Swindon Council to spend £50,000 on leisure review (From Swindon Advertiser)
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Swindon Council to spend £50,000 on leisure review
9:00am Tuesday 24th August 2010 in
SWINDON Council is preparing to spend £50k on management consultants to review its Libraries, leisure, culture and parks services.
A document seen by the Adver shows that the council is inviting companies to bid for a contract to review the services.
The Adver understands that although the contract has been out for tender at least a week, staff were only informed about the proposals yesterday morning.
Campaigners have slammed the council for what they see as a waste of public funds.
The move comes just over a year after the council commissioned a £10k review into its libraries.
That review, which was carried out in July 2009, cost the council about £2k and the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council another £8k.
And last week the council announced it was considering a raft of cuts in services, including shaving £6k off this year’s museums budget and another £12k next year.
The tender document states that the consultants should see how well the council’s services are performing compared with other councils and what other ‘delivery options’ there might be.
The review will also look at the state of the council’s buildings housing those services and ‘human resource implications’, or redundancies.
Libraries campaigner Shirley Burnham said: “What is astonishing is spending taxpayers’ money on yet more consultants, while essential services to its residents are being squeezed until the pips fall out of them.
“The council must admit, by doing this, that it has no confidence in its own abilities to organise the provision of services – something that the taxpayer expects and pays them to do. Why are senior officers paid large salaries if they are incapable of doing their jobs?”
She also wondered whether the council would still accept the consultancy even if it did not agree with the findings.
And she pointed out that libraries could not be privatised or the service dismantled as it was against the Libraries Act, 1964.
Labour group leader, Coun Derique Montaut, described the decision as ‘a real kick in the teeth’ for the 1,000 council employees set to lose their jobs and the vulnerable people of Swindon, who rely on services funded by the council.
“This is just another example of where the council says one thing and does another,” he said. “They say ‘we’re all in this together’ but in practice it’s the poor and vulnerable who are being hit the most, while Swindon’s Tories hire out consultants to do the job they should be doing.
“Swindon Borough Council simply cannot afford to have this level of waste, while people’s lives and livelihoods are on the line.
“If Labour were in administration in Swindon our policy towards libraries and leisure would be based on our values of equality and community.
“It appears that the Tories’ policy towards libraries and leisure is based on expensive consultancy fees and options appraisals”
But Coun Fionuala Foley, the council’s cabinet member for leisure and corporate services, said: “We want to protect and enhance our leisure, libraries, culture and parks services and we are commissioning specialist consultants to help us do this.
“The consultants will be required to research the best way to deliver these services and to come up with a number of options, which will help the council make the right decision to achieve significant efficiency savings in the future.
“We will be asking the successful consultancy to work closely with key stakeholders, including residents, to ensure their views are sought and we have briefed staff on the options appraisal.”
Comments(44)
Synergie
says...
9:26am Tue 24 Aug 10
Home Boy
says...
9:41am Tue 24 Aug 10
dazed21
says...
9:51am Tue 24 Aug 10
Bobby Bee
says...
9:51am Tue 24 Aug 10
What happens if the consultancy fee is so great that the ever-diminishing pot of money is reduced so much that the services that SBC are hoping to "help" means that drastic cuts are inevitable??
Pity the future of essential services such as Libraries and Sports facilities in this town.
I would urge as many people as possible to sign Shirley Burnham's
petition to saveguard the future of the Library Service.
There have been several articles in national newspapers warning that "Fears coalition plans to flog our libraries" (Daily Mirror: Michael Rosen, former Children's Poet Laureate) and the excellent Independent article by Terence Blacker, entitled"Hands off our Libraries".
The petition can be found in many shops and businesses in Old Town though the petition s aimed at a borough-wide audience.
Perhaps Shirley Burnham can tell us more about accessing this petition?
In the meantime the well-paid members of the council should do more than try to justify their squandering of public money.
trustnopolitician
says...
10:37am Tue 24 Aug 10
Why not divert thr Wi Fi cash to pay for a taxpayers investigation on this subject. I'll do it for free. ( as long I'm told I'm part of Cameron's big society.
real -life
says...
11:01am Tue 24 Aug 10
Absolutey right. Firstly how can they justify spending money probably to a company outside Swindon so yet again taking jobs away from Swindon as they have done with Capita and endless other "Partners" when they are making so many redundant and secondly, isnt this what we pay them to do in the first place with our hard earned Council Tax?????
