Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Thursday, 25 January 2018

HOW TO SPEED UP POLICY DECISIONS


We can do better  !

----------------------


If French can do it , we can do better !


WHAT  ?

Times of India carries following news :
French lawmakers vote for 'right to make mistakes'

French lawmakers have voted for a flagship article in a new law which will give citizens the "right to make mistakes" in dealings with the government without being automatically punished.

The article, which was adopted by a show of hands Tuesday night in the National Assembly, is the "cornerstone" of a law for "
a state in the service of a trustworthy society", according to the government.


The law is part of reforms President 
Emmanuel Macron  touted during his electoral campaign to allow citizens to make a mistake in good faith in their dealings with the authorities without risking punishment from the first infringement.


It will be up to the administration to prove that the person was acting in bad faith.

" The expansion of the right to make a mistake adopted by the Assembly just now ! " minister of public action and accounts Gerald Darmanin said on Twitter.


"
It is a revolution in the relations between the administration and the administered."


To err is human but the divine forgiveness of the government will be " limited to the first mistake ", according to a change made to the article at the insistence of dissenters.

At the opening of debate, the minister said the government had listened to "the French who like their public services but not their administration", citing a letter of grievances sent him by one "Alexandre".



Lawmakers will have to consider dozens of further articles in the bill on the extent of the right to make mistakes.



The right to err will not apply in a number of cases, such as public health.


Considered a "catch-all" by some officials, the bill deals with subjects as diverse as modifying procedures for obtaining a permit for the installation of wind farms at sea or the possibility of making donations to churches by SMS.


HOW  CAN  WE  DO  BETTER  ?

By issuing a GR ( if enacting a law will take time ) , incorporating provisions of my following email to the Policy Makers :


Friday, 20 June 2014



To Err is Human




To forgive is divine ( provided it was a honest error )


All of us keep making errors , all the time


But rarely same " mistake " twice


Often , decisions taken at a point of time , turn out to be " poor " , with passage of time


Reasons are simple :


*  We never have all the information - relevant to the problem we are trying to solve - available with us , at the time of taking a decision


*  Even when most of such relevant info is available , we may not have the capacity / competence to " process " such info


*  As humans , we have our biases / prejudices , based on our previous experiences , which influence our decisions


*  Quite often , and often against our own better evaluation / judgement of a given situation , we are wrongly influenced by our peers / bosses / subordinates or even voters - all of whom have different expectations / vested interests !


*  Additional - and more relevant - information surfaces , AFTER we have taken a decision ( happens all the time  !  )


To encourage Babus and Ministers to take FAST decisions , Narendra Modi must insist that they carefully " Record " on the files :


*
What info / data he wished was available for a better decision


*
What different " views / opinions " were presented to him for consideration


*
What " Data / Views " he would have obtained if he had more time


*
Who all , the decision might offend


*
What is the likely " Cost " of postponing that decision


And finally a declaration :


*
This decision is not likely to benefit any of my near relatives / friends , directly or immediately


After all of this , if the decision appears to be " Wrong " in hindsight , it must be " forgiven " and treated as an honest error

To err is human  !

25  Jan  2018



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