“Efficiency is a second-order priority for government… capitalism has taught us that fast and cheap are inherently superior traits. That makes sense in the private sector, who aim to capture private value in the form of profit. Wasted time is wasted money that could be in the pockets of shareholders. In the public sector, who aim to create long-term public value, the same is not always true. More time spent engaging with stakeholders, reducing risk or considering options might be a net gain.”
– Alicia McKay
Yes, it’s only when self-entitlement and greed overcome community and wellbeing that efficiency becomes the top priority of government rather than its successful function. The 20th Century elevated greed and efficiency to fever pitch, both in the private sector (maximise shareholder wealth) and the public (minimise tax at all costs).
There are immense surpluses flowing to the ultra-wealthy right now, corporate and private, as well as huge latent productivity* in both sectors, which can be redirected to make private organisations more adaptable and public ones more benevolent, so that we can all survive and thrive in the 21st Century. We can be better.
*Latent productivity is not the same thing as inefficiency. Unleashing productivity requires increasing performance not decreasing overheads.
(Impressionist image by DALL-E)