So much for "One Swindon", I think "One appalling scandal" would be more approprtiate.
But it does clearly show why SBC is in such a mess if they cant even do something as simple as this. When I worked there a few years ago, the team I was in had 6 direct managers on £35k+ managing just 28 staff and a department head on £60k. They all sat in endless meetings, scared to actually make a decison, recycling the same old out of date ideas that didnt work 20 years ago.
SBC are the cause of their own downfall, there is almost no forward or contingency planning, endless "headless chicken" managers and staff who just have no idea how to cope with working in the 21st Century and no sign of it getting any better.
They tell us that around 1,000 will be losing their jobs (partly because of a cut in Govt funding, but mainly because of their incompetance over many years to change the way they do their business). Even the Leader of the Council asked the question "why has it taken a reccession to question how we do business", so they know they have failed us.
This is an appalling waste of taxpayers money at any time and SBC should be investigated as to how they continue to get away with this waste and incompetance. They just spent all that money building the library and now want a review of libraries. Morons the lot of them!
itsamess
says...
11:05am Tue 24 Aug 10
rry folks--no can do--we have to pay off WCCs pension fund--not Swindons pension fund. Now look what has happened, Swindon has degenerated into a third class town with very little services actually run by the Council. Despite big grants to impove the town centre this has been wasted on on spurious projects and regeneration companies costing us the taxpayer dearly--to the point that they are blackmailed by the management company running the town centre to force our long standing street traders out-pathetic. Grandiose plans with promises of new venues to turn what still looks like a WW2 bomb site--no progress--just false promises. I have to say we do have some good Council officers--but far to many that are incompetent--we have very few Councillors who actually have the interests of the Swindon people at heart. Who is to blame? The people of Swindon. How many families are born and bred here and raised families here--how many of our Councillors are local?
real -life
says...
11:20am Tue 24 Aug 10
I am sorry but I dont care how other Councils are performing, I only care about the level of service you give me, not what level of service someone else gets. SBC have this obsession with comparing themsleves to others. Comparisons are only relevant when you start form an equal starting point.
How many other Councils have the same size populations or economies, or locations, or economic make up or immigrant make up, social make up or work opportunities etc etc. They spend hundreds of thousands of pounds comparing themselves with others produsing endless charts and tables which are meaningless and potentially dangerous if they try and introduce something here which is wrong for Swindon or just not relevant.
If they want to know how they are doing then ask the people who use your service as they are the only ones who know! Just because you are slightly less crap that some other faceless council doesnt mean you are delivering a good service and can pat yourselves on the back, it just means you are still crap and not doing what we pay you for.
Sorry but after many years working in the private sector I couldnt beleive the complacency and endless waste in SBC and leaving was the best thing I ever did, I was embarassed to work there. Someone must be accountable to us and all of the ones who have failed us should go and go now.
itsamess
says...
11:41am Tue 24 Aug 10
As you are no doubt aware there has been numerous comments posted on here claiming to be from me. I was in hospital for some time. Anyone that knows me on here would know those were not my views. This is why i asked if you have changed your login from Bobfm to Robfm. My login was used very simply by using itsamess,Swindon
as opposed to my login which has always been itsamess,swindon. I have in the past noticed another of your logins daniel 10 was modified to daniel1o. Sadly a number of other posts are being made which very clearly are the same malicious person whose only aim is to disrupt the site. I do hope all posters here take note and check very carefully that the comment is from that person.
Donkey of Langton
says...
12:10pm Tue 24 Aug 10
There is one clear message from this Council, and their national counterparts ... service to the people is secondary ... everything this country stands for at home is under threat by those with the mental idea that we should not expect the services we pay for.
As for paying twice for supposedly intelligent people to actuate the best way forward, it certainly is a disgrace.
Still, the electorate must be happy to receive poor service, they keep voting the colwns in.
Incidentally, has anyone else met with the Council response "There is no funding available." when requesting a department to just do their job and meet their responsibility to Council Tax payers in the Borough ... this financial hiccup is being used to cover all the incompetence?
Donkey of Langton
says...
