Information Systems provide information in which public policy can be made in an
informed and intelligence manner....yet is this what it is all about?
InHCc was told at one time by a major political leader of a country that the
first order of business in politics [in his country] was destroying all the
"good" projects of his opposition. "We cannot let the people think that the
opposition party can implement projects that are successful." As an example,
this political leader told the story of a very successful housing project that
the previous administration had created. As soon as he (the political leader who
I was speaking with) was "in power" he was able to "make this project fail." He
stated that he then used the same ideas to create his own project so he would
get the credit.
This
building up and tiring down was depleting the resources of the country. New
projects were started under a fanfare of publicity only to be quietly ignored a
short time later. Very few projects in the long run were supported
successfully.
The last thing that this type of politician wants is information.
Although this politician was one of the smartest men that I have known...and was
surviving quite nicely in his environment, it was his environment that allowed
and rewarded his destructive behavior.
Many
times InHCc has heard the statement, "it will not work because of the politics."
However without Information, this form of politics will continue
and there will be no opportunity to change the environment.
In
order to bring about a restructuring of this type of environment greater
emphasis must be placed on "information" rather than on "politics." With
information it is far harder to "fool" the public. It is far harder for a
politician to give funding to a clinic because the clinic's manager is a friend
when it can be clearly shown that the funding is needed in other locations.
With information, "beating the numbers" becomes more important.