surplus to requirements
DESCRIPTION
A grizzly tale. And very true...TRANSCRIPT
Being summoned to an all-
staff briefing at a day’s
notice is never a good
sign.
Especially when that day’s
a Sunday.
Policy PoliceA Prologue.
Surplus to Requirements
Following a meeting of the AMADEUS* Group
at the weekend…
…it has been decided that Technology Division will
be laterally restructured from the Agency.
* Agency, Ministerial And Departmental
Efficiency Utilisation Strategy
“Laterally Restructured”?
You know. Lateral… sideways.
Through the window and on to the street.
But they don’t have windows in Tech Div’s basement.
We’re on the Strategic Board.
We were planning next year’s budget.
I thought we were part of the
Inner Circle.You were. This decision was taken at the Inner Core.
It’s cruel. Some of them haven’t seen daylight in years.
The lucky ones will find another damp basement
someplace…
…but where will I sleep
now?
It’s the ones who tried to fit the corporate mould I feel sorry for.
They never made convincing
suits.
What happens to all the Tech stuff
they used to do.
It gets devolved to the
front line.
What’s that mean?
It means everybody
does their own Tech stuff.
Ooh! Shopping! I can do that.
I knew there’d be somebody,
somewhere who’d think it was a good idea.
Wasn’t there supposed to be a Tech Strategy for the Agency.
Tech Div were leading
on that.
They had to ensure the Agency used technology to
be agile in a turbulent
environment.
If they were leading, who was doing the work?
They had to exert their influence on
everybody else.
Their vastinfluence?
Unfortunately everybody else was bigger and
uglier.
And agile?
How can a monster like the Agency be agile?
Isn’t agile for cats?
Making change happen at the Agency is a bit like turning a supertanker.
Like turning what?
You know, a big ship.
Sorry, but I don’t know any sailors.
I knew some once. All they were
interested in was drugs and
group sex.
Prob’ly explains why turning a supertanker’s
so hard.
Sigh…
But when the time came, Tech Div didn’t see it
coming.
The axe fell and they just
weren’t agile enough to get out the way.