Another Accountability Suggestion

[Tripper McCarthy]

I had another idea on how to bring some more accountability to Alcor and to get the member base more involved in the activities and direction of the organization. I have heard that internally Alcor has devised a three year plan focusing on what they want to achieve over that time period. This is a great idea, especially if it was developed with an eye towards what resources Alcor has available, and can those resources be utilized in such a way as to make this plan a reality. My idea is to take this fairly simple concept one step further.

What if every two years Alcor begins working on creating a new two year plan for this organization? During this time of formulation, Alcor would post publically what it is thinking of directing its attention to and also ask the members to submit ideas about what they think should be done. From this pool of ideas Alcor would settle on a particular set and formalize them in its next two year plan. Not every idea presented by either Alcor or the members would be included.  There are only so many resources to go around. But through an open and engaging dialogue a set of goals could be agreed upon which would provide the most bang for the buck and would strengthen the organization’s position the most in the coming years.

Once this plan is finalized and put into account, every six months there would be a report from Alcor stating where they are on the items that were included in the plan. This would be a great opportunity for Alcor to showcase the progress they have been making, and also to explain to the members any difficulties that arose which may have slowed down progress on some items. At the end of the two years, a full report would be issued by Alcor detailing what they have and have not achieved from the two year plan. Immediately following this, the whole process would start up all over again with the creation of the next two year plan.

If implemented correctly, this idea would have several positive impacts on Alcor and the membership as a whole. First the members would feel like they were included to some extent in what Alcor is working on and the direction the organization is heading in. Second, Alcor would have a clear plan to follow helping them better manage their resources. Third, the plan would also provided some more accountability to Alcor as they are now publicly put in a position of having to explain why they weren’t able to meet the goals they set out for themselves. And finally there would be more transparency at Alcor as it would be publically known what they were working on, and what progress they were making (through the six month status reports).

[Finance Department]

Tripper discusses various methods Alcor could use to report the progress they are making.  Dismally, the question becomes "Progress in what?"  Their research program, if any, has come to a screeching halt with the loss of everyone who does that kind of work except possibly for whatever Hugh Hixon might be doing.  Expensive pieces of equipment such as their Intermediate Storage Unit presumably are just sitting around someplace unused.  There is not even a visible standby/stabilization program in place nor any employee officially designated as its leader.  The only reporting we get on things at Alcor is their weblog which occasionally mentions something that has been going on for years, should have been completed long ago, but is now in the planning stage to be worked on some time in the future.  Huh?  Who needs more methods of reporting pipe dreams?  The real report of any progress at Alcor can be summed up on one blank sheet of paper, that remains blank after the blank report is written.

No, what Alcor needs is changes in management and its board, to people who have a motivation to get things done.  That motivation being that if they don't, they get the boot.  And to get that done, a large majority of Alcor members need to start caring enough to want to participate in an electoral process.

Dave Pizer has found a crack in the law and bylaws that may effectively oust the current board.  It is obvious they won't leave voluntarily, though, so some kind of legal action will probably have to be taken to get that done.  A settlement could be reached between the parties without having to go to any huge litigation expense.  With the problems Alcor has today, any change in leadership can only be a step up.  Member election of the board is not a panacea for solving all of Alcor's problems, but it will open doors to get them solved by getting people, including many of the existing ones no doubt, to get some work done.

"Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question."
     -Thomas Jefferson

FD