Support Manager???

What the hell is a support manager. I have asked ours and even he wasn't that sure. From what I can make out though he is a civvie with something to do with a budget. CAn he give me orders?? How does it work??

 

An Oxymoron, because the provide F**K all support.

 

...and they can't manage! :shock:

 

But what is it that they are SUPPOSED to do?

 

Is he not the guy who looks after the ships Jock Straps :twisted:

 

In my experience, "management" of the travel budget, (either making sure 1/12 of the budget is spent each month or alternatively hoarding it until February and then spending it in one go), "management" of the unit's electrickery budget and health and safety policy/management. Usually the SM role is a retired officer job with the incumbent being entitled to wear uniform but having no command responsibilities (I think). I did hear a few months back that the SM role would in future be open to civil serpents as well as retired officers.

 

Ah, now that is another question. They are essentially the Supply Officer (in old terms) They are responsible for the unit budget. They will have been in the navy in one form or another and are now employed as a 'Retired Officer' to carryout the role as the SM. They are to be treated (to their face anyway) with the respect the rank on their shoulder carries.

Unfortunately many of them find that there is no unit budget and have to fund training from their own bank accounts. Which is why they get so annoyed when we want to go anywhere. Others think CMR will give them a big lollypop if they have some money left at the end of the year.

I am aware of one who would not pay the £50 charge to change tickets to get 2 people back a day early from ORT. As a result they had to wait until the original flight, and be paid an extra days pay each as a result.

 

Our old one was RN, the new one is ex=RN. They look after the budget.

They do a great job as you can see from the state of most RTC traing/travel budgets.

 

And here we see the folly of separating travel and training budgets and giving them to two different managers! The more I see this sort of thing, the more I detest the short-term, narrow-minded, myopic accoutants that have appear to have taken over!

 

Well the SM in PRESIDENT does a great job. He does manage the budget, all the reporting, all the Health and Safety issues, building management. You name it,he does it, quietly and effectively - which is why you may not see all the outputs.

I think the experience and knowledge that he brings, keeps PRESIDENT going.

Ignore your SM at your peril - he is the font of all knowledge, and can be very helpful.

 

This is always an interesting point about support managers and their maintenance of the budget and responsibility for health and safety issues.

I have always thought that maintaining the budget and addressing HSE issues could be a conflict of interest and that therefore the two roles in the interest of best practice should not be combined..!!

 

I guess the worst example I've seen was a SM insisting that travel from Flying Fox to Faslane for a training weekend had to be by pusser's tilley. Driving in a tilly up the M5/M6/M74 for about 8+ hours, after a full working day, turning to at 08something on the Saturday and Sunday, each with busy training days all followed by the drive back down on Sunday afternoon/evening leaving you fully refreshed to start work on Monday doesn't sound particularly healthy or safe to me... but at least the travel budget would be looking healthy!

 

Well there is one who still wears uniform all the time and orders us all about (including officers senior to him) all the time.

 

Just give us £50 and a housebrick and we'll sort him out... :twisted:

 

I also know of a support manager that is allowed to wear his ex-officers rig on a drill night..!!

Its so he gets respected more.....!!!!!

History has shown that not acting like an officious t**t would probaby have more of an impact!

Could this be the same person!

 

1. Since Support managers are expected to deputise for the RNSO, if they are ROs then I see absolutely no reason why they should not wear uniform. In fact I think it is a good thing and when the 'civilianisation' of the post becomes a reality and we lose yet another uniform from public view I suspect there will be many who will look back on the change as being a very serious mistake.

2. Why single out the SM for criticism based on his function? He is doing the job in accordance with his Terms of Reference and direction laid down (and assessed) by CMR. If you have problems with that, blame the Organ Grinder not the monkey

3. I know of several SMs who do a blinding job - you will always get individuals who overdo it - everywhere!

 

i couldn't give a toss what he wears its the fact that he's been dishing out cash lef right and centre for six months only to discover that come february the cupboards will be bare.

In a civilian company you'd be shot for that!

 

Not only is this not safe, it is illegal as your civilian employment counts under the driving regs- one of these days someone will crash and sue.

As for SM, the one I know is on a power trip- acts totally inapproriately, and, from what I can tell, spends most of his time playing football or in the gym during work time. Now I've got nothing against organised sport during office hours, given keeping fit is part of your job as long as he gets the rest of his job done- unforutnately, I don't think this happens and he acts outside of his terms of reference. I thought yorkshire men were meant to be tight, but I remember this one having an argument with the electricty company over 46p- which before anyone says he was doing his job- he spent 4 hours on the phone trying to get this money back- I think he might of cost pusser more money.

 

Oh for God's sake - he does what he is told to do and is required to work within very strict financial management parameters!

He is given a budget and he spends to that budget - have you ever seen the monthly/periodic returns that the SM has to send in? He will probably be working to an expenditure trend based on his in-year budget allocation plus previous years spending pattern and he will aim to reflect the current year spend accordingly.

If he is overspending against trend he gets asked why; if he is underspending against trend he gets asked why.

If he had held the money back there you would be criticising him for treating the money like it was his own and refusing to spend it - get a life!

If the money has run out ahead of plan there are likely to be 2 reasons;

1. The budget has been cut
2. People have been spending ahead of plan because training has been blobbed up rather than spread across the year (in a unit that has a predominance across one or two specialisations that could easily happen if training typically takes place at a certain time (The Medics always used to go off to Saighton Camp at the same time of year for example)

I suggest Trehorn, that if you have been 'disadvantaged' you take a long hard look at who in your unit has been spending more than they should more often than they should rather than kick a guy for doing the job he is told to do - the SM doesn't make the rules, he follows them ... or he is replaced by someone who will!

Oh, and in case you hadn't noticed - the RNR isn't a civilian company, it spends public money and therefore the budget holders have to be even more judicious about how they spend it - we may not like it and we may be able to point out abuse and waste and mismanagement but that is life where the grown ups live.

 

I did not realise SMs had a patron saint! How long have had had the position?
Do you can finance or is it free ?