Maybe CASA is about to have a FIFA moment

[old man emu]

I overheard some talk that a member of the aviation community has obtained some pretty damning evidence of administrative misconduct at high levels in CASA and that the exposure of the evidence will bring down some empires. Rumour has it that at least one administrator has made an early exit before the ship sinks.

 

Keep your ears and eyes open.

 

OME

 

 

[Birdseye]

Watching this closely, wouldn't have thought there was enough collective competence to misconduct themselves.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

who would replace them?

 

 

[Birdseye]

Move it out of Canberra and there would be hundreds of competent people available to fill the jobs.

 

 

[DrZoos]

They will find a scapegaot and the incompetance will continue

 

 

[onetrack]

Bring it on! Nothing could be finer than CASA getting a good double dose of the salts that it dishes out to every pilot/aircraft owner/aircraft operator, that it sets itself upon, with its overbearing righteousness.

 

 

[Jaba-who]

I overheard some talk that a member of the aviation community has obtained some pretty damning evidence of administrative misconduct at high levels in CASA and that the exposure of the evidence will bring down some empires. Rumour has it that at least one administrator has made an early exit before the ship sinks.Keep your ears and eyes open.

 

OME

Has that misconduct got anything to do with the other big topic of the CASA meeting on Monday ( apart from the jabiru topic). Involving how CASA stitched up another Australian aviation manufacturer ?

 

 

[old man emu]

I'm scant on the details of the skulduggery the talk that I heard refers to, but I don't think it relates to a manufacturer. My story involves an individual, I believe.

 

Seems the more that the sh!tcan gets rattled the more turds fall out.

 

OME

 

 

[dutchroll]

If it's one individual, I doubt very much that will cause whole empires to come crashing down and entire ships to sink. That's not how Government works. Everything is so entangled and interleaved that an individual guilty of misconduct, even a reasonably senior one, can be sent packing with minimal effect on the greater bureaucracy.

 

This is especially the case with aviation, as no-one outside the aviation community (which is most of the population) could care less what goes on in CASA unless it's to do with major RPT/airline operations. It would barely even make a media story for 24 hours.

 

 

[Ron5335]

But then on the other hand, if you want to show yourself as a strong DA, then with the smallest nudge from the Minister or someone thereabouts, is enough reason for you to get the broom out,

 

and bring back a few scalps.

 

It sends a message to the others in the organisation that "IF I have to go there again, Watch Out, Now, Where are my golf clubs"

 

There's nothing like a few empty desks in the office to improve the culture around the place.

 

 

[facthunter]

About time it was totally reconstructed starting with the legislation it operates under. They have been an immovable culture and a law unto themselves for too long. Nev

 

 

[dutchroll]

Well, I'm not going to be placing a bet on the impending reformation of CASA (unless some huge safety issue affecting RPT is exposed). It's wishful thinking. Very wishful.

 

Now on the other hand, if someone were to point out to the Government how a complete overhaul of CASA would save them hundreds of millions of dollars, the overhaul will start tomorrow.

 

 

[facthunter]

Self preservation is the only thing on the Government's mind at the moment. Nev

 

 

[onetrack]

Now on the other hand, if someone were to point out to the Government how a complete overhaul of CASA would save them hundreds of millions of dollars, the overhaul will start tomorrow.

The Turnbull Govt is looking at a dreadful shortfall in taxation receipts, due to the commodities bust, the local car industry dying on its feet, and increasing unemployment due to some major job losses, right at this present moment.

They are looking to save a dollar on every single item of Govt expenditure, like we haven't seen for decades.

 

It's surprising sometimes, what an email to your local member, or to the minister for aviation, can achieve. Particularly one which points out where big savings can be made, by whittling the useless dead wood from CASA.

 

 

[kasper]

Well in 2015 the annual report throws up interesting reading:

 

CASA made an operating deficit of $5.45m ... so IF the govt think its doing a good job AND they can't pay more then the CASA fees and/or fuel are the only place left to get $$

 

BUT if the Govt can see that they are not doing a good (or efficient) job then you might get interest in looking at structural change within the department ...

 

To that end the 860 employees cost on average $139,000 per year to employ ... not to train, feed, travel etc just to pay and cover employment costs.

 

Now within that average there are accepted expertise in employees that demands payment ... but that is a whacking high average cost.

