Hi Lennart:
> Government by definition cannot delegate. I think Steven's example proves it. Actually, I would disagree with that opinion even though my previous post would seem to suggest otherwise. I really don't blame government, nor do I think government is incompetent or incapable of delegating. I think the problem is indicative of an ageing government workforce (both state & federal) that is retiring in droves resulting in a vacuum that simply can't be filled fast enough to replace all the expertise that has left. Often the only recourse left is to hire a lot of young, inexperienced scared managers and employees that really are trying their best to tackle monsters they inherited. Inevitably, some are going to end up making a lot of mistakes. Some mistakes are going to be more spectacular than others. I just hope enough of these young whippersnappers survive the education process and become experienced managers that choose to remain within the government system. Unfortunately, once they get edu-ficated, many just leave for the private sector when head hunters start circling about and wave big bucks in front of them. And, of course, the vicious cycle re-edu-fication process starts all over again. Complicating matters in the case of Wisconsin, Scott Walker's Wisconsin Act 10 Budget repair Bill ended up cutting hundreds of dollars ($450 of net pay in my case) out of state employee's monthly salary - which went towards paying higher health insurance and retirement premiums. Doing so has only made it that much harder trying to hire a fresh new crop of state employees from the private sector. But think positive! Government projects plus all the delegation involved can be capable of producing miracles. NASA took us to the moon and back using 1960s technology. There's that Internet thing, too. Regards, Steven Vincent Johnson OrionWorks.com zazzle.com/orionworks From: Lennart Thornros [mailto:lenn...@thornros.com] Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2015 4:40 PM To: vortex-l@eskimo.com Subject: Re: [Vo]:NEDO RFP for cold fusion projects Jed I like your reaction The conclusion to me is that government is not good at entrepreneurship, innovation or other things not fully understood as the result is part of the task to be delegated. Government by definition cannot delegate. I think Steven's example proves it. That is why risk taking has been part of the capitalistic ideology. Now we try to take that out and then we end up with an empty ideology. I think the say is that "nature hates vacuum" - that goes for ideology also so now the bureaucrats are filling the void. Best Regards , Lennart Thornros www.StrategicLeadershipSac.com <http://www.StrategicLeadershipSac.com> lenn...@thornros.com <mailto:lenn...@thornros.com> +1 916 436 1899 202 Granite Park Court, Lincoln CA 95648 “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” PJM On Thu, Jul 30, 2015 at 12:50 PM, Jed Rothwell <jedrothw...@gmail.com <mailto:jedrothw...@gmail.com> > wrote: I think Mizuno meant that is no one left in Japan who is capable of applying for this grant, or interested in applying for it. The document (http://www.nedo.go.jp/content/100754489.pdf) is entirely in Japanese, but if you look at the pages below 15, you will see the application form. You will recognize the bureaucratic format and get a sense of what the government demands. Name of institution, name of researcher, R&D area, theme, schedule, etc., etc. Here is item 2.3 run through Google translate and adjusted by me: Implementation Structure * For implementation system when we contract for this research and development project, please provide the implementation system diagrams so that the role of each institution is shown. Please include any subcontractors, when there is a joint implementation plan. Blah, blah . . . A retired professor trying to submit something like this would be rejected out of hand. I can't blame NEDO. This is tax money. The government must have accountability. But it just isn't going to happen with these kinds of rules. - Jed
