Accountability of the Highly Rated

Italian scientists jailed for six years after failing to issue warnings ahead of deadly L’Aquila earthquake

This is an important development that addresses accountability of the highly rated professionals. As human beings are developing more complex systems and interfaces, the clear process à Response relationships are getting difficult to demonstrate. It could be betting of high-profile individuals in IPL, assessed loss in coal-blocks, extent of land damage in illegal mining, ground-water contamination in a state, downgrade of reserves in a field or decline of production in a plant.

All these and many more have serious impact on the lives of millions of people – often irreversibly. Very routine things like the shampoo, hair dye or the off-shelf pain killer tablet all carry unknown accountability and responsibility of the makers. Examples from proliferation of DDT or Plastics are clearly visible as global problem to see.  Often, the people and organizations that create, publicize, make-you-trust, sell and become “standards” in our lives are driven by highly rated.

A specialist doctor who needs a 30day forward booking, elite scientist who graces all big events, attractive star who advices health and fairness,  big bull CEO who claims new BT food, and the high-profile bureaucrat who announces national water policy – all of them are HIGHLY PAID and VENERATED. They carry expensive price-tags often making millions in their career doing such high-value things. When these go wrong, they also expose millions of people, life and environment to serious sufferings.

There is seldom any accountability to such high-profile “postures” in modern society. It gets very difficult to pin the responsibility to any specific people, and much more difficult to prove it in court and get punishment. This is due to – the millions of ‘escape paths’ such functions have. They can state, that the data was wrong, the computer program was only 32bit precision (while it needs 128bits), the implementation didn’t see the ‘cautions’ raised in report, uncertainty with science and hundred other things. It is so easy to escape from any wrong happening, whereas, invariably all of them accrue wealth from all good outcomes.

In view of the extensive impact that the failures cause, there is reason why the high-profile people and companies are accountable. After all, they benefit from the successes, therefore, they have right to be given responsibility for the failures! In this 21^st century, the ability or need to work on “Trust” is unnecessary. Science being practiced as a “TRUSTFUL” activity is creating unalterable damage.  Science needs to be verifiable and auditable. The problem is global, national, social, within companies, and within individual teams.

There is an irrevocable need to bring accountability in complex processes at all levels.

This is possible by implementing proper databases, workflow systems, analytics and publication of information. Business Information Framework is the information solution that brings “ACCOUNTABILITY”.

All the great men and women, please note, you can, should and in 21^st century will be made accountable.