12:14pm Tue 24 Aug 10
Donkey has returned to Swindon from Swanage ... anyone want to buy a cheap 4 bed house in Langton Matravers?
The Real Librarian
says...
12:19pm Tue 24 Aug 10
.
For that money we should have people who know how to do their jobs without bringing in expensive consultants.
.
By hiring these people the senior officers of SBC are admitting they aren't worth their salaries.
Bobby Bee
says...
12:32pm Tue 24 Aug 10
Could you please get the Chief Executive of SBC to comment on this matter?
£175 pa is a lot of money to be paid and we can expect to have some return from it.
Robfm
says...
12:51pm Tue 24 Aug 10
politicrat
says...
12:52pm Tue 24 Aug 10
That is news! LOL
Evil_Genius
says...
12:56pm Tue 24 Aug 10
itsamess wrote:Its a conspiracy itsamess. Maybe someone is fed up of your pomposity and bobfm/robfm/daniel10 lies racism and far right political views. Can you offer a better explanation?
Robfm As you are no doubt aware there has been numerous comments posted on here claiming to be from me. I was in hospital for some time. Anyone that knows me on here would know those were not my views. This is why i asked if you have changed your login from Bobfm to Robfm. My login was used very simply by using itsamess,Swindon as opposed to my login which has always been itsamess,swindon. I have in the past noticed another of your logins daniel 10 was modified to daniel1o. Sadly a number of other posts are being made which very clearly are the same malicious person whose only aim is to disrupt the site. I do hope all posters here take note and check very carefully that the comment is from that person.
Grimwald
says...
1:06pm Tue 24 Aug 10
Why do we have a £206k Chief Executive if we call in others to manage Swindon?
Why do they not just seek legal advice like they did with Dial a Ride? It would hopefully cost less and the gutless wonders can be hide behind the shield of consultancy whilst they stab everyone else in the back?
Shirley Burnham
says...
1:08pm Tue 24 Aug 10
What is baffling is that a 'gold standard' does exist for the provision of library services which has been brought to the attention of Swindon's councillors and officers many times.
The reason this example is favoured by users and campaigners is that it keeps libraries "open" and "full of what people want" in the heart of each community, without causing pain to the taxpayer.
You may have heard it mentioned on Radio 4's 'Today' programme this very morning (24th Aug), and on Radio 2 and on BBC Breakfast TV as well.
It is the Borough of Hillingdon, where a reconstruction of the entire council library service is well advanced, providing really fine community libraries in each district of the borough at very good value for money.
That particular council has addressed the issues of the profession, the management, supply chains, the information flow, the costs, the designs, the stock, the facilities, the outreach and the relationship with individual local communities. We are not aware of any other council that has focused on both the capital and revenue "budgets and expenditures" and changed priorities in the same manner, in order to reduce costs significantly.
It seems irresponsible that our council seems not to have looked into this (they need not be wary, as Hillingdon is another Conservative-run Council).
Instead of paying £50K to get the answers it wants, Swindon should should consider adopting the Hillingdon method : not in parts, but as a whole.
Yes, it's irresponsible for Swindon to ignore this opportunity when our library service faces such a hard time and to pretend ignorance of this by hiring consultants to give the green light to all kinds of so-called "efficiencies" which will deprive residents of the libraries they know and love. Transformation programmes cannot be written in a few weeks, if they are to address the really fundamental questions, as Hillingdon has done so successfully.
I hope Swindon will reconsider.
Gooey
says...
2:55pm Tue 24 Aug 10
Hardly suprising is it.
Services and jobs are always cut with them.Labour spent to much trying to improve the services that the tories wrecked,and now it's all their fault.Well i don't see it that way.Tories are for themselves only.The privileged and wealthy.
Grimwald
says...
3:12pm Tue 24 Aug 10
Shirley Burnham
says...
5:12pm Tue 24 Aug 10
Grimwald wrote:What we can do about it is to make our feelings known : by writing to our Ward Councillors and MPs, organising petitions, writing to The Swindon Advertiser, speaking to BBC Radio Wiltshire and other local radio stations, -- get your concerns out there ! Don't wait for others to do it for you. The time for complacency has passed. If we are apathetic we shall lose something that has been slowly and beautifully constructed to underpin our society for over 100 years; all easily destroyed in a flick of a councillor's tail.
