Although Peterborough Council is in the process of outsourcing most of its functions, including Parks and Refuse (to Enterprise) Arts and Culture (to Vivacity) and Benefits and Payments (to Serco), it seems that Communications is remaining in-house, and apparently growing ever larger.
Peterborough Council has 57 councillors, each with an iPad and therefore a potential Tweeter, a somewhat unknown population hovering between 150,000 and 200,000, and an ever-dwindling direct workforce.
Here is the map of the Communications Team with the latest vacancy at the top of the diagram. Is this a normal sized team? Is this the way things will be in the future? Will councils simply consist of communication experts? Why are the boxes blue? If it was a Labour council, would they be red? Why aren’t they green? These are all good questions, crying out for answers. I don’t have the answers. I don’t believe the current team, the councillors or indeed the Leader know the answers. Maybe the Head of Strategic Communications will provide them.
And why don’t they just outsource Comms? Is it because it’s all top secret? And if so, why?
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