Unnecessary Work (enlarged analysis)

A lot of the work in an organisation is unnecessary – once processes and automation is in place, human effort should become less necessary, but instead it is increased – this is because of the perverse incentives of money and income tied to particular production. Once the plant and process have been built we should be able to move on to build some other solution or create for some other purpose, but instead we remain tied to the solved requirement by virtue of the money it garners. This is wasteful. We need to separate individual income from particular product solutions and provide a universal income from general production, from general trade. Then we can immediately move to create new solutions for other issues.

At the moment, money is attached to the production of a solution after it has been conceived and developed, but that isn't where (most) money is needed. By its attachment to the continued production of a solution money incentivises keeping the solution impermanent rather than permanent. It incentivises redundancy being built into solutions so money can continue to be made from them. So 'new models' and 'upgrades' are built, not because they are much better, but because they continue to bring in money. And of course all these new models and upgrades are built, not to last, but to be replaced by newer models and upgrades.

To change this system, more money needs to be attached to the conception and development of solutions to new issues. New ideas and real solutions require an income that isn't mandated by the requirement to make money and the safe certainties of solutions for which the demand is already known and only needs to be carefully managed. It also shouldn't be attached to what small groups of private or public sector bureaucrats think are good ideas (they are not omniscient). Rather a universal income, given without precondition to everyone, in combination with universal access to information and knowledge (which is available via the web) and open institutions (open facilities) needs to be made available.

When these conditions are in place, then new ideas and new contributions are open to all. In this environment, fulfilment is enabled for everyone, and with this fulfilment via contribution, solutions can be conceived and made. In these circumstances, the greatest growth and development of people and production can take place, with the constraints of the market, and public and private sector control, overridden.

By Ben Wallace
Author of The Common Purpose Manifesto