Shirley prepare yourself for swinging cutbacks in the Library Service a recommendation which will be attributed to these £50k consultants. It has even been suggested to me that we will only end up with Central!! What can we do about it before it is too late?
Robfm
says...
7:18pm Tue 24 Aug 10
How Soon Is Now
says...
7:26pm Tue 24 Aug 10
itsamess wrote:Mr Mess, I have read the posts you are referring to but they appear to be no different than your usual posts. For the benefit of those who may value your erudite opinion could you please point out the bits that you do not concur with. Unless of course you had a 'funny five minutes' and now regret it.
Robfm
As you are no doubt aware there has been numerous comments posted on here claiming to be from me. I was in hospital for some time. Anyone that knows me on here would know those were not my views. This is why i asked if you have changed your login from Bobfm to Robfm. My login was used very simply by using itsamess,Swindon
as opposed to my login which has always been itsamess,swindon. I have in the past noticed another of your logins daniel 10 was modified to daniel1o. Sadly a number of other posts are being made which very clearly are the same malicious person whose only aim is to disrupt the site. I do hope all posters here take note and check very carefully that the comment is from that person.
Thanks in anticipation.
sun_set
says...
7:32pm Tue 24 Aug 10
How Soon Is Now wrote:We all know that messy is cleary a mess and would concur with any opinion to get a raise!
itsamess wrote:Mr Mess, I have read the posts you are referring to but they appear to be no different than your usual posts. For the benefit of those who may value your erudite opinion could you please point out the bits that you do not concur with. Unless of course you had a 'funny five minutes' and now regret it.
Robfm
As you are no doubt aware there has been numerous comments posted on here claiming to be from me. I was in hospital for some time. Anyone that knows me on here would know those were not my views. This is why i asked if you have changed your login from Bobfm to Robfm. My login was used very simply by using itsamess,Swindon
as opposed to my login which has always been itsamess,swindon. I have in the past noticed another of your logins daniel 10 was modified to daniel1o. Sadly a number of other posts are being made which very clearly are the same malicious person whose only aim is to disrupt the site. I do hope all posters here take note and check very carefully that the comment is from that person.
Thanks in anticipation.
itsamess
says...
7:38pm Tue 24 Aug 10
Unfortunately--and despite your numerous claims of high intelligence--you show no signs of being so. You cannot accept others have personal beliefs or knowledge superior to yours. In fact it is hard to remember when you last made any other comment of value as you are too busy trying to belittle others in a very nasty way. How nice it would be to see your claimed intelligence being put to good use. Sadly none of us is perfect--but in life we all have the same choices--we used to have rights--but with the plethora of laws in recent years have eroded those rights. If there are risks with any social activity--these should be clear and proven rather than spurious claims by groups linked to charities. Drinking is a matter of choice--yet you attack Arkells despite the fact they are a very successful small family brewery. You are not so smart as you are very predictable and writing style easily identifiable. Do try to show your claimed intelligence in posts as who knows you may have something positive to add.
Woodside4
says...
8:34pm Tue 24 Aug 10
Bobby Bee
says...
10:36pm Tue 24 Aug 10
Don't forget to sign Shirley's petition about Libraries!!
itsamess
says...
11:04pm Tue 24 Aug 10
Oh--how did you do that then as the day i was released from hospital i reported the matter and all the posts were removed. for a few weeks prior i had not posted as i was unwell which led to hospitalisation. I must admit i have never seen your log-in before.
sun_set
Another name not familiar to me--sorry but if and when i post an opinion that is my view--i do not cut and paste others comments into posts--neither do i post pointless internet information. Recent posts were certainly not my views and i have merely pointed out how easy it is to deceive posters to believe it is a genuine post--you would probably not notice the minor change and assume that it must be itsamess--unlikely you would notice that swindon following the name was changed to Swindon which allowed the poster to deceive others. If it happened to you--i feel sure you would know if you had written it. Finally i do not agree with anyones opinion unless there is information given that convinces me my opinion is wrong.
How Soon Is Now
says...
11:11pm Tue 24 Aug 10
itsamess wrote:Mr Messy, For the benefit of those who may value your erudite opinion could you please point out the bits that you do not concur with (regarding the supposed rogue posts). It is not possible to log on as someone else merely by changing the location.
E.G.
