Before you cut costs in your central department of government or business by removing a job it currently does, here’s a good question to ask:

• Can we remove the need for this job completely?

If the answer to that is ‘No’, then ask these:

• Who is best placed to do this job effectively and efficiently?
• What resources do we need to shift along with the responsibility?
• What resources will they need to set themselves up to do this job?

I’m all for devolution.  The closer to the front line the better, but too often ‘devolution’ merely means shifting where the work is accounted for without shifting the resources needed to get it done.

When you’re looking for real efficiency gains, shuffling deckchairs is rarely the best answer.