Designing excellent efficient human services and utilities
There is a tension between public services and private companies.
The argument that only private companies are efficient is an empty argument, because public service demands ‘public service’ and private companies demand profit. The two are antagonistic and cannot coexist as they zero each other out.
There have been attempts to create a public-private partnership (PPP). But again, the overarching purpose of both will zero each other out.
So, what to do?
We need excellent, efficient, and non-wastefully designed health care, child and elder care, education, transport, utilities, justice services, and housing.
They should not be profit centres. Some should even be cost generators.
Oh..how can we say that?
Well, when you look at everything ONLY through the lens of money, and return on financial investment, or a return that can be measured in money, then you are missing at least half of the value return that our human-designed systems have so far failed to account for. Like increased health and well-being. Increased resilience. Better civics. Cooperation and peace.
How do we do this in Syntropic?
We return to the core Principles and Practices of Syntropic.
1. What is the purpose? Clearly identify why we are creating this system. Note: When we do this, it becomes obvious that our current system design is clearly antagonistic to the purpose we list below.
The purpose of education is to provide a holistic, comprehensive education in every domain of existence for the child. This includes civics, contribution, global citizen awareness, environmental and consequence awareness, problem-solving, practical skills like fixing everyday things, and caring for a home and people.
The purpose of health care is to provide an ecology for each human and the community to approach optimum health and remain well. It is a whole-systems approach that includes physical, emotional, spiritual, mental and biological health.
The purpose of utilities services – electricity, clean water and air, waste removal, access to high-speed internet, emergency services – is to ensure symmetrical access and quality supply at an affordable price for all.
The purpose of a justice system is to ensure that every person has access to similar quality justice and due process, that no one is given privilege, and that the laws are applicable to 100% of everyone.
The purpose of housing is to ensure every human has shelter that provides safety and sanctuary.
2. When we are clear on the purpose, we consider the inviolate, non-negotiable principles that must be present for the purpose to come into form. In Syntropic World, we call this the Pattern Integrity.
For example, we might hold the Pattern Integrity of education as;
No child left behind, even those who are differently abled.
The Pattern Integrity of health care is to primarily avoid ill health and, therefore, support wellness in all domains. To care for those who become unwell.
3. How do we do this? What is the idea that we steward to achieve the purpose we hold without violating the Pattern Integrity?
4. Then we consider the Synergistic Accounting of the entire ecology of our work toward the purpose—the all-in-accounting in six domains—asking what we have in abundance in the ecology and what we have in scarcity, what we need. This will indicate what we have and what is missing. It will also allow economies of reciprocity, where provisioning can come from the field in many ways that may include money. *The next Synergistic Accounting Experiential Workshop will be commencing on June 9th (for the Americas) and 10th for the rest of the world. Register here.
5. We create a Trust agreement about who will do what and how we will work together. We call this the Trust Manifesto.
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There is no scarcity of renewable energy on the planet, and there is no scarcity of people who want to teach, of carers, or of houses.
The systems supporting them have been commodified and sucked into the heaving capitalist system that demands excessive growth of monetary returns and cares less about humanity and a healthy future for all of us.
Governments are uniquely designed to facilitate the type of life-centred responses we need to essential services and basic human rights. They should not be partnering with private enterprises. They should be partnering with the community themselves. Those people who work in providing the services we need. The people who know how to do these things.
The results should be accounted for in multiple domains, including the weightless immeasurable domains of culture, civics, and community. We should celebrate the vibrancy of all health. Incredibly wholly educated children. The easy, affordable access to utilities. The return to civics and community. The absence of conflict. All justice.
This is the work of Syntropic. Creating the enterprise architecture and leadership capability to steward all life-affirming services and enterprises, where every human endeavour makes poverty, exploitation, war, extraction to extinction and colonisation in all domains unthinkable?
Let us put aside our foolish and dishonest thinking that public services can be supported by for-profit companies.
Until we do, we will get more of the world we have – a hollowing out for everyone except the 1%.
