Middling managers

Having seen details of a meeting between the Chief Executive of Barnet Council and Nic Beech of Middlesex University, Mr Mustard wondered what the different ways where that they were planning to collaborate on in their 'partnership' (a much misused word is 'partnership', partnerships normally requiring formal documents setting out the obligations and rights of each party or else they aren't worth the paper they aren't written on).

Mr Mustard followed up on his wonderment by asking Middlesex University to enlighten him under the Freedom of Information legislation, viz:

(Two titans if ever Mr Mustard saw them, yes, the statues of Atlas on the cupboard behind)

It took three weeks but the answer came:

Mr Mustard wasn't convinced as he didn't think that two such well paid managers would have, or should have, a meeting without writing down a single word on the back of an envelope at the very least, or a jot on a napkin, a telephone number on the back of their hand, even electronic notes in their phones but no nothing, they were only having an informal meet and greet and not discussing anything substantive like a partnership as the tweet claimed. Something stank here.

Mr Mustard pondered. He changed tack, he sent a carefully crafted and detailed Freedom of Information request to John Hooton of Barnet Council. This is it.

So there wasn't a formal agenda but a meeting arranged by email:

This was followed up by Laura Norton the Corporate Communications and Stakeholder Manager (Mr Mustard boggles at such an esoteric title) who was in the meeting despite it allegedly only being a meet and greet and thus not substantive. Mr Mustard notes that the University didn't mention her attendance at the meeting in their reply.

So far from a pally 'meet and greet' as the University alleged in their response, it was 'a useful discussion' and topics included 'Communications' and 'Diversity and Inclusion' (coyly not mentioned in the University's official FOI reply) and there were 'useful conversations'. This email should have been disclosed by the University as it came within the scope of Mr Mustard's request. Anyone would think they didn't want a local blogger to take any interest in what they are doing (which is now probably working out how they will survive in the post pandemic period).

John Hooton followed up quite quickly in his email of 13 February.

 In the cover letter from Barnet Council extra information was profferred:

There should be an apostrophe in Council's

Ooh gosh a meeting to explain that a Council provides local services and a University teaches students, it must have been fascinating.

It is an affront to democracy that the CEO has so many informal meetings with 'partner' organisations, notice should be given of them and agendas published and action points published. If that isn't done it is far too easy to conclude either that they are just so much hot air or that dirty back room deals are being done. Far more would be achieved with an agenda and in a shorter time period. The well known Dummies series of books has one which includes a section on managing meetings and it includes having an agenda and action points.

Who else thinks that the University's FOI response did not meet with the letter or spirit of the Act? If you ask them any questions make sure you know the answer before you do and then jerk on their chain hard if they are economic with the actuality.

A really surprising omission from the meeting is any discussion of the replacement West Stand at Saracens for which Middlesex University are the supposedly anchor tenant, vital to the economic success of the project. Wasn't the risk to public funds worth a single word?

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard