This open access book presents a new generation multi-criteria, multi-stake holder, decision aide, called an "institutional compass". Based onhard data, thecompass tells us what quality-direction we are heading in as an institution, region, system or organisation. Thequality is not chosen fromtheusual scalar qualities of: good, neutral and bad. Instead, it is a quality chosen between: harmony, discipline and excitement. None is good in and ofitself. We need some ofeach.
Thecompass marks a new generation in four respects. 1. Therepresentation ofthedata is intuitive and simple tounderstand, and therefore can be used tocommunicate and justify policy decisions. 2. Any data can be included, i.e., none is excluded. This makes thecompass tailored toparticular situations, voices and contexts. 3. Thedata includes different time horizons and different types ofvalue: monetary, use, social, sentimental, religious, intrinsic, existential... 4. Theprocess ofcompass construction can be made inclusive atseveral junctions. An institutional compass can be extended toevaluate products, add normativity toa systems analysis, reflect world-views such as that ofecological economists or function as an accounting system tomanage scarce resources.
There are four parts tothebook. Thefirst part introduces thegeneral ideas behind thecompass. In thesecond part, theauthor presents themethod forconstructing thecompass. This includes data collection, data analysis and a mathematical formula toaggregate thedata intoa single holistic reading. In the third part, the author extends the methodology: to incorporate it into systems science, adding a normative and quality-direction dimension, to use it as a non-linear accounting method and more thoroughlyto reflect the philosophy of ecological economists to give a realmeasure of sustainability. In thefourth part, we see three case studies: one fortheWorld Health Organisation, a second is theuse ofthecompass tolabel products in a shop and thethird is as a regional compass forHauts-de-France. Thebook ends withphilosophical conclusions.
Throughout the book, we see tight arguments, refreshing ideas and a thorough treatment of objectivity in decision making.