The joys of commissioning...

This is what happened at the meeting I went to this afternoon, which filled me with much joy!

G: me, of course!
P: person we're commissioning services from

P: We've got a problem because we keep getting asked to do [particular piece of work] in very short timescales and we're struggling to do it.
G: How often does this happen? Say, over the past 12 months how many times has this happened?
P: Well, there was this one case and... *changes subject and starts talking about something else completely*
G: So, what you're saying is that you don't have those figures?
P:..... *tumbleweeds roll across the plain* .....no.

This meeting was also attended by P's egomaniac subordinate who thinks that the entire legal system of England and Wales (not to mention the decision-making process of at least one government department and the relevant local departments that follow its lead) should be reorganised because he shouldn't have to be involved with making statements to courts about stuff which magistrates or judges might want to know about before they make a decision. Seriously.

Of course, this all wasn't helped by the senior manager (approximately 3 levels higher up the tree than me) sitting directly opposite me who was rolling her eyes every time the egomaniac opened his mouth. Sadly, he was facing me so I had to stop myself laughing outright, which was a struggle at times.