Unfortunately--and despite your numerous claims of high intelligence--you show no signs of being so. You cannot accept others have personal beliefs or knowledge superior to yours. In fact it is hard to remember when you last made any other comment of value as you are too busy trying to belittle others in a very nasty way. How nice it would be to see your claimed intelligence being put to good use. Sadly none of us is perfect--but in life we all have the same choices--we used to have rights--but with the plethora of laws in recent years have eroded those rights. If there are risks with any social activity--these should be clear and proven rather than spurious claims by groups linked to charities. Drinking is a matter of choice--yet you attack Arkells despite the fact they are a very successful small family brewery. You are not so smart as you are very predictable and writing style easily identifiable. Do try to show your claimed intelligence in posts as who knows you may have something positive to add.
I believe it was you but you now have regrets about your mad outbursts.
itsamess
says...
11:21pm Tue 24 Aug 10
It was the Labour group in Swindon that began farming out all of the services run by the Council--selling off the town centre on the promise of new venues and a new library--yet used the money to pay off WCCs pension fund. The resulting years just saw Swindon deteriorate. However as numerous services were farmed out--why did the workforce actually increase? Why did we have multiple companies paid huge sums to regenerate the town centre? Today we still have many areas that still resemble a WW2 bomb site.We regularly pay consultants for advice--which shows the quality of our executive and Councillors--puppets
!
sun_set
says...
11:38pm Tue 24 Aug 10
itsamess wrote:The library is an important part of Swindon and there isn't a person in town, who doesn't apprieciate this provision/facility and enjoy a great read! Swindon needs fresh initiative and ideas and a new outlook to bring it up to date and with new features! If you stay in the past and in the 'dark ages' then there is 'simply' no progress!
Gooey
It was the Labour group in Swindon that began farming out all of the services run by the Council--selling off the town centre on the promise of new venues and a new library--yet used the money to pay off WCCs pension fund. The resulting years just saw Swindon deteriorate. However as numerous services were farmed out--why did the workforce actually increase? Why did we have multiple companies paid huge sums to regenerate the town centre? Today we still have many areas that still resemble a WW2 bomb site.We regularly pay consultants for advice--which shows the quality of our executive and Councillors--puppets
!
itsamess
says...
12:05am Wed 25 Aug 10
I would suggest you contact the site administration team for confirmation as they very quickly confirmed they located and banned the poster. They also confirmed they had removed all the spurious posts. Clearly there is a flaw in the system when such a minor change allows someone to use a very similar log-in.
Perhaps you did not understand the minor difference as neither the name or location were changed--my log-in being itsamess,swindon--th
e other being itsamess,Swindon. No doubt this person will use similar changes as they have been banned many times and has used other long term posters modified log-ins to create arguments. Most certainly no mad moments from me as i was hospitalised throughout the period these posts were made. I have simply let folk know on here to be more observant as it could happen to anyone until the adver overcomes this problem or closes it down.
Perhaps you would prefer to comment on the articles as you do not seem to have so far!
sun_set
says...
12:22am Wed 25 Aug 10
sun_set wrote:Rise that should read rise! Get a rise!
How Soon Is Now wrote:We all know that messy is cleary a mess and would concur with any opinion to get a raise!
itsamess wrote:Mr Mess, I have read the posts you are referring to but they appear to be no different than your usual posts. For the benefit of those who may value your erudite opinion could you please point out the bits that you do not concur with. Unless of course you had a 'funny five minutes' and now regret it.
Robfm
As you are no doubt aware there has been numerous comments posted on here claiming to be from me. I was in hospital for some time. Anyone that knows me on here would know those were not my views. This is why i asked if you have changed your login from Bobfm to Robfm. My login was used very simply by using itsamess,Swindon
as opposed to my login which has always been itsamess,swindon. I have in the past noticed another of your logins daniel 10 was modified to daniel1o. Sadly a number of other posts are being made which very clearly are the same malicious person whose only aim is to disrupt the site. I do hope all posters here take note and check very carefully that the comment is from that person.
Thanks in anticipation.
itsamess
says...
12:26am Wed 25 Aug 10
I would agree with your comments as to our libraries. In recent years many of our small libraries have been closed and a few saved. Generally the service is very good--but we do have a Council that loves to cut services or farm them out.
