I have belatedly become aware of the Statement of the UK Statistics Authority on the error in the estimates of Construction Output which were released to the press last August.
Oh dear, oh dear.
This is a short story which tells (rather elliptically), of yet another part of the civil service experiencing problems of management & morale – problems that have been afflicting much of the civil service for some time.
A simple clerical mistake in a spreadsheet formula (which apparently needs to be updated for each new quarter) was not spotted in time.
The report tells a story of staff under a great deal of pressure, following changes in responsibilities, extra work making revisions to previous series, & outdated computer technology. Reorganisations & budget cuts have clearly played their part.
But, even more alarmingly, the report suggests that all this ‘raises a question about the role of senior managers … managers may have to accept less freedom to define their own roles on the basis of their personal understanding of what is needed and the prevailing culture of the office.’
Whatever is meant by ‘senior management’ in this context, the comment suggests a disturbing lack of grip & sense of collegiate responsibility at the highest levels.
