DailyPost 527
OVERSIGHT MECHANISM
While all organisations have their systems of reviews, meetings, supervision, inspection and the like, when incidents happen, we see people running helter skelter and more so the ones who are tasked to handle such situations. An overall oversight watchdog comes into play. They have the understanding of the functioning of the organisations and the tools & authority to make legal interventions to set right the situation. It is a self correcting mechanism so to say.
This is more well known by its operational name the Ombudsman. This is not a fanciful name, it has been serving lots of world’s renowned organisations with elan. Though being a part of the organisation, yet the functionaries are renowned personalities in the field, who are be non-compromising and ram rod straight. Some ombudsman have also left their jobs with dignity rather than toe the line of the organisation. The United Nations has successfully worked this arrangement in large number of its organisations, quite commendably.
The ombudsman as a specialised oversight body has a sobering impact on the trend of misuse of power or any tendencies of using discretion for partisan purposes. It’s a real watchdog. The worth of this set up is in the feeling of its presence over the whole organisation. In simple analogy it is a intelligent CCTV network, all pervasive, knowing fully well, what to do when, where and with what intensity. People start responding to it based on the effective action taken.
With the complexity the government has professional ombudsman organisation is a must. Most other bodies conduct some oversight work, mostly limited. For some it’s an additional job. When domain itself is oversight and one is a oversight professional, the goods delivered by such professional organisation can be magical. The head being a man of repute more like a crusader adds to the credibility of the organisation and of the government itself. This is way forward, truly in consonance with the democratic system of checks & balances.
COMPREHENSIVE & EFFECTIVE OVERSIGHT IS A CARDINAL GOVERNANCE FUNCTION.
Sanjay Sahay