You are right we do need a fresh outlook in Swindon to bring it back to the vibrant place it used to be. Unfortunately we do not have a Council with any vision or one that will listen to the public. Full of Councillors that have no other interest than getting on as many committees or management companies. Too many outdated councillors and managers who are out of touch with what is actually happening in Swindon.
itsamess
says...
12:53am Wed 25 Aug 10
Do take the opportunity to check my claim is correct with the adver before you make more snide comments.
gharris@swindonadver
tiser.co.uk
How Soon Is Now
says...
8:14am Wed 25 Aug 10
They loosely consist of a few main points which you still seem to be reiterating now, and in the same condescending writing style. In fact all of your posts are roughly the same, no matter how far back you go.
I have simply asked which bits are not your opinions, since collectively they send the same messages time after time. Nothing snide about that.
Robfm
says...
8:51am Wed 25 Aug 10
Something the genuine poster will not fear.
Cavalera
says...
9:11am Wed 25 Aug 10
Evil_Genius wrote:For goodness sake, can you change the record please. You were boring before and now you're getting boring and repetitive.
itsamess wrote:Its a conspiracy itsamess. Maybe someone is fed up of your pomposity and bobfm/robfm/daniel10 lies racism and far right political views. Can you offer a better explanation?
Robfm As you are no doubt aware there has been numerous comments posted on here claiming to be from me. I was in hospital for some time. Anyone that knows me on here would know those were not my views. This is why i asked if you have changed your login from Bobfm to Robfm. My login was used very simply by using itsamess,Swindon as opposed to my login which has always been itsamess,swindon. I have in the past noticed another of your logins daniel 10 was modified to daniel1o. Sadly a number of other posts are being made which very clearly are the same malicious person whose only aim is to disrupt the site. I do hope all posters here take note and check very carefully that the comment is from that person.
itsamess
says...
10:44am Wed 25 Aug 10
I can only say you are not very observant-perhaps too much cheap pints at wetherspoons. You do not listen clearly--or choose to ignore the facts--nothing new there for you despite a log-in change. I never copy and paste comments of other posters and i never accept claims by charity funded groups spouting unsubstantiated claims just to raise funds for research--i prefer facts. If i have knowledge of any subject via my education or professional training or personal experience i share that information and debate it--however your sole purpose seems to be to criticise the posters rather than the issues.You as several others adopt that style despite having a good level of intelligence. The offending posts have been removed--but of course i have no doubt the culprit will return in some form. So i have no more to add to this issue.
Hammer5
says...
12:57pm Wed 25 Aug 10
Question is who carried out the last review and got it so very wrong
maryday
says...
7:54pm Wed 25 Aug 10
How Soon Is Now
says...
8:36pm Wed 25 Aug 10
itsamess wrote:"I can only say you are not very observant-perhaps too much cheap pints at wetherspoons. You do not listen clearly--or choose to ignore the facts--nothing new there for you despite a log-in change."
HSIN
I can only say you are not very observant-perhaps too much cheap pints at wetherspoons. You do not listen clearly--or choose to ignore the facts--nothing new there for you despite a log-in change. I never copy and paste comments of other posters and i never accept claims by charity funded groups spouting unsubstantiated claims just to raise funds for research--i prefer facts. If i have knowledge of any subject via my education or professional training or personal experience i share that information and debate it--however your sole purpose seems to be to criticise the posters rather than the issues.You as several others adopt that style despite having a good level of intelligence. The offending posts have been removed--but of course i have no doubt the culprit will return in some form. So i have no more to add to this issue.
Not really sure what you are insinuating here but as you have nothing more to add then I'll thank you for confirming your hypocrisy and bid you good day madam.
supercalifragilisticexpealidoucious
says...
8:44pm Wed 25 Aug 10
Lets not forget the local, smaller libraries around town which are for some, a lifeline to those in communities who otherwise might not beable make it to Central Library.Lets keep those open! Save the libraries! As for your comment regarding Councillors I disagree. There are a great number of forward thinking Councillors/Managers who work hard to try and make improvements to the town. They would not be in their positions for nothing and DO contribute a great deal to the ungrateful masses, quick to critisise and buck them down!
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Robfm says...
9:22am Tue 24 Aug 10
Here's a suggestion SBC get your highly paid managers to actually do some work.