DailyPost 1571
GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE, PERMANENCE & DELIVERY
Any student of management will tell the long life of any organisation is directly proportional to its robustness, maturity of the systems, capability of delivery and near total predictability of its operations. It would certainly be much easier if it is a not for profit organisation, does not have to generally battle for resources and there in no scramble to get its share of the market pie. Added to that the organisational capability is matched extremely well with the highly qualified Human Resource’s, managing it with a clear cut timely growth plan. The administrative machine is a monster which can even deliver the moon.
What is happening in reality? Does the permanence translate into iterative improvement of its delivery and institutional expertise and wisdom which governmental organisations should possess. In reality they do whatever they do, battling all odds in self created unchartered territory. But the governments with all the plus points in their favour have a tendency to go astray. The story is that most of the time is spend in finding a new equilibrium and more often than not, if it is found there is a serious likelihood that it might not be the right one. Why does that happen?
The story is of the permanent governmental infrastructure of men and resources being controlled, directed and guided by the superstructure – the political executive. The interplay between the two is governance, the ultimate being the seamless integration of the two to provide water, food, health, education, energy and employment. The democratic governments the globe over try to deliver all these at differential levels, given their placement it the development ladder. The way govts have handled the current pandemic the world over can give you a clear idea of what we are talking about. They are still struggling to find the equilibrium. It barley happens.
The permanent wisdom of Dr. Fauci gave way to temporary decision making of President Trump. This might be a wild example but such things are quite normal is democratic decision making. The decision making is completely in hands of people who are there for a short period of time and not sure of coming back again. Not necessarily, short tenures in decision making does not visualise long impacts, but unfortunately that is the direction, which would proven by evidence. He who controls decision making controls levers of power, how seamless they can make it to fulfil the long term interests maintaining an unbreakable consistency is the billion dollar question.
DESTROYING GOVERNANCE LEGACIES CAN BE A WILD GOOSE CHASE. WE NEED TO BUILD ON THEM.
Sanjay Sahay