I had an idea for a different kind of split. What if we didn't create more ministries, but instead implemented a matrix management approach instead? We would form what could be called "public utilities" which would be "competence pools", headed by professionals. The public utilities would produce stuff for all ministries, like logos, event planning, staffing, news and guides, leaving more like policy making responsibilities and core competence for the ministries, that shouldn't be pooled (like the SPSF or embassies).

The public utilities would provide staff/consultancy for (temporary) teams, that are formed to perform specific tasks as requested by elected officials. Possible benefits would be a reduction of complexity of the current MoRA, increase accountability for those "producing", and hopefully make tighter teams. It would also make competence currently found in MoRA available to the other ministries. A possible drawback that comes to mind would be that we would have even more Discord servers, and possibly conflicts if a head of a public utility would disagree with a minister (now these heads are selected by the minister, but this wouldn't be the case with the proposed matrix management approach).

The public utilities would run independent projects, like news or (some rendition of) the University.

I made a quick illustration of what I'm thinking (it's not meant to be complete or all-encompassing). Basically we would have a split along a line between policy making and "production":
 

(Don't mind the greyed-out ministries, these would be for another discussion)  

I would like an explanation on why MoFA should handle events and SPSF should handle SWAN considering both institutions have no expertise in such areas.

Events should be handled by a cultural ministry. SWAN should be independent. Otherwise public media and graphics look good. In a nutshell, if you cant crank politics out of it and the area required a specific expertise like graphic design or programming, you need to be independent.

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(This post was last modified: 05-02-2020, 12:43 PM by USoVietnam.)

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I think some modification of Qwert's proposal is necessary -- e.g. moving SWAN out of Defence, adding a Culture Ministry -- but the basic idea is intriguing. What I especially like is placing graphics not under one ministry, but available for all ministries. Really it doesn't fit with any of the existing RA subdivisions, and all ministries need access to graphics. Making each ministry have its own graphics program is cumbersome and repetitive.

Qwert's proposal would make a unified discord server imperative, though.

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(This post was last modified: 05-02-2020, 12:56 PM by Somyrion.)

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Copying from Discord:

I'm hesitant about Qwert's suggestion. I think it's great to see someone thinking outside of the constraints we've put on ourselves, but I think Viet's point about Events, Omega's about "RA" voices in cabinet and Aga's point about democratic accountability are all strong ones.

I think some modification of Qwert's proposal is necessary -- e.g. moving SWAN out of Defence, adding a Culture Ministry -- but the basic idea is intriguing.

This would go some way towards resolving those issues.

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I think my biggest fear with the Qwert's proposal is it doesn't provide a solution to the imbalance in the cabinet ministers. That is probably my biggest hesitation at this point.

The work load for the minister would (hopefully) decrease. My suggestion could also be adapted and include any number of ministries.

but the institutional memory and all of the Advisory Board and Fellows gets shifted to be more permanent?

Yes, that's what I was thinking.

I think I would allow either the PM or Cabinet at least to appoint and dismiss the heads of the utilities, but otherwise, these seems great?

Perhaps the first time manning the positions, then I think the utilities themselves should be doing this independently (but probably there should be a law giving the PM or cabinet the authority to do so, should it be needed for some reason).

I would like an explanation on why MoFA should handle events and SPSF should handle SWAN considering both institutions have no expertise in such areas.

The reason why I put events also under MoFA is that it may want to host/arrange festivities involving other regions, and then it could request work to be done from the utilities, just like the new MoRA equivalent. I put Swan under the Ministry of Defence because I think of it as something that enhances the defence of the region. (But like I said, ignore the other ministries in the illustration, the point in including them is to illustrate that they too can use the utilities).

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The oversight issue is valid but perhaps can be resolved with confirmation votes?

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The oversight issue is valid but perhaps can be resolved with confirmation votes?

Yes, just learn it from RL country. In the US and basically any developed country, independent institution lead like EPA chair needs confirmation vote, NASA administrator needs confirmation vote, FBI director needs vote despite being appointed...

Chief Supervising Armchair

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Here was a framework for a MoRA split from the Discord:
Ministry of Engagement (education and integration)
Ministry of Culture (Events and RP)

Dept. of Media
Dept. of Graphics

Dept. heads must be (re)confirmed every four months upon (re)appointment by an incoming PM and Cabinet.

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I look forward to reading all the proposed amendments!

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I look forward to reading all the proposed amendments!

Yeah, I will hold off on drafting. I would encourage someone less... loquacious to take a crack at it.

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To Viet's point about SWAN, wouldn't SWAN be something of an example of how this could work independently from any set ministry?

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