【Interlude】S01E02.5 ……
His eyes sed the title of the randubefore hi A Procedural Proposal for Optising the Inter-Departntal Coordination of High-Level Local Visits to Uphold the Gover''''s Ige.
He did not ope iediately. Instead, he looked at Alistair.
"Alistair, I hear that Minister Hyde''''s enter in wall has bee the latest talk of Fleet Street," his voice was cal betraying no bias. "The possibilities you raised in your risk assessnt... seeto have all e to pass."
"Thank you for your attention, Sir Albert," Alistair replied, his deanour respectful but fir "Risk assessnt is one of the DSC''''s core funs. It is precisely because this i exposed a lack of coordination that I have taken the liberty of subtting this randu It ai to provide a re synergistic frawork for the future, to prevent a recurrence of events that are earrassing to the gover."
Only then did Albert pick up the dot and open it.
The core of the randuproposed the establishnt of a non-ndatory, purely infortional rep syste Departnts could inforthe DSC of their nisters'''' local itineraries in advance, and the DSC would be responsible for cross-refereng theand flagging potential flicts or risks.
He read it word by word, his face iassive. When he finished, he slowly closed the file.
"Non-ndatory?" Albert raised a slight eyebrow. "You have always been a propo of efficy."
"Sir Albert." Alistair t his gaze. "In Whitehall, an irrefutable ''''reendation'''' is sotis re effective than a forceful directive."
He paused. "If departnts choose not to report their plans, and another ''''public relations disaster'''' like wall occurs iure, then the Pri Minister''''s Offid the et Office will have every reason to hold the non-''''synergistic'''' departnt atable. This ''''non-ndatory'''' is paradoxically, pels theto proactively seek our ''''advice'''' to tigate their own risks."
Albert''''s gaze rested on Alistair''''s face for a long nt. In the end, he gave no definitive answer, rely tapping his fingers on the desk.
A few days later, an Internal Circular frothe Pri Minister''''s Office was quietly distributed to all departnts:
Internal Circular
Pri Minister''''s Office
Ref: PMO/IC/007/80
Cc: All Per Secretaries
Fro et Office (on advice froNo.10 Press Office)
Date: 4 February 1980
Subject: Reendation for Enhang the Overall Synergy of Gover Visits to the Regions
To tinuously optise the overall synergistic effectiveness of high-level departntal visits to the regions, No. 10 Downing Street reends that, when planning local itineraries for Ministers or officials of equivalent rank, departnts y, in the spirit of courtesy and synergy, engage in prelinary unication with the Departnt of Synergy Coordination (DSC). The DSC will be responsible for collating relevant infortion and y provide infortional referend risk assessnt on potential schedule flicts or public relations risks.
This asure is inteo prote the flow of infortion within gover, enha in deaking, and thereby better serve the publiterest. This is a non-ndatory reendation and does not alter the autonous planning and deaking authority of individual departnts.
For infortion.
He did not ope iediately. Instead, he looked at Alistair.
"Alistair, I hear that Minister Hyde''''s enter in wall has bee the latest talk of Fleet Street," his voice was cal betraying no bias. "The possibilities you raised in your risk assessnt... seeto have all e to pass."
"Thank you for your attention, Sir Albert," Alistair replied, his deanour respectful but fir "Risk assessnt is one of the DSC''''s core funs. It is precisely because this i exposed a lack of coordination that I have taken the liberty of subtting this randu It ai to provide a re synergistic frawork for the future, to prevent a recurrence of events that are earrassing to the gover."
Only then did Albert pick up the dot and open it.
The core of the randuproposed the establishnt of a non-ndatory, purely infortional rep syste Departnts could inforthe DSC of their nisters'''' local itineraries in advance, and the DSC would be responsible for cross-refereng theand flagging potential flicts or risks.
He read it word by word, his face iassive. When he finished, he slowly closed the file.
"Non-ndatory?" Albert raised a slight eyebrow. "You have always been a propo of efficy."
"Sir Albert." Alistair t his gaze. "In Whitehall, an irrefutable ''''reendation'''' is sotis re effective than a forceful directive."
He paused. "If departnts choose not to report their plans, and another ''''public relations disaster'''' like wall occurs iure, then the Pri Minister''''s Offid the et Office will have every reason to hold the non-''''synergistic'''' departnt atable. This ''''non-ndatory'''' is paradoxically, pels theto proactively seek our ''''advice'''' to tigate their own risks."
Albert''''s gaze rested on Alistair''''s face for a long nt. In the end, he gave no definitive answer, rely tapping his fingers on the desk.
A few days later, an Internal Circular frothe Pri Minister''''s Office was quietly distributed to all departnts:
Internal Circular
Pri Minister''''s Office
Ref: PMO/IC/007/80
Cc: All Per Secretaries
Fro et Office (on advice froNo.10 Press Office)
Date: 4 February 1980
Subject: Reendation for Enhang the Overall Synergy of Gover Visits to the Regions
To tinuously optise the overall synergistic effectiveness of high-level departntal visits to the regions, No. 10 Downing Street reends that, when planning local itineraries for Ministers or officials of equivalent rank, departnts y, in the spirit of courtesy and synergy, engage in prelinary unication with the Departnt of Synergy Coordination (DSC). The DSC will be responsible for collating relevant infortion and y provide infortional referend risk assessnt on potential schedule flicts or public relations risks.
This asure is inteo prote the flow of infortion within gover, enha in deaking, and thereby better serve the publiterest. This is a non-ndatory reendation and does not alter the autonous planning and deaking authority of individual departnts.
For infortion.