4-CONSULTING E-ZINE

With the downturn in the economy, all of us are looking for ways of maximising value for money in everything we do. Some organisations will feel the need to downsize, others are more concerned about focussing on their strengths and meeting their objectives and targets.

In this edition of our e-Zine, our first article considers some of the issues for employers that can arise in a redundancy. Our second article looks at how public sector organisations can align their programmes and projects to the objectives and targets of the Scottish Government's National Performance Framework.

We hope you’ll find the articles of interest and, if there is a topic you would like us to cover in a future issue, please let us know.

Please feel free to forward this e-zine to a colleague.

For more information about 4-consulting click here

Managing Redundancies Safely

Whenever an organisation plans to reduce the size of its workforce, it is very important that the process is planned carefully and carried out compassionately, fairly and in compliance with the law. Lack of knowledge of employment law and not following best practice can land employers in difficulty and damage their reputations. We explain some of the issues that employers should think about to make the process as safe as possible.

To read the complete article, visit:

http://www.4-consulting.com/News/Ezine_16/Ezine_16_01.htm

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Prioritisation in the Public Sector

The Scottish Government's National Performance Framework has been published for around 18 months and public bodies are now expected to have aligned all their programmes and projects to the objectives and targets set out in the framework. However, with many objectives and even more targets and outcomes in Framework, many public sector organisations have difficulty in prioritising their activities effectively. We have loaded the Government's objectives and targets into our Impact Matrix™ tool to create an ideal prioritisation resource for strategic planners in public bodies.

To read the complete article, visit:

http://www.4-consulting.com/News/Ezine_16/Ezine_16_02.htm

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Making the Most of PowerPoint and Excel

Our regular "tricks and tips" features offers practical advice on getting the most out of your word processor and creating better spreadsheet workbooks.

To read the complete article, visit:

http://www.4-consulting.com/News/Ezine_16/Ezine_16_03.htm

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Recent Successes

In the months since our last edition of the e-Zine, we have undertaken a review of HR practice in the Higher Education sector for the Scottish Funding Council. We have been commissioned by the Scottish Legal Aid Board to advise on the strategic options for the replacement of a key computer system. We've also built on our experience in the HR sector by being appointed to the Scottish Investors in People Framework contract.

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Our Associates' Pool
Our pool of associate consultants continues to grow. We're particularly pleased to welcome Liz Taylor who is an experienced international HR generalist. Until recently, Liz was HR Director, Scottish & Newcastle Venture Markets.

We are always interested in developing our pool of consultants and, if you think you might be interested in joining us, please give Ralph Leishman a call on 0131 668 2112 or drop him an email at Ralph.Leishman@4-consulting.com.

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Tell us your view

Last time, in our readership poll, we asked if you thought the UK economy would have improved by the end of 1 year. We had the biggest response yet and everyone of the replies was "NO".

We hope that you will take a moment to answer the following question:

Given the travails in so many sectors of the UK economy, should the Government should continue to bail out the financial services sector?

Answer our question and let us know – all responses are confidential.

If you would like to suggest a topic for future e-zines or have any comments about this one, please send it to: ezine@4-consulting.com.

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For more information about 4-consulting visit our web site at: www.4-consulting.com. Please feel free to forward this e-zine to a colleague.

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