Cabinet members,

I regret to inform you all of my intention to vacate the office of the Minister of Engagement on the 31^st of August, 2021. I will do everything in my power to ensure that we push out the unified application system before that time, and I would like at the very least to have the premise, structure, and goals of the SPACE program developed by this date as well. At this time, I do not see either endeavour being an issue, the date I have selected is designed to incorporate both goals. If successful, 4/5 of my agenda goals will have been completed, including ones which have long been aspirations of previous cabinets.

This is not a decision that I make lightly. From my perspective, the office could not locate an active candidate for this last election cycle, which caused me to intervene for the hopeful good of the South's general competence. Resignation places the ministry back in this familiar position. I have provided a great deal of hours to the South's government to help achieve its goals, but I believe this is not the flavour of work that was most desired. Indeed, my social work and ability to hype people up is the area in which I am most deficient.

In some ways, I am not even sure the best way to achieve this within the Ministry of Engagement. As I've said before, although the letter of the law implies that Engagement's primary role is outreach and integration, the ministry (in practice) is infrastructure development and maintenance, and a vast portion of the region now relies on Engagement to provide the services it does. That reliance eases other ministries' workloads, but does also limit the ways in which we might reform the purpose of the office. For my part, I enjoy infrastructure development and maintenance, but it isn't in particular a role that gets a lot of action in the same way SPSF or World Assembly Affairs does. The work takes place on a generally slower pace, with projects being rather long term.

It is difficult, therefore, to maintain the actual engagement of the ministry when there are few parts that are allowable to move, political explosions for the parts that ought to move, and a high standard of expectation in the areas of development we know are desired. As I have started previously, it may benefit the government to offload the majority of the work the ministry does (such as the dispatch project, and wiki) to OOC admin roles with server access, not only to prevent vital infrastructure from being potentially sabotaged, but to make the department more approachable for those who may wish to contribute with a more layman's level of expertise.

Some things are ubiquitous in a NationStates democracy, but I feel those who have remained here for a powerful long time underestimate the intensity of those traits in TSP. The old guard is abnormally strong and stubborn, and the bureaucratic apparatus is abnormally bloated. Both of these are beyond the level that I believe is typical, having worked in several other democracies which are less inclined to solidify establishment power and influence. It is understandable that the South carries a reputation of exclusivity in gameplay.

I recognise that I am not the appropriate candidate to improve these situations, perform the development my station expects, provide the social engagement that critics desire, and deliver the type of propaganda necessary to reinforce the fact that we are, indeed, continuing to work. Coupled with the fact that I am extremely depressed, and more so recently, I really ought to leave. For the sake of my own health and the health of the South Pacific, I will do so.

Please provide any feedback you have on what you need from me, suggestions on how to carry this out, order of operations, etc.

Luca

(This post was last modified: 08-23-2021, 02:57 PM by Luca.)

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I'm sorry to hear about this, but I understand why you're resigning and wish you the best of luck. I haven't worked with you much in the Cabinet, having just got here and not even officially sworn in yet, but you've done an incredible amount of work for TSP in your time in office and here in general that I've seen. 

Thank you for all you've done and are doing for the Ministry and Cabinet, Luca.

New Quebecshire,
Full Player Résumé
Discord: Cubic#1608

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This is unfortunate but the best choice for you given what you say. If you accomplish both unified applications and a card program, you will have had a stellar term as MoE even without finishing it.

Thank you for your service.

Minister of Foreign Affairs
General of the South Pacific Special Forces
Ambassador to Balder
Former Prime Minister and Minister of Defense

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Luca, your work this term is outstanding especially considering the hand you were dealt and the scrutiny you were under, and your counsel has been utterly invaluable in technical matters that I cannot begin to wrap my head around.

That said, you need to do what's best for you. You have my full support and I know you're doing the right thing for you. That's what counts. While I'm sad to hear this, I also know that you will be better for it and that's what I care about above all. 

<3

 
Witchcraft and Sorcery

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Former Prime Minister and Minister of Defense. Formerly many things in other regions. Defender. Ideologue. he/they.

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Thank you for everything you did in the past two months, Luca. You might've been here for a short time, but it was stellar in every way. You were an amazing minister in every way and I wish you good luck with your future endeavors.

It was a pleasure to work with you in the Cabinet and I hope that we can work together somewhere else in the future.

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