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City slammed over a £15,500 PR review by London consultants



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Published Date: 23 August 2008
CITY chiefs were today under fire for spending £15,500 on a review of their PR department using a London-based consultancy firm.
The Lib Dem/SNP administration ordered the independent review of the communications department to ensure that workers are delivering a cost-effective service. The project is being undertaken by Verve Communications.

Labour group leader Andrew Burns said: "I have no problem with the corporate communications department undergoing a review, but I do wonder at the absolute need to employ external consultants based over 400 miles away to undertake such a task."

But city leader Jenny Dawe said: "The experienced external consultants were appointed on grounds of cost and the capacity to undertake the review quickly.

"If the end result is, as we hope, a more efficient and effective service then I am sure all colleagues on the council will agree that it was worth spending the money.

"If the conclusion is that we have an ideal set-up right now, then I think the exercise will still have been worthwhile."





The full article contains 184 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 23 August 2008 10:43 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Edinburgh Council
 
1

P I Staker,

23/08/2008 12:07:19
£15,500 - just twice what the older peoples' charity wanted to maintain a service.
Sad that there is no one within the PR department that is qualified to look at their own performance and see where they are going wrong.
2

Mallory,

Edinburgh 23/08/2008 12:58:20
I'm sure there are folk in the Cooncil PR department who are qualified to do such a report. Only touble is that cooncil chiefs never seem to listen to their own workforce if there is an opportunity to employ consultants.
3

Epicuras,

23/08/2008 13:08:05
seeing as frontline services are being scrapped couldn't the councillors try to go a few days without hiring expensive consultants to tell them what they already know - they're cr*p
4

Moscow Central 42,

23/08/2008 13:29:43
You could look at things another way. This is the Liberal Democrats' revenge for the appalling publicity they have had since they took office. I am afraid, Councillor ( Hoi Polloi ) Dawe, that there is little point in shooting the messenger.The PR Department can only work with what they have got. The sad truth is that utter incompetence is alway good news - for the media.
5

Burghboys,

edinburgh 23/08/2008 14:40:51
not to mention the fact that the council has a 'Quality Service @ department who's function is to review council services.. and yes highly paid lot,, forget the older peopole at sage mate,, Lib Dems / SNP wat fluffy robes, fancy chairs, flags and bunting to greet them, and a good PR team to make them sound like they know what there talking about - roll on the next election and get theses bums out
6

Marian,

23/08/2008 14:56:11
Nothing wrong with employing a firm from London providing they are best firm for the job - in any event New Labour under Donald Anderson employed a firm called Pinnacle from London in a failed attempt to try and sort out the housing department.
7

Statsman,

Edinburgh 23/08/2008 15:23:49
If they were doing their jobs properly, they wouldn't need a PR department.

What's the PR department for? To convince me that having potholed roads and wonky pavements is fine as long as they employ more wardens (spies) each year?

Get lost Council. Start getting the basics right and stop all this social engineering.
8

Edinburghs only big team,

23/08/2008 22:07:24
Just burning the cash would have saved time and had the same impact.
9

,

23/08/2008 22:30:21
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
10

Rob me blind,

Peterhead 23/08/2008 23:35:54
Lib-Dem /SNP now let me see where have we seen this before oh yes Bankrupt Aberdeen these people shouldnt be allowed to run a sweet shop let alone a City
11

,

24/08/2008 00:54:46
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:

 

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