Your council. We're listening. Have your say

[exciseman]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

First rule of spin – label all criticism, however justified, as negativity.

[Pooks]

My apologies for not going back to the very first post to translate the nom-de-plumes of the SIC officers who are no doubt giving good value to rate-payer by posting on Shetlink.

 

First rule of forum etiquette. If you are going to air your views at least take the time to check out the first post in the thread if you can't be bothered to read the whole thing.

 

If you feel so strongly about this issue then it might do you some good to actually take the time out to read the thread though.

 

I personally couldn't care whether you agree or don't agree with this idea but from my viewpoint I think it is a step in the right direction. It gives people an area where they can voice their concerns and the slim possibility of somebody actually taking action.

 

A bit better than the prior offering is it not?

[mhutch]

Here's a question from the Council staff/Member survey that we have running at the moment. I'll post new ones over the next few days and would be interested to hear your thoughts.

 

1. What values do you think are most important for the Council to promote as an organisation?

 

values might stir up a hornets nest in here , but promoting how value for money is attributed would be good ?? (maybe get shot down in flames again lol)

[Widworx]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

First rule of spin – label all criticism, however justified, as negativity.

 

First rule of negativity - moan about issues without offering alterantives!

 

Spin tends to be promoted by the people involved and as I have no involvement with the people involved or the Council I hardly think it can be spin.

 

All I was trying to say was lets give it a chance and by all means if it ends up having been a complete waste of time with no results, I will join you in criticising it.

[mhutch]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

First rule of spin – label all criticism, however justified, as negativity.

 

First rule of negativity - moan about issues without offering alterantives!

 

Spin tends to be promoted by the people involved and as I have no involvement with the people involved or the Council I hardly think it can be spin.

 

All I was trying to say was lets give it a chance and by all means if it ends up having been a complete waste of time with no results, I will join you in criticising it.

 

Sorry posted twice as computer running slow

 

reverting to good old non politically correct terms everybody relates to likely is not an alternative on here given the high standard of litterary side stepping and word shuffling , surely to relate to ordinary folk "spin" could be referred to as sharn (know fine well sharn will go in there)

[exciseman]

My apologies for not going back to the very first post to translate the nom-de-plumes of the SIC officers who are no doubt giving good value to rate-payer by posting on Shetlink.

 

First rule of forum etiquette. If you are going to air your views at least take the time to check out the first post in the thread if you can't be bothered to read the whole thing.

 

If you feel so strongly about this issue then it might do you some good to actually take the time out to read the thread though.

 

I personally couldn't care whether you agree or don't agree with this idea but from my viewpoint I think it is a step in the right direction. It gives people an area where they can voice their concerns and the slim possibility of somebody actually taking action.

 

A bit better than the prior offering is it not?

 

I did apologise for not reading page 1.

I don’t care that you don’t care.

I do care about the waste of public funds by employing more of Buchan’s little helpers to design a propaganda machine.

[unlinkedstudent]

... So, getting back to the discussion, here's another question for you to consider:

 

How effective do you feel the Council is at promoting itself through the media?

 

Peter Peterson

(working in my own time!)

 

At the risk of replying in the mode of a politician answering a question and saying "Perhaps the question should be re-worded" or "Perhaps the question you should be asking is", I can't help but ask you the following:-

 

Do the public want the Council to promote itself through the media? Do you actually mean promote the services the Council offer? What media? National? Local? What would be the purpose of the Council promoting "itself" through the media?

 

I think you need to be more specific. My own view is the services the Council provides should be promoted/the public advised. Promoting the Council is an entirely different thing. All too often these days, for whatever reason, some local authorities seem to be moving away from just advising the end users of what services are available and instead "spout from the roof tops" at great cost about how wonderful they are when in reality, all people want is for their rubbish to be collected, roads maintained, streets swept, Social Services care, etc., provided, education run efficiently, without the Council turning out what some end up regarding as propaganda. You see elsewhere the lovely magazines produced saying "We are doing X in X Road and it is a community-led regeneration project" yet you ask the local tenants' forum if it is and they'll tell you something completely different. There is a fine line between keeping the public advised as many a time, such publications only publish "the good news".

 

As others have mentioned, communication is a two way thing.

[Njugle]

If SIC councillors such as Cllr Baisley, SIC departments and employees can’t already communicate effectively with the small population we have and have to rely on internet forums then they shouldn’t be in the job in the first place.

 

How do you feel about the communications record to date? Do you feel that the current outlets have been adequate? Do you feel well informed about council activities?

 

I do feel well informed on many issues, personally speaking, but only through taking an active role in the community.

 

However, in an ideal world The SIC website would be the main hub for disseminating info. If it were up to me I would equip it with RSS feeds and maybe email subscriptions to inform folk of ferry cancellations, school closures, road closures, weather warnings and all manner of essential info that originates from the council. This would then also be easier and more unified for the media to follow and pass on this info the those without internet devices.

 

I think the role of a communications officer is more important for instigating this rather than the alleged spin being speculated upon. The current council and its departments are all "spinned out" with so called public consultations and individually autonomous representation. I don't think they have anywhere to go with spin, and I speculate that they know this. It's time for a culture change, which they appear to be attempting, and this means grass roots info being delivered to/received by the public to give some greater measure of value back to those who pay for these services. Good on them for trying, and in an inexpensive fashion at that.

[etterscab]

My own view is the services the Council provides should be promoted/the public advised. Promoting the Council is an entirely different thing.

