Survey of Working Patterns ??
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Join Date: Sep 2006
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Survey of Working Patterns ??
Hmmmm....
Just had a Defence Analytical Services Agency "Survey of Working Patterns 2007/2008" questionnaire delivered to me.
Reading the inside cover:
"DASA conducts this survey for the Armed Forces Pay Review Body. The AFPRB relies on this survey to provide the information it needs on the working patterns of Service personnel. The results form an important part of the evidence used by the AFPRB.."
I am expected to record a diary of my work activity over a seven day period, detailing how many hours were spent on each task.
The cynic in me believes that this is an attempt, across the board, to gather some bul
it stats in order to justify a poxy increase / freeze on any potential pay increases at the April 08 point.
This is the 4th questionnaire I have completed this year alone for yet another government organisation. Maybe we should spend less money on fuing questionnaires and more on kit / welfare. 
Just had a Defence Analytical Services Agency "Survey of Working Patterns 2007/2008" questionnaire delivered to me.
Reading the inside cover:
"DASA conducts this survey for the Armed Forces Pay Review Body. The AFPRB relies on this survey to provide the information it needs on the working patterns of Service personnel. The results form an important part of the evidence used by the AFPRB.."
I am expected to record a diary of my work activity over a seven day period, detailing how many hours were spent on each task.
The cynic in me believes that this is an attempt, across the board, to gather some bul
it stats in order to justify a poxy increase / freeze on any potential pay increases at the April 08 point.This is the 4th questionnaire I have completed this year alone for yet another government organisation. Maybe we should spend less money on fu
ing questionnaires and more on kit / welfare.
Join Date: Aug 2006
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MFW,
The problem about these questionaires is the implict assumption that you are actually doing anything 24/7.
Much of the time you are paid to do nothing - actually doing something is a failure of defence diplomacy.
If your job is refuelling and truning round an aircraft, fitting black boxes etc then you have an 'simple' well designed task. Once one aircraft is done you move on to the next etc. Problem is if 2nd line don't push enough work forward so you had time hanging around waiting for it to return.
I once got stopped by a market researcher or some such in the High Street on a Monday morning. "Had I watched TV over the weekend?" Yes. "How much?"
Ran out of fingers, took shoes and socks off, and it worked out at about 36 - 40 hours. "What programmes had I watched?" Don't know, can you tell me what was on and I can say if I watched it? "No"
Why did I have square eyes? I had just finished a 3 day stint on QRAat 15 minutes readiness.
The problem about these questionaires is the implict assumption that you are actually doing anything 24/7.
Much of the time you are paid to do nothing - actually doing something is a failure of defence diplomacy.
If your job is refuelling and truning round an aircraft, fitting black boxes etc then you have an 'simple' well designed task. Once one aircraft is done you move on to the next etc. Problem is if 2nd line don't push enough work forward so you had time hanging around waiting for it to return.
I once got stopped by a market researcher or some such in the High Street on a Monday morning. "Had I watched TV over the weekend?" Yes. "How much?"
Ran out of fingers, took shoes and socks off, and it worked out at about 36 - 40 hours. "What programmes had I watched?" Don't know, can you tell me what was on and I can say if I watched it? "No"
Why did I have square eyes? I had just finished a 3 day stint on QRAat 15 minutes readiness.
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Just filled mine in - 50 hours in a week that I was on resettlement!
Never mind the average for the RAF will still be 42hrs - or will this change now that Innsworth has closed??
Never mind the average for the RAF will still be 42hrs - or will this change now that Innsworth has closed??
This is not a new thing, I received one of these a few years back - they obviously didn't like my answers because they never asked me to fill in another. That's the problem with these things - if they think that your response skews the average they bin your answer. 
Join Date: Nov 2007
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Nothing Changes
Back in 1965 I was on 90 Squadron and as our Valiants were grounded ( rear spar problem) I was requested to do a 3 month detachment to RAF Hullavington to carry out work analysis on the ground radar unit. This was to identify how many hours per week the average fitter worked on his primary role of maintaining or manning the radar sets. As this was at the time a navigation training station with 24hr flying, these men worked split shifts and sometimes clocked way over 80 hrs per week actually manning the radar.
I was then requested (well actually ordered) to massage the figures to hit just 29.5 hrs per week on their primary role.
Reason became clear when it emerged reason for the analysis was a parliamentary question raised during that years Forces pay review, “How many hours per week does a member of the forces spend on his primary trade or role”, answer given “29.5 hrs”, next question “When was that data obtained”, answer, “er 1946” next question “Do you think it might be a good idea to have a more recent analysis?”
Hence this new one and the need to ensure it still produced similar data to justify pay rise
I was then requested (well actually ordered) to massage the figures to hit just 29.5 hrs per week on their primary role.
Reason became clear when it emerged reason for the analysis was a parliamentary question raised during that years Forces pay review, “How many hours per week does a member of the forces spend on his primary trade or role”, answer given “29.5 hrs”, next question “When was that data obtained”, answer, “er 1946” next question “Do you think it might be a good idea to have a more recent analysis?”
Hence this new one and the need to ensure it still produced similar data to justify pay rise
