tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post1419846427981547079..comments2024-03-28T23:10:52.046+00:00Comments on On Probation Blog: Probation? - 'Still Waiting for that Submission'Jim Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258147767051200157noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-24689767572869933432016-07-29T07:26:47.714+01:002016-07-29T07:26:47.714+01:00A missed opportunity for someone to have asked Liz...A missed opportunity for someone to have asked Liz and the boys what they were going to do for Helen Titchener. Step forward you Probation folk.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-23456524420547346112016-07-28T22:45:26.817+01:002016-07-28T22:45:26.817+01:00The thing is, you have to know your subject really...The thing is, you have to know your subject really well to be able to discern how then to distill it simply. That is light years away from a superficial skim of (possibly/maybe/hope so) the main areas followed by a trumpeted commitment to one or two bits to try and sound knowledgeable and focussed.<br />And I agree that the reference to the swearing in ceremony was embarrassingly cringeworthy. Where was the sense of gravitas, or humility,in being part of a serious ceremony over 100 years old?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-13641513426492794902016-07-28T22:16:23.023+01:002016-07-28T22:16:23.023+01:00Would have loved to have been given a patch and a ...Would have loved to have been given a patch and a group of people to work with and, with professional supervision, been told to get on with it, make a difference. Community role, connected. That is a job I would have loved and made sing. Call me a dreamer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-62552630916138226542016-07-28T22:13:03.805+01:002016-07-28T22:13:03.805+01:00Something in keeping it simple given the complexit...Something in keeping it simple given the complexity of Probation role. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-88324395690823318752016-07-28T21:11:28.109+01:002016-07-28T21:11:28.109+01:00The US Navy has two mottos: "Semper Fortis&qu...The US Navy has two mottos: "Semper Fortis" and Non Sibi Sed Patriae". Neither translates as KISS, which is more akin to Ockham's Razor. SoS's speechwriter maybe needs to lay off the Wiki.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-52516018857862926462016-07-28T20:03:06.558+01:002016-07-28T20:03:06.558+01:00I'm a little confused. I've watched every ...I'm a little confused. I've watched every series of The Thick of It but for the life of me cannot recall this episode. Is Truss Nicola Murray? From bean to cup, Truss' f*cks up. Who is playing Ollie? Where's Malcolm Tucker?<br /><br />Somebody is going to have to explain this all to me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-24225693828615157492016-07-28T18:37:59.669+01:002016-07-28T18:37:59.669+01:00"Still waiting for that submission" - cl..."Still waiting for that submission" - clue is in the title.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-75073694828229072312016-07-28T18:14:00.459+01:002016-07-28T18:14:00.459+01:00The 'Simpletonians'have ousted the 'Et...The 'Simpletonians'have ousted the 'Etonians' making a fine Eton mess! Tontohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13217829504604790968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-16094676535626577822016-07-28T12:51:57.194+01:002016-07-28T12:51:57.194+01:00A bare mention of probation .. Great that's ho...A bare mention of probation .. Great that's how seriously they view us Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-27209588328971909352016-07-28T09:11:27.812+01:002016-07-28T09:11:27.812+01:00Given her priorities for young children, as educat...Given her priorities for young children, as education minister was for them to know the names of fruit and trees, I can't wait to see what is in store for us in Probation!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-30602901646121465572016-07-28T08:56:45.362+01:002016-07-28T08:56:45.362+01:00I thought the same when I read, 'We had a REAL...I thought the same when I read, 'We had a REALLY GREAT swearing-in ceremony...' Here's a new motto for Lz<br /><br />In politics stupidity is not a handicap - Napoleon Bonaparte<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-21687729741645475582016-07-28T08:21:42.562+01:002016-07-28T08:21:42.562+01:00Is it just me, or do they all sound like a bunch o...Is it just me, or do they all sound like a bunch of super keen 6 formers who have just been elected to the school council; surprised to be there, Don't really have a clue what they're expected to do but never mind it will all be very super and they will blag their way through.<br />Frightening at every level.<br />DebAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-1661790398528186262016-07-28T08:17:00.399+01:002016-07-28T08:17:00.399+01:00Online farm payment system abandoned after 'pe...Online farm payment system abandoned after 'performance problems'<br /><br />A multi-million pound government IT system to process EU subsidy payments for farmers in England has been largely abandoned after "performance problems". The system will be re-launched next week with farmers asked to submit Basic Payment Scheme claims on paper forms.