fired! )

That's it. 

DPR #619 started this "job" off in August 08 on spinal column points 47-50. By some subtle adjustment the job is now rated at Barnet Broad Band Spinal Column Points 49-52 ( it was a 2 year fixed term post which became permanent ). In real money terms that is £43,368 to £46,050. So that is over forty grand just to tell your colleagues what is going on where you work. Anyone think that is good value or even necessary ?

I asked the son of one of my friends about this "job"; he is bright, an A* 6th form student. 

What do you think to this job and told him what the role was. His response, I could do that. He fancied the starting salary; no need to go to University and get into debt. Safe! he said ( teenagers' vocabulary, good to know )

It made me think; yes, any teenager could do that; they communicate all the time and use the latest technology.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard

Non-job No's. 1 & 2 - Blogger Update Manager / Blogger Liaison Officer at Barnet Council

Mr Mustard intends to write a series of blogs high-lighting the vast number of what dear Mr Pickles ( local government would surely be in a right pickle without Eric ) refers to as non-jobs in an effort to get Councils to see sense and cut out some of their more ridiculous overheads.

Of course the Borough of Barnet is going full steam in the opposite direction. Mr Mustard, who has lots of followers at Barnet Council of his blog and his twitterings (  I think they are called Twits and if they aren't they should be ) has been sent a draft press release of 2 new jobs ( non-jobs really ) that are to be advertised later today. One is for a Blogger Update Manager and the other is for a Blogger Liaison Officer ( I fear Miss Ballooniverse may apply for this one )

Although the job description talks about embracing new technologies and keeping staff informed internally of the activities of bloggers ( some overlap surely with the existing post of Internal Communications Manager ) Mr Mustard fears that this is simply a cover for their real role of snooping on bloggers now that the demise of Metpro has caused the Council to not know what is going on at NLBP.

Salaries for these roles are not too bad for the recipients but awful for Council Taxpayers.

The Blogger Update Manager will get £75k p.a. ( +pension, laptop etc. ) and this job will be advertised under the reference LBB/BUM/JOB and
The Blogger Liaison Officer will get £50k p.a. ( +pension, laptop etc. ) and this job will be advertised under the reference LBB/BLO/JOB

Mr Mustard hopes to receive more of these dodgy dossiers from concerned Barnet Borough employees in the future. Your identity will be respected.