Another Post Office Scandal BE Avoided If Leaders In Public Bodies Understand The “Black Box” it Systems that Run their Organizations and Encourage a “Speak Up” Culture, Acording to A PARLIAMENTARY Report.
In its latest report, Recognising and responding to early warning signs in public sector bodiesThe committee on Standards in Public Life Cited The Post Office Scandal, Among others, to highlight failures in public bodies.
In his forward, Committee Chair Doug Chalmers, A Former British Army Officer, Said the Post Office Horizon, Grenfell, Windrush and Infected Blood Scandals are “Vry Different In Nature” Catastrophic impact on human lives ”.
“It isn't to find Common Themes Among these scandals – a failure to listen to and act on concerns raised, a failure to learn lessons from similar and a failure to Identtify and Share Edent Risks, “He Wrote.
The Post Office Scandal was fuelled by all of these failures and more. The post office management ignored subpostmaster pleas that Horizon it system was causing unexplained account shortfalls and failed to investing to blames Discrepancies that didn't exist outside the it system.
The failures are beyond the post office itself, with its government owner neglectful of the so-called “Arms-Langth” body. Meanwhile, Fujitsu, The Supplier of the Controversial IT System, Made the Post Office Aware of Problems with Horizon But Did not make them publicThe Supplier's Staff even Gave Evidence DURING The Trials of SubPostmasters, who was charged with crimes of dishonesty, where they werongly stated that Horizon could not have ben responsible for the UnexPlaled Shortfalls in BRANCH ACONCCH
The committee on Standards in Public Life Report said “Black Box” Systems Like Horizon, which not only ran the accounts of thirds of post office branches but also provided Data to Proosecute Peoplay Must be undersrstood by Leadership Teams.
Systems like Horizon are described as Black Box Musse it is clear what is input and output, but not the workings in Between.
“Leaders of Organisations that use 'Black Box' Systems Should Be Asking Themselves Whether these are confident that they have self -sufficient understanding and oversight of how these systemss opener Need Greater Assurance About Their Use, “Said the report.
Beyond The System Itself, The Report said people need to be Empowered to “Speak Up” when they see failures. During the horizon scandal, which began when the system was introduced in 1999/2000, DISSENTING VOICES WERE Silence and the Post Office Managed to Keep a Lid on Talk About Horizon Proolems Until 2009, WHEN Computler Weekly Helped Campaigning Former SubPostmasters Make the Horizon Problems Public. In that time, huge suffering had been inflicted on SubPostmasters, where weight and punished for Unexplained Accounting Errors, Including Hunding Hunding Wrongfully Impully Impully.
Beyond the Human Suforing, The Scandal, which would have been prevented following following cost uk taxpayers billions of pounds,
The report foreword advised on what Organizations can do to increase the “likelihood of risks and issues being uncovered”.
“Culture and Leadership, at all levels, are central to ensuring that these processes are effective. And that building an organisation where it is second nature for people to break up About Concerns Not a science, “it stated.
“It is not always easy to spendak up – It requires moral courage to be the person who says, 'I'm not sure this is going to plan' Consequences? '”
According to Neil Gordon, A Professor in Computer Science at Hull University and Chair of the British Computer Sociates Ethics Ethics Ethics Group, The Report also makes interesting reading for COMPATING FOR COMPUTING FOR CHE Public sector. “As Professionals, We should be acutely aware of the impact of systems, bether safety-critical or apparently more mundane, such as accounting Software.”
He added: “There is a need for that providing and supporting Public or not – to consider their mechanisms for identifying risk and harm, and encouraging open dialogue with Empolyes and others to address them. “
Gordon said it experts can play a Pivotal Role in Preventing Organisational Failure by Analysing Data to Identify Risks as Early as Possible and Help in Decision-Making.
“Artificial Intelligence [AI] May be an effective way to do that, provided the systems are themselves developed approved approved approved. Emerging Technologies – From Ai To Quantum – will create new options to promote human welfare, but equally, they can do harm, “He Told Computer Weekly.
“Whilst the Report Presents a Strong Way Forward, The Need For Different Mechanisms – Whistlebing and Scrutiny by the pressure – remain and we welcome Progress of Support for Thimse Walid Valid Concerns, “Added Gordon. “This is also highlights the importance of conduct and that we all have a duty to take on Responsibility so we can reduce the likelihood of the sorts of the sorts of the SORTS of Historical Fail Minimise the Damage Where they Occur by Identifying the Problems Early and Raising The Alert. “
A post office spokesperson said: “We will examine the report and any learnings in detail. The post office has made a number of made a number of cultural changes in recent years, Inactment of Serving Postmaster Board, and we operate a 'Speak Up' Whistlebing Service Enabling Our Employees and Postmasters to Raise Concerns in Confidence and anonymously If preferred. “
Computer weekly First exposed the scandal in 2009Rivealing the stories of seven subpostmasters and the problems they suffred due to Horizon Accounting Software, Which LED to the Most Widespreads miscariage of just justice in British history (See below Timeline of Computer Weekly Articles About The Scandal Since 2009),