Meetings vs on ground action

Submitted by rlewis on Fri, 28/11/2008 - 10:45.
meetings I attended yet another seminar on aging issues this week. I know that such seminars do have an important role in the development and exchange of ideas. However, as I listened, I became acutely aware of the time/energy/cost demanded by the vast weight of meetings, learned papers, Government and Council departments, seminars, workshops, organisations, research, policies, strategies, staff training, working papers, committees, and more, and how little 

focus was placed on the actual on ground social justice outcomes, that all of the above were established to achieve.

I became aware that, while I was enjoying  a free lunch, someone somewhere was likely to be lying beside their bed with a broken hip for a few days, before, and by default, a meals on wheels volunteer found them.

It's 2008, not 1908, and we've had enough of the over emphasis on analysis and theorising. I think that it is time for Governments to do a hard audit of just how much is spent in administration in all of it's guises, and how much actually gets through to the needy.

I'd say a target of 75% for on ground outcomes, and 25% for the  'overheads' should be about right.

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Comments

Well said riewis. I am sick by bonnie jean on 22/05/2009 10:42 pm
This is nice aritcle and by albfalco on 06/07/2009 2:51 am

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