<br /><br />Farmers say they have struggled with the £154m website for months. Mark Grimshaw, chief executive of Defra's Rural Payments Agency (RPA), said the decision had been made "having listened intently" to farmers. He made the announcement on BBC Radio 4's Farming Today programme.<br /><br />Defra made the decision to "blend" new and existing forms and processes "to ensure that everyone who wants to make a claim this year can do so", the chief executive added. The Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) is the European Union's biggest rural payments subsidy scheme for the farming industry. Defra has said the registration part of the system will continue. The RPA will then input the data on to the system. However, a digital "mapping tool" to measure farmland boundaries - which has been the most problematic element of the system - has been replaced with paper maps and forms.<br /><br />For anyone who's been farming for a decade or more, this kind of Defra IT system fiasco will be horribly familiar. The head of the Tenant Farmers Association has called it "the ghost of Christmas past".<br /><br />When the Common Agricultural Policy was last reformed in 2005, the £350m, implementation IT system disintegrated. Farmers ended up not being paid the EU funds they were entitled to, or they got paid the wrong amounts. It took years to sort out. The system was dismantled and the Rural Payments Agency was told that it "must learn" from its costly mistake.<br /><br />This time another eye-watering sum has been paid to technology suppliers and consultants: £154m. Defra officials had reassured farmers they would ensure there was "no repeat of the 2005 payments fiasco".<br />So it is time to ditch the keyboard and download the claim forms.<br /><br />Scotland had already prepared its paper-based forms. The question will be asked: why was there no plan B in England? The European Commission has extended the deadline for basic payment scheme applications until 15 June.<br /><br />"We've put in place some processes which we know (farmers) are familiar with, so they can have the certainty of being able to submit their applications on time," Mr Grimshaw added. Farmers have repeatedly been reassured the online system would be fixed.<br />Defra has said two forms will be available to download from the RPA's website from 23 March. <br /><br />Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have their own rural payment schemes.Jim Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00258147767051200157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-84912965733503014852016-07-28T08:14:57.657+01:002016-07-28T08:14:57.657+01:00"... We had a really great swearing‐in ceremo..."... We had a really great swearing‐in ceremony last week at the Royal Courts of Justice...<br />... And, you know, justice is something I’ve worked significantly on in the past; I was a member of the Justice Select Committee. I think it’s an incredibly important part of government...<br />... I’m a huge supporter of digitisation; I did a lot of work on it at Defra. Defra, in fact, is responsible for releasing a third of all government data and was rewarded as the most data‐driven department in government...<br />... I know that the judiciary have made big progress but that is one thing that I will be focusing on...<br />I’m a great fan of the American naval motto, ‘Keep it simple, stupid.’ What I want to do is make sure that we focus on a few key priorities that we make sure we deliver those priorities, and we have the resources in the plan in place to deliver those priorities. I did have a look at the Ministry of Justice priorities; there’s quite a lot on the list at the moment and, you know, keeping it simple is important, so we all understand what we’re aiming at and what we’re doing. So what I’m going to be working on, with the ministerial team, over the summer is really whittling down those priorities, making sure that we have the resources and the schedule in order to be able to do that, and making sure that we deliver on that..."<br /><br />And lo, we're clearly blessed with a simple secretary of state, accompanied by an equally unimpressive team of simple ministers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8578343158425987632.post-44854235849776349582016-07-28T08:06:06.663+01:002016-07-28T08:06:06.663+01:00Keep it simple, stupid.' Pity they did not app...Keep it simple, stupid.' Pity they did not apply that to TR. But Truss's motto should be more about a lie being halfway around the world before the truth has its boots on. She presided over digitisation at DEFRA and last year: they had to shelve their 154m online payments system and revert to paper because it did not work. <br /><br />http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31976230<br /><br />Netnippernoreply@blogger.com