Non-job of the week

If North Lanarkshire Council wanted good PR, they wouldn’t be advertising for this job which sits as our non-job of the week:

“Head of Corporate Communications and Marketing
£73,449 plus PRP (performance related pay) to a maximum of £4,899

We are looking for an experienced communications and marketing professional to drive forward our communications and develop North Lanarkshire’s reputation as one of the best local councils in Scotland.

This is a new post working closely with the Chief Executive, corporate management team, elected members and partner agencies; leading and advising on all communication and marketing issues and creating a communication vision for the council.

The role is key to delivering success in our ambitious five-year change management programme, Service and People First, ensuring effective communication and marketing is at the heart of our policies, our service delivery and our decision-making.  You will have the opportunity to contribute to our vision and make a real difference to our local communities.

Shaping our new corporate unit, reviewing and improving resources, as well as developing and implementing a new corporate communications and marketing strategy which contributes to achieving our corporate goals are a few of the early challenges you’ll face.  Building our brand, as well as relationships with our customers and our employees, will also be a part of your remit.

You will be a highly skilled, highly motivated professional with a proven track record of results in communication and marketing, media management in particular.  Educated to degree level or equivalent, you will already be working at a senior level within a large organisation.

We offer a competitive package including a final salary pension scheme, free life assurance and up to 42 days holiday.”

Disgusting.  Government borrowing has reached record levels, with a gap in public finances that makes the Grand Canyon look like a pothole, and yet the local government spin machine needs to whirl on at your expense.  Why councils should even need a marketing department is beyond me.  They’re not in competition with any private outfit and provide almost near monopoly service, the quality of which should provide for a council’s reputation and not spin doctors.  Merely saying “we’re great” won’t make the Winston Smith’s of this world believe 2 + 2 = 5 and that North Lanarkshire Council is the best thing since sliced bread. 

Taxpayers rate their councils according to how they're taxed and how efficient and streamlined the services are.  What taxpayers’ won’t appreciate is the unjustifiable salary, the 42 days holiday (remember how our politicians were lauding that 42 days in another context was an awfully long time) and – wait for it – the final salary pension.  Who, you have to ask is getting the service here then: Lanarkshire’s taxpayers’ or the apparatchik who gets this job…

Comments

[isobel]

Welcome to the 21st century. Of course Councils need to communicate? Should it be the job for the planners or the lawyers to design and write materials that inform local people? Communications professionals explain to people in plain terms what they can get from their council. Communications is not about spin in councils, it's about providing information in media that suits the individual. Look around and you wont see many Alistair Campbell types in the town hall, they're too busy working hard for local people.

[Fraser]

Yet again ignorant negativity from cynical individuals who completely miss the point and fail to understand the complexity of modern day local government. Yes perhaps a service monopoly does exist however does that negate the need for effective staff and customer communication. If we want our public services to operate in an efficient and effective manner then we must invest in the supplimentary services and functions that make that possible.