The fact that the city's plan includes a $1.2-billion LRT line is proof of the lack of a rational planning and decision-making process in city governance.
In industry, decisions must pass through a standard process. Managers who prepare budget items are well trained in decision-making methods, like Kepner-Tregoe. No one can game the process or override it, since it's transparent. Decisions are classed as either safety/environmental, return on investment, maintenance of business or legal requirement. They are then broken down into: current situation, problem, proposed solution and alternatives, justification of proposed solution (including return on investment, benefits and adverse impacts), cost and schedule and execution strategy. All decisions have to pass several hurdles before going to the executive. It's everyone's job to speak out if they see a weak justification. Incomplete proposals are not considered.
Now compare this process to the system that Council uses. A committee brings a recommendation to council and goes through a barrage of questions. There doesn't appear to be a standard set of criteria for framing the decision. It’s not visible, anyway.
A perceptive councillor may point out some weakness in the project and it may be sent back to the committee for rework. What is the basis and class of the estimate? Did a review take place? Where will the funding come from, exactly? What are all the alternatives to the proposed solution and why were they all rejected? (One alternative is do nothing.) What are the risks in the proposed solution? Is it feasible to execute the proposal as outlined and who will carry it out? Who knows? The councillors can't see the logical 'guts' of the proposal. The more the expense, the more time is required to analyze it. But then the mayor asks for a motion and a vote. Rush, rush, rush. We have to get through the agenda. Mistakes and cost overruns are much more likely to happen with this 'system'.
The councillors and managers are intelligent but they aren't trained for logical decision-making and don't have the tools to do the job. Our elected officials are handling very large sums of money without the critical analysis and due diligence that is mandatory in any large, private company. If residents like Ted Durham (Your Views section, Gazette, March 19) can analyze a project like the LRT extension and come up with the correct conclusion that it isn't a feasible project, why can't the council and administration?
Bill Whitney, St. Albert
