image missing
Date: 2024-06-30 Page is: DBtxt003.php L0300-Accountability
TVM CORE CONCEPTS
ACCOUNTABILITY
Without accountability ... anything goes.
HOME SiteNav Alpha Chrono Briefs SEES capitals activities actors place products SI SS metrics TPB
The TVM Goal for Accountability

TVM has ambitious aims ... including making accountability work ... making it possible for the public to hold decision makers accountable and to make it difficult if not impossible for rich and powerful decision makers to avoid responsibility for their actions.
The following is a common mindset: “I know what I am doing ... and God forbid that you or anyone else will try to hold me accountable!
And, compared to me, you don't know what you are talking about!”
Checks and balances.

There are well established systems that enable decision makers to trumpet their successes.

On the other hand, the systems to allow the public at large to know objectively about the outcomes of all decisions and activities is very weak.

It is relatively easy for unsuccessful outcomes to be swept under the rug and avoid deserved consequences.

Data for for objective analysis need to be collected, and they need to be easily accessible in a useful format.

Neutral data.

Data should show what is ... good or bad. Data are neutral ... they merely attempt to reflect the truth about what is going on.

Objective analysis

The TVM system treats all data in the same way using a uniform system. The TVM system aims to be as objective as possible incorporating the difficult concept of value as an integral part of the system. The reported results will reflect good and bad performance based on the underlying data.

Accountability ... Holding People Accountable

Holding people accountable is a key incentive to right behavior in society and among decision makers. It is human nature to make decisions that are most in favor of oneself and ones family and friends ... but that is not usually what is best for society, and the organization.

Transparency

There is a lot of talk of transparency ... but there is less of putting transparency into action. Reporting is part of transparency.

But reporting is more than just a pro-forma ... reporting is a part of a process that helps people to understand.
Why the escalators didn't work.

When the subway station at 63rd and Lexington on the F line was relatively new ... the escalators were frequently broken down.

Why? They were Otis escalators ... normally a high quality escalator manufacturer ... but in this installation they were not working well. The reason for this has to have been some gross incompetence somewhere ... in the purchase and contracting for the equipment ... in the installation of the equipment ... in the ongoing maintenance and operation of the equipment.

Data about these decisions ... about the operations ... are hidden from view, so there will be no accountability for the responsible parties.

But one thing we do know ... somewhere in this set up there is something very wrong.
Modern digital information

Peer to peer information sharing is an emerging way for data to be transmitted to where there is the most value from data use. The web has enabled a significant amount of sharing already, but very much more will be possible with peer to peer sharing in a mesh environment.

TVM seeks to provide a coherent framework so that data has some relevant reference points.
HOME SiteNav Alpha Chrono Briefs SEES capitals activities actors place products SI SS metrics TPB
SITE COUNT Amazing and shiny stats
Copyright © 2005-2021 Peter Burgess. All rights reserved. This material may only be used for limited low profit purposes: e.g. socio-enviro-economic performance analysis, education and training.