 

If I were to accept that CASA does a good job but is not efficient (personally I doubt that but i'll be kind) then I would start by looking at my actual systems and processes ... what reason is there in an efficient organisation with appropriate IT system a need for there to be 45 Certificate Management TEAM LEADERS in 10 different offices around Australia ... thats not the certificate team but just the TEAM LEADERS

 

If CASA were real world commercial in their outlook (and as 76% of their revenue comes DIRECTLY from the users of CASA/Fuel) it damn well SHOULD be commercially focused) then the efficiency of their operations needs to be addressed fundamentally and I would expect there to be easily tens of millions of dollars able to be taken out each year in efficiency savings ...

 

Get senators to notice THE incredible cost and structure of the CASA machine and maybe there is a way of cutting CASA costs to Govt and to the user ...

 

 

[facthunter]

Sounds like some sort of expensive sheltered workshop. Pretty high average salary. Nev

 

 

[turboplanner]

Well in 2015 the annual report throws up interesting reading:CASA made an operating deficit of $5.45m ... so IF the govt think its doing a good job AND they can't pay more then the CASA fees and/or fuel are the only place left to get $$

BUT if the Govt can see that they are not doing a good (or efficient) job then you might get interest in looking at structural change within the department ...

 

To that end the 860 employees cost on average $139,000 per year to employ ... not to train, feed, travel etc just to pay and cover employment costs.

 

Now within that average there are accepted expertise in employees that demands payment ... but that is a whacking high average cost.

 

If I were to accept that CASA does a good job but is not efficient (personally I doubt that but i'll be kind) then I would start by looking at my actual systems and processes ... what reason is there in an efficient organisation with appropriate IT system a need for there to be 45 Certificate Management TEAM LEADERS in 10 different offices around Australia ... thats not the certificate team but just the TEAM LEADERS

 

If CASA were real world commercial in their outlook (and as 76% of their revenue comes DIRECTLY from the users of CASA/Fuel) it damn well SHOULD be commercially focused) then the efficiency of their operations needs to be addressed fundamentally and I would expect there to be easily tens of millions of dollars able to be taken out each year in efficiency savings ...

 

Get senators to notice THE incredible cost and structure of the CASA machine and maybe there is a way of cutting CASA costs to Govt and to the user ...

Interesting thoughts; I've been through two corporate disasters, both US Companies.

 

The first fired 20% from each department one Friday night - a 20% reduction overall, but in some departments 75% were key, irreplaceable people, and in others you could have dumped the whole department, but nevertheless we moved on is if that 20% had never been there, and production, sales and profitability improved to the point that the company could be sold as a going operation, and still thrives in a different form.

 

The second company's mass firing was just as dumb; 30% from each and every department, wiping out some departments totally, yet within weeks you would never have known they were missing.

 

 

[jetjr]

its an odd management strategy but the Americans do it a lot.

 

Ive seen senior managers wonder why staff have no loyalty or commitment.

 

 

[Birdseye]

Sounds like some sort of expensive sheltered workshop. Pretty high average salary. Nev

That term Nev is reserved for the place on top of the hill.

 

 

[dutchroll]

$139k isn't going to be an average annual salary.

 

"Employee Costs" include leave (long service leave liabilities too), super, redundancy payments, etc etc.

 

It requires a little care when doing averaging of employee costs to consider the way the average is distorted (e.g. the top 10% probably earn obscene money, but I bet the bottom 30% would look pretty ordinary) and what the costs actually include.

 

By my calculations from the report, averaging the wages and salaries (excluding everything else) comes out to $102k. $37k less is a fair difference (over 25%)! And again, it's worth considering that the salary package numbers in the public service are not linear. The report shows CASA Senior Management salaries + bonuses was $6.2 million of those employee salaries.

 

Just saying.......if we're going to throw rocks here, and be my guest because I have no affiliation with CASA at all, it pays to throw them accurately.

 

 

[facthunter]

Highly skilled and experienced people are worth money. I don't know where they get their skilled ones from, particularly in engineeering. I doubt it is like it used to be. If you have too many Chiefs compared to the Indians it doesn't work. Probably have more LEGAL people than in times past. . Nev

 

 

[Birdseye]

The three employees I have had dealings with in the past two weeks wouldn't warrant much of a salary, they can't even read a simple application form correctly.

 

 

[old man emu]

How about we get back to the original idea of this thread?

 

Some gross misconduct from the upper echelon of CASA is going to be exposed.

 

OME

 

 

[Birdseye]

Helps to keep things on the boil while we wait for the meat. Any meat to add to the rumour yet?

 

 

[Geoff13]

How about we get back to the original idea of this thread?Some gross misconduct from the upper echelon of CASA is going to be exposed.

 

OME

When it comes to rumour and innuendo I think I shall wait until I see what I see rather than what I hear.