‘Reliability’, like ‘validity’, is a term with multiple meanings. In non-profit settings (amongst others) there are several contexts in which the concept of ‘reliability’ is expressed differently. This post reflects only some of these. A dictionary definition sounds straightforward enough – ‘that which can be relied upon, fit to be depended upon, trustworthy‘. When we… Continue reading Rely-ability, Re-liability, and Reliability
Tag: evidence-based policy
COVID Public Policy Ratings – Australia 2020
The Evidence-Based Policy Analysis report for 2020 has recently been published by Per Capita, with a special emphasis on public policy responses arising from the COVID-19 ’emergency’. The authors conferred with Prof Kenneth Wiltshire AO, whose public policy business case criteria had been used in previous versions of this analysis, and he agreed to make… Continue reading COVID Public Policy Ratings – Australia 2020
The case of the troublesome homograph
Confusion sometimes arises in our non-profit governance and management work where a word we use is assumed to have a particular meaning, but actually another meaning is intended. I think a case can be made for that to be the case with regard to the terms “business use case” and “business case“. Here the word… Continue reading The case of the troublesome homograph
Continuous Reflective Governance
I’d like to amplify some points made in my previous post, which argued that directors need to continuously monitor their internal and external circumstances. The header image above illustrates the point that reflective governance requires ongoing monitoring and evaluation to determine new and emerging priorities (the EDM Governance Model), and that the data being analysed… Continue reading Continuous Reflective Governance
Governance ‘lines of sight’
To avoid oversights, directors need to ensure effective oversight. How ironic is it that a key governance term can have opposite meanings depending on the context in which it is used? ‘Oversight‘ is one of the roles of board directors, meaning they oversee (monitor) the implementation of the strategy they developed, along with the organisation’s… Continue reading Governance ‘lines of sight’
Evidence vs Democracy
Our friends at The Alliance for Useful Evidence have just published another thought-provoking paper promoting improved public engagement in policy debate and policy-making – using forms of ‘participatory democracy’ to counter the resistance of populist movements to evidence which should inform decision making. The paper, Evidence vs Democracy: How ‘mini-publics’ can traverse the gap between citizens, experts, and… Continue reading Evidence vs Democracy
Social progress – we must do better
The Social Progress Index for 2018, shows that Australia slipped from 6th (Tier 1) to 15th (Tier 2) place between 2017 and 2018. Our lowest component scores were for: Inclusiveness Access to Advanced Education Health and Wellness Personal Freedom and Choice Environmental Quality Australia’s highest component scores related to: Nutrition and Basic Medical Care Water… Continue reading Social progress – we must do better
Hearts and minds in public policy
The importance of restoring regard for kindness alongside hard-headed analysis in public policy deliberations is highlighted in the new Carnegie UK Trust report Kindness, emotions and human relationships: The blind spot in public policy. The report argues “that the great public policy challenges of our time demand an approach that is more centred on relationships;… Continue reading Hearts and minds in public policy
Meanwhile, back in the real world …
While Environment Minister Melissa Price was suggesting that the IPCC climate change report was ‘drawing a long bow’ to recommend phasing out coal in favour of low-carbon energy sources, businesses, insurers, lawyers, accountants, peak bodies, and even Government regulators have all been getting on with the job – both here and internationally. In their December… Continue reading Meanwhile, back in the real world …
Climate change and the Minister’s ‘long bow’
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report which has gained so much attention over the last couple of days, was met with a soft response by Environment Minister Melissa Price, which may not be all that surprising given her voting record on climate issues. Bob Ward’s Opinion piece in The Guardian notes that “the dangers if governments ignore efforts… Continue reading Climate change and the Minister’s ‘long bow’