OASIS Mailing List ArchivesView the OASIS mailing list archive below
or browse/search using MarkMail.

 


Help: OASIS Mailing Lists Help | MarkMail Help

soa-rm-ra message

[Date Prev] | [Thread Prev] | [Thread Next] | [Date Next] -- [Date Index] | [Thread Index] | [List Home]


Subject: Re: [soa-rm-ra] governance musings over the weekend



On Sep 10, 2007, at 12:42 PM, Francis McCabe wrote:

Ken, et al...

 I still question the links between goals and governance. Certainly, I do not buy that governance is there to satisfy the goals of the participants. If that were true, no-one would go to gaol.

Well one of the goals for some is to stay out of gaol, and the goals of others is to lock people up.

 A simple governance scenario: someone's day in court. Two participants want to 'win' their case; and perhaps they both feel entitled. One party is likely to lose, their goals will not be met.

But both parties believe they are more likely to get their desired outcome (which may go beyond the immediate matter) by dealing within the Governance.

 So, in what sense, are the participant's goals being satisfied by the process?

There is likely a goal for "justice" that overrides the immediate outcome.  It is the belief that justice does not always win out but you odds are better inside the system than out.  The system may provide forcible enforcement or a medium for arbitration or simply telling people to act like adults or the Governance will have undesirable effects for both sides.

 I would argue that there are (at least) two levels of goals involved: there are the goals of each participant in arguing and winning their case (and getting the appropriate sanction applied to their opponent).

 There is another goal of wanting to live in an ordered society; which both parties also subscribe to (otherwise there would be a battle in the streets instead of in the courtroom).

Agree with the previous two lines.  We all have multiple and conflicting goals.  Note that besides wanting to argue and win your case, you may just want to cause the other party aggravation and inconvenience without winning being a primary goal.

 From the perspective of the judge, however, there is only the latter goal. In fact, this goal is so important (to the judge) that it will be satisfied *irrespective* of the wishes of the plaintiff and defendant -- which is why the defendant sometimes shows up in chains.

In fact, the goals of the judge should not include the goals of the parties involved or there would be a conflict of interest.  OTOH, the judge may have a very full calendar and have little patience for things that prolong the proceedings, no matter how relevant.  So he judge may have goals that are not shared by the principles.

 I think that the minimum I would do to modify the diagram is to remove the link between participants and their goals. They do, of course, have goals; but IMO, those goals have nothing to do with governance.

Then what is the purpose of governance?
 Second, I believe that the rules/policies etc. promulgated by management bodies have characteristics (or perhaps should have?). There are definite limits on the kinds of policies that can be enforced when we are in the Internet case of SOA.

There are certainly limitations to any governance but I'd have a hard time elaborating on that in a meaningful way without the diagram covering the wall.

 I believe that this means that the subject matter of policies is constrained by the organization being governed. Personally, I think that this subject matter is primarily the authority relationships amongst the participants within the organization (who can do what to whom).

The authority relationships are defined by the Governance Framework and the Governance Processes.  Yes, the subject matter is constrained by the organizations being governed but that's why the Decision Makers (composed from the Organizations) architects the Governance Framework ad defines the Governance Processes.
Enough for now

Frank




[snip]


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ken Laskey

MITRE Corporation, M/S H305     phone:  703-983-7934

7515 Colshire Drive                        fax:        703-983-1379

McLean VA 22102-7508


smime.p7s



[Date Prev] | [Thread Prev] | [Thread Next] | [Date Next] -- [Date Index] | [Thread Index] | [List Home]