Public Service Capacity

The following exerpt from a call for bids in the Northern Cape got me thinking


what should we really expect from the English of Public Servants - can we really accept being

"..herewith invited to the supply of ... "

should we worry that they want

"..a broiler house typical to that of a poultry farm.."

or is that just being pedantic. But lets hope the same level of English is not used in the call otherwise we start to get difficulties in adjudication and in the contract otherwise...

But at a more significant level this is obviously the start of an attempt to create jobs with taxpayers (my) money by getting into the private sector. Lets hope at least they have an experienced business man (lets not train someone with no drive to be an entrepreneur) to run things. Otherwise it will go the way of many project, examples of which I can relate from experience:

• build something fancy but most often not approipriate
• put up the sign saying who did it
  
• get the minister to cut come and cut the ribon
• see it all on TV and the Good News site
• try, with out sufficient capacity, to get it to work
• forget about it - infact don't tell anyone what didn't work, which would be very useful
• go on to the next one

Then one level more what of the municipality - well they have obviously made a bunch of people happy finding a new name and developing a great logo (only excuse the quality it was a scan from the Sowetan) but does the poor work in publishing their call reflect their real capacity.

If you can't communicate how can you manage anything, let alone a municipality and what do you do with taxpayers money - interfere with the business men who really know how to manage and control. OK so they are not all supermen, but they are not using/loosing my money.

Its all very cynical, but what can we contructive can I do about it?

Looking for the Good and Bad

I have been trying to find really good and bad news to grow my South African Good, Bad & Wierd collection.

I visited the Why South Africa Sucks Blog and found only nonsense - how these people live I am not sure, it must be misery.

I also visited the South Africa Good News Site and found news items that were just what any successful country would be achieving anyway.

So where am I going to find my stories? Anyone have any suggestions.

Retirement

So now to the main reason for starting this blog. I stop formal employment at the end of November when I retire from the CSIR where I have worked most of my life.

I speak of a second life because I don't want to see this as the end of my working and contributing, but rather as the start of working for myself - maybe a little bit less formally, a little less exclusively and a little less commercially.

There is of course a lot I need to do in the next ten month like organising investments, changing medical aid, buying computers, completing projects, establishing contacts, redesigning websites (SAFPP & DIGIVU) to support where I am going and more worryingly doing the things I haven't even thought of!

And that's where I thought this blog could come in.

I first thought I would just throw myself on the mercy of the INTERNET, claiming to be destitute and ask for donations to support a person trying to turn his work experience into community benefit - as many have shown a few cents from millions is significant.

But more seriously, I am sure there are many people out there who can give advice and make suggestions that will help me and eventually others!

I'm not evensure what the assitance is but hope to get ideas and suggestions.


PS I really don't like the look of this blog so will be addressing that when I have some content!

High Level of Violence in Robberies

Today I was going to start posting on retirement, but heard this on the news.

... a police spokesman said they were beriesabout the high level of violence in home robberies...

Implying that they were not worried or couldn't address the robberies.

I dont want to rant and rave about how bad things are and how its going downhill - they aren't and it isn't. Rather I want to ask if the problem is not one of management in the Police Force. I have heard from a aquaintance, in charge of a small township police station, that the majority of the people there simply "don't care".

Don't we all see this in our contacts with the public service? I also know that people at the higher levels of government are worried about the Public Service not serving the Public, but don't seem to be able to get things to happen.

All we need is for people to want to serve the Public! and to be told how we can help!

Why I Started Today

I have been thinking about a blog for some time and was definitely going to start talking about my experiences as I move out of formal employment.

I have also always wanted a place to comment on the things (little and big) that make South Africa so different - the Good, the Bad & the Wierd. I have tied websites at times but that's difficult to do regularly. But today I heard my first posting on SABC News.

... tour of superb performing schools in this region, to find a way to galvanise this begining and ensure that end of year results are able to be even more improved and much better ...

I am not a good English writer, even though many tried, but this kind of waffle makes me smile!