The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Police defend ‘gobbledygook’
Job advert filled with jargon criticised
Police Scotland has defended a jargonfilled advert for an £80,000 a year post.
The new post of Head of Design Authority with Police Scotland was advertised this week, with a salary ranging from £70,815 to £79,641.
The successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring any new technology or property the force invests in is suitable for future requirements outlined in the Police 2026 strategy.
Police Scotland is hoping to recruit a graduate with a minimum of five years’ experience in a relevant field but the language used in the job advert has left some people scratching their heads.
It begins: “The Design Authority (DA) is the custodian of the Target Operating Model ensuring alignment to the strategic vision for the organisation taking an end to end view using a business value focused perspective.
“The DA function will work in conjunction with Programme and Project Managers and teams to ensure benefits and business value is optimised and achieved.
“The Head of Design Authority role will lead the Design Authority function to ensure all design activities, architectural requirements and change initiatives are strategically aligned, so that the vision, and end benefits are protected.”
Scottish Police Federation vice-chairman David Hamilton tweeted: “Can somebody please explain in plain English what this £80k post actually does?”
Dozens of people responded to Mr Hamilton disparaging the advert.
Twitter user Martin Findlay said: “The role will be to take something that works and create something that doesn’t and which appears so complex that no one will understand it.”
Kevin Paterson said: “That’s made up surely? It is pure gobbledygook.”
But David Page, deputy chief officer of Police Scotland, said: “A design authority is a key part of large scale and ambitious change processes involving a number of different programmes and projects, as is the case with Policing 2026.
“It exists to make sure investments in, for example technology, estates and process changes support one another and contribute to more effective changes in operational policing and corporate services.”