Hiding under the shelter of the Regional Constitution...

It is one of the unexpected pleasures in the life of a bureaucrat to discover a whole new range of rules to play with. So you can imagine my delight that the East of England Regional Constitution differs from that in London.

Even better, it has become apparent that my new colleagues haven't had an opportunity to read it themselves, so I find myself as the Region's constitutional guru. Whilst gratifying, it presents its own problem, in that I haven't actually read it in full myself. So, my evening is now dedicated to doing just that, in the first instance to find out what my job is.

I always recommend that people read the rules that govern an organisation at an early stage, on the basis that most people won't. Knowledge is power, and even the inference of knowledge has its benefits, but most importantly, a grasp of process is what enables you to avoid an awful lot of pain. Let me give an illustration...

Most branches of an organisation tend to be run and organised by amateurs, and whilst this is no bad thing, it can lead to difficulties when conflicts arise. Process allows you to move forward even when there are differences of opinion, as it provides a framework for decision making which can be respected, even by those who are in the minority camp. You can imagine how that becomes even more useful in a political organisation, when opinions are firmly held and egos are occasionally fragile. It also means that, when appeals are made to a higher body, they can be dealt with efficiently by people who can refer to that process, see if it has been adhered to, and then rule accordingly.

Constitutions also act as a reminder as to the responsibilities of individuals, committees and working groups. It never ceases to amaze me how organisations transition from year to year, with changes of personnel and direction with so little 'handover'. In my case, my competence appears to have been assumed, and given I had done the job in another Region for three years, that might seem realistic. However, the two Regions, London and the East of England are very different, and the required skill set is not quite the same.

So, back to my papers. I'll let you know what I find in the morning...