 

Indeed, the services must be promoted. But the point about 'promoting the council' is surely that the public have to be confident in the council's ability to deliver those services.

 

A major programme is under way, spearheaded by Alistair Buchan, to improve the way the council is run. What we're committed to at the comms project is for openness, trustworthiness, honesty and accountability to be communicated to the public because...well, because they're real. Because the council is genuinely working to become those things. And if you have an open, accountable and honest council, you can trust it to deliver its services effectively. Properly.

 

Now, we really believe this. We're not cynical. We're not spinning. You may accuse us of being innocent or naive, but listen, we're absolutely genuine about this. And we'd really like you to respond to this thread in the spirit it's offered.

 

Tom Morton

[groilick]

 

A major programme is under way, spearheaded by Alistair Buchan, to improve the way the council is run. What we're committed to at the comms project is for openness, trustworthiness, honesty and accountability to be communicated to the public because...well, because they're real. Because the council is genuinely working to become those things. And if you have an open, accountable and honest council, you can trust it to deliver its services effectively. Properly.

 

Tom Morton

Really?

Consultation process should be:

1. Consult widely with the public and all interested parties.

2. Listen and take account of what they say.

3. Make a decision based on 2.

 

Consultation process SIC Buchan style: e.g. Scalloway School closure.

1. Take the decision

2. Consult widely with the public and all interested parties.

3. Don’t listen and take no account of what they say.

[Njugle]

I wouldn't blame Buchan for that one, though it is a shocking example of what has gone wrong. The blame there lies more with our elected members as I see it.

The decision was allegedly taken at a seminar prior to the whole Blueprint process. Even those against the closures were party to it. Allegedly.

 

As a prime example it stands though. If our elected members had stood up and said from the outset - "Times are hard money will be really tight, we need to make huge cuts and that means school closures. We're sorry, buy we have no option. We'd like you to help us minimise the impact of this on your bairns."

 

That would have commanded a hugely greater amount of respect than the 'improve eduction provision for Shetland" tosh that the Blueprint was run with, and then subsequent.....well, you know how it went. Integrity, respect and public consultation?

 

To stay on topic - that was what needs to be changed. Let the changes begin.

[mhutch]

 

A major programme is under way, spearheaded by Alistair Buchan, to improve the way the council is run. What we're committed to at the comms project is for openness, trustworthiness, honesty and accountability to be communicated to the public because...well, because they're real. Because the council is genuinely working to become those things. And if you have an open, accountable and honest council, you can trust it to deliver its services effectively. Properly.

 

Tom Morton

Really?

Consultation process should be:

1. Consult widely with the public and all interested parties.

2. Listen and take account of what they say.

3. Make a decision based on 2.

 

Consultation process SIC Buchan style: e.g. Scalloway School closure.

1. Take the decision

2. Consult widely with the public and all interested parties.

3. Don’t listen and take no account of what they say.

 

objectively tho, council to one side, the westminster govt gave the whole of the whole countrys infrastructure funds to the bankers and left nothing to keep decent schooling where its needed n wanted , no schools anywhere ought to be shut , no roads should have potholes or any budgets unfairly slashed, closing the Scalloway school is both draconian and destructive but the root cause ultimately appears to lie in the hands of unaccountable greed elsewhere

[shetlandpeat]

Consulting the public does not mean automatic inclusion of the publics view.

As we all know, those elected to their seats are only elected by those who voted. The sad thing is the folk who don't get involved.

As with surveys, not all will complete them, not all will consider extraneous circumstances and not all will be apolitical.

And if the council do act exactly on public consensus, and it is wrong, con I surcharge the public, cos I would like a named vote. It should work both ways, you cannot blame the council when the voters are to blame. But we covered the always blame the council bit earlier.

The public should also take some burden, use your vote, and use your rights.

It is like reading the Sun sometimes.

[ISOT]

As mentioned at the outset, this is a genuine attempt to gather views on Council comms, as we prepare for a new Communications Strategy. Cllr Baisley actually said at yesterday's SIC meeting that she welcomed these efforts to engage with the public through Shetlink.

 

So, getting back to the discussion, here's another question for you to consider:

 

How effective do you feel the Council is at promoting itself through the media?

 

Peter Peterson

(working in my own time!)

 

Honestly Peter you're wasting your time here. There will be a handful that will have decent thoughts on the subject then they'll be twice as many that will sit and type utter drivel and try and argue points cos they've got piss all else to do but criticise. Just check some of the other threads here recently.

 

I think the idea of a spread in the paper is a good one, maybe not every week but once or even twice a month. Contact the times and see what they'll do. I think a full page advert is around about £400-£500 but don't quote me!

 

Cheers

[shetlander]

How effective do you feel the Council is at promoting itself through the media?

 

I might be misunderstanding the question here but I wouldn't have thought that the council (by virtue of the nature of it as an organisation) should be in the business of promoting itself, the only possible exceptions being where it has a marketing function of sorts (lease or sale of land or property, in its role trying to promote tourism or business creation etc).

 

As others have said, I think the priority from the point of view of the public is that you look at new or improved ways, whether that be through the local press or by other means, both of consulting with the public and conveying information to them. In terms of this particular exercise for example, I see that you have an advert on the Shetland News website. It would also be good to see it being the subject of a news article on Radio Shetland, being advertised in the Shetland Times, on SIBC or in local shops.