The Consultant

Of all the businesses, by far,
Consultancy's the most bizarre.
For, to the penetrating eye,
There is no apparent reason why,
With no more assets than a pen,
This group of personable men,
Can sell to a client more than twice,
The same ridiculous advice,
Or find in such a rich profusion,
Problems to fit their own solution.

Bertie Ramsbottom, in the Financial Times, April 11, 1981

quoted in Management consultants: what do they do?, De Jon, Van Eekelen, The Leadership & Organization Development Journal 20/4 1990, 181-188

Accounting for service

"Happy are those who hunger and thirst for what it's right; they shall be satisfied."

Matthew 5: 5-6

For me, this is why I want accountability in my public services. To me being accountable is about justifying what you do, so you might do the unpopular, but the right thing; you account for it. On the other hand, you might do the wrong thing and have to explain your action. That is accountability. And I want to know that accountability does exist, that those who hunger and thirst for what is right are satisfied.

I think I have to work out what I think accountability is or what managers think it is. It sounds like a personal construction so I could I research what managers say about accountability in order to explore their constructs, but Sinclair has already done that. Alternatively perhaps I could find models of accountability, and compare how public managers actions match the models, which sounds a more positivist approach.