Edward Troup, executive chair and permanent secretary at HMRC, discussing yesterday's formal opening of HMRC's Croydon hub, told CCH Daily:
"HMRC has controlled the fit-out of the building entirely. The office is open plan and has different styles of working areas which we have been piloting in existing offices in Nottingham, Birmingham and Newcastle, which has taught us how different business areas work best."He then went on to admit that savings will not be all that HMRC had cracked them up to be:
"We had initial projection of savings overall which have been refined over the years with the current estimate definitely being lower than what was set initially, but nevertheless there is still a financial saving."He concluded by saying that PAC hadn't understood what HMRC was doing, and why it was doing it:
"Although it does have those savings I think where the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in a sense got the wrong end of the stick is that HMRC is doing this because as a business it cannot operate with lots of small offices. Collaboration and working as a team is absolutely essential."A cynic might suggest that if PAC has not understood what HMRC is doing then it is because HMRC has not explained itself either clearly or honestly!
Tax does have to be taxing.
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Well, well, Mister Troupe (can't be long before you're 'Sir Edward now?), there used to be far more 'partnering and collaborating' in (long-gone) local offices 25 years ago, when everyone knew everyone else's business, where they could get help, and who they could help out. They filled in for each other, as well, and the job got done.
ReplyDeleteNot like the current silo mentality that, when there's a crisis in 160 parts of the 'business', peeps are drafted in from other areas where they have become so 'de-skilled' (a result of the success of Pacesetter) that they've no idea what they're meant to be doing in a crisis and the result is that they're apparently 'clearing' backloads but it inevitably leads to phone calls, complaints, etc, because it hasn't been done correctly. Which causes further backlogs.
The Building Our Future (Regional Centres) program was £600m over-budget prior to the (unofficial) opening of the Croydon Regional Centre some weeks ago, so it's not really accurate or fair for Mr Troupe to allege that "there will be a saving".
The Tories will be pleased.
Indeed....
DeleteBefore all this pacesetter, workforce change and building our future site, I could get technical advice from about 20 feet away in about 5 minutes, now it's all e-mail to single points of contact and about 3 weeks later after its been through all the guidance and policy wonks you get an answer! Generally one which you'll disagree with but have to use as it's "policy"!
Unisex toilets anyone?
ReplyDeleteSince when has HMRC been a business and not a public service?
ReplyDeleteThere they go again - a business! They will have customers next...
ReplyDelete@21:29
ReplyDeleteSince the short-lived reign of the quickly-knighted David Varney, circa 2005-06. He instructed HMRC workers to "delight our customers" and "put our customers at the heart of all that we do".
The 'business' idea obviously caught on and "the needs of the business" is a phrase uttered throughout HMRC-land thousands of times each day.
Around that era, the mid-00s, Tesco Plc was being held up as the role model for HMRC staff...seriously...I mean Tesco are a successful _business_ and good at what they do...but the UK tax authority looking towards a leading retailer for inspiration...meanwhile back on planet earth Tesco continued to move forward while HMRC carried on declining...hence the bullying culture became the best way for certain managers to hide their inadequacies and poor performance...
DeleteAh! Likening Tesco to HMRC, eh? And perhaps it isn't only Tesco who cooks the books and fiddles the figures?
Deletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2765802/Shaming-Tesco-Retail-giant-suspends-four-managers-cooked-books-hide-slump-profits-2billion-wiped-market-value.html
The last I heard they want Hmrc to be more like John Lewis
DeleteNever knowingly undersold (down the river).
DeleteTesco has lots of handy local shops.
Delete"putting customers at the heart of everything it does" indeed! Interestingly in its attempts to be the "best customer service organisation in the UK" it has instructed staff they can no longer issue form P85, it has to be downloaded or done online!
DeleteCustomers will be demanding meetings in the very places Eddie has shut down. 9am Monday morning Inverness, anyone?
DeleteHMRC's new slogan should be: "Every little bullying helps". It certainly helps to make the inadequate law breaking management types feel better about their sad, sad lives. Disturbed individuals who should be prosecuted for their wrongdoing and misconduct in public office.
ReplyDeleteI recently changed cars and did all the paperwork online including taxing incoming car. Imagine my surprise to have everything confirmed in writing shortly thereafter. WTF?
ReplyDeleteNot sure if this applies to HMRC but they certainly seem to still use a lot of paper in these paperless office days.