AIBU to ask how you get along with consultants if you work in the public sector?

[KoreyBay18]

I'm honestly at breaking point. Informally managed by a consultant who is in from the private sector for a set period. Her expectations are fucking ridiculous.

I've spent 3 days working on a piece of work that is ALWAYS "not quite right". I've done 14 hour days to get it to where it is and I'm still now getting messages "can you just move these arrows 2mm to the right? Can you put this heading in italics?" And other meaningless things like this.

All the information and content has been perfectly accurate since yesterday morning but we hours later and I'm still wasting time making it aesthetically perfrct for my Senior Civil Servant who I KNOW just does not care. She cares about the content and knowing the right information. I appreciate the consultant wants it to be perfect but omg it is such a waste of tax payers money to have someone spending a whole working day moving things 2mm to the left or right. I'm not a junior member of staff either, I'm a Grade 7.

AiBU to be hacked off by this? I just want to crack on with the actual important work I have to do (and am gunna have to do a 60 hour week this week to catch up on!)

I've been in this scenario with a private external consultant, except no management reporting line to them. After several months of it, I eventually snapped over criticism of a full space alignment in one entry on a spreadsheet. Told the person to go fuck themselves. I think the guy was so shocked that he didn't know how to respond so there wasn't even any fallout from it. I'm obviously not recommending that as an approach, but I can definitely understand how you may be feeling.

@Whichcatthatcat

All these people building careers on making things look nice! Spending hours and days formatting documents! Paying consultants money to help make things look nice!

Just get on and do some real work, who cares about font and 2mm!!! As long as its readable and understandable.
What a lot of shit jobs there are.

The point of a slide is to impart information to the reader, I can't believe some people are paid to work for 60 hours a week to make them look nice.

I think if the only value a consultant can add is to make a report look nice - there are companies who specialise in this, you don't need a consultant, they add lots of creative touches. However, good clear simple presentation of analysis and recommendations in a report is essential and a lot harder that it looks. Why say is in 300 words when you can say it in 40 pages? I know which one is easier for the writer - but it won't get read by the decision makers.

I too am an ex-management consultant, employed for my technical skills and has occasionally got lumbered with working through the night to get stuff done.

That's why I know that the formatting standards should be set out up front, and you provided with a template from the start, exactly so that this kind of change is just not required.

I'd be asking her for a business case for going non-essential changes, so long as you have the ok from your 'Senior Civil Servant' that they are happy to accept it without cosmetic differences.

Good luck.

If you want to set the course better for the future, I'd reply very very politely, copying CS manager, listing the amendments and saying ^can I just ask what the value add is of these as I'm concerned how much time has already been spent on potentially cosmetic changes that don't add anything. Can we prioritise to ensure we are focussing on essential changes to the content, and then if you want the appearance fine tuning perhaps we can find an admin/intern with capacity. I finish at 5pm so need to focus on essentials today."

Also simply do not look at emails at 5pm. Work your working hours, explain that if there's a final round of changes, they need to be with you earlier in the day if she wants it back same day, as you work 9-5. Be honest that you don't get a salary that justifies a load of overtime and your childcare arrangements dont allow for you to work beyond your hours.