You nailed it. This is exactly the sort of crap I had to deal with when I was doing public sector contract work. If you consider perhaps maybe 3-5% of staff ar

You nailed it. This is exactly the sort of crap I had to deal with when I was doing public sector contract work. If you consider perhaps maybe 3-5% of staff are responsible and competent as well and they are bashed down the ladder by the incompetents as they are seen as a threat then you will see how this sort of stuff persists. The incompetents also persist through incestuous promotions (check on your council register how many people in the same family work in the same chain of command) and arse licking. Most of these departments need the chain pulling like a toilet. I've never encountered anything quite like it in the private sector apart from one large defence contractor who employed most of the surrounding area for ten miles.