Design Structure Blog

There should be multiple separate appointments groups, which select an appointee from volunteer candidates for a position. The appointment groups only have the remit to appoint the most appropriate candidate. Appointment criteria: minimum age, practical experience and recognised expertise in the field they are volunteering to work in, maturity and stability of attitude and communication skills, not related in any way to anyone else in the section of government they will be working in, appointed for a fixed term, not appointed for more than two successive terms.
There should also be multiple separate monitoring and remediation groups which check the continued appropriateness of appointees and their behaviour. The monitoring and remediation groups have a remit concerning general procedures and behaviour. Their influence ranges only from advisory through to dismissal.
By separating appointments from monitoring and remediation we break a possible link between an appointee and interested parties in an appointment group. By having multiple of each group, problems with any one group can be overridden by a majority system among the other groups.

For the broadest structure design currently I favour multiple truncated pyramids as opposed to the traditional single pyramid.
Pyramidal structure provides the standard manager – managed relationship, which enables delegation, specialisation and control. Unfortunately concentrating power at the top also enables corruption. Truncating the pyramid provides multiple people at the top level of equal power, thus diluting power and the chance for corruption.
By distributing the functions of the government into multiple truncated pyramids of distinct independent functionality we further fracture power. For example, creation of law may be exercised separately from all other distinct areas such as law enforcement, transport, defence, health, energy, appointments, corruption monitoring.