A note on centrism (aka centralisation, and utopian holistic planning)

As you know, my interest in the 'new style auditing' (boosted here in the UK in the 1980s, with the Thatcher/Heseltine innovations in 'new public management') is the way it feeds into a more and more centralised system, giving more and more power to the utopian holistic planner and taking it away from the local folks who not only know what's going on in detail, but who are better placed to do something about a problem in a properly measured way.

So, yesterday's news story about the way that prison inspections led local prison managers to do the unthinkable (move prisoners around in order to second guess the inspectors, and secure a good result in the audit) is shocking but comes as no surprise. The excess of power in the centralist hand produces a contortion at the local level.

What is perhaps more disappointing is the way that those holding the centralised power absolve themselves of the responsibility. Dame Anne Owers was on the BBC saying that the moved would have had no effect on the inspection. Centralist utopian planners are as easily hoodwinked by the system they enjoy, as those who are subjected to it.

To parody it: the centralist thinks that the resulting perversion of duty amongst the local managers is a confirmation of their own prejudice - these guys need tough inspections to make sure they don't step out of line. A rather stupid but effective vicious circle is set up, exactly like the one that informs the HPC: 'those local practitioners need to be watched, in order to protect the public' is soon followed by, 'ooh, look what they are doing, I told you they had to be watched'.

As long as the centralist refuses to subject him or herself to even a little bit of self reflection, the system can carry on ad infinitum, and produce more and more horrendous results. A self fulfilling prophecy, and the destruction of a once pretty decent country.