TransWorld

A friend of mine who works for a government agency (nothing to do with vaccines nor aviation) tells me the goal, and what he is judged on is following every piece of the procedures, to the letter. It is not based on getting things done.

Further, making a decision carries with it a risk, however slight. The punishment for a decision that might have some bad outcome is huge. The reward for doing something that has a significant positive result or outcome is non existent.

He does not want to sign his name to anything, even if he is confident it is right.

Excargodog

Let me explain, from years of long intimate exposure, the Key thing about the US Civil Service system. At anything above the lowest non-supervisory levels, your own promotion opportunities and civil service grade (which with longevity determines salary) depends on three things:

1. The budget line you control.
2. The personnel authorizations under you.
3. The civil service ranks of those personnel authorizations.

to optimize your own carrier opportunities you need to:


1. Spend every dime of your own authorization and as much of anyone else’s you can get away with regardless of whether it’s needed or not - then put in for an increase for next year.
2. Grab every manpower authorization you can get - no matter if you really need them or not. Write up appeals to resource management why you desperately need more manpower.
3. Get them all promoted - doesn’t matter if they are actually hard workers or total slugs. The higher ranking your subordinates the more it puffs up your authorized rating.


When you incentivize inefficiency you get lots of inefficiency.

highfarfast

Sounds like airline pilot.

rickair7777

It wasn't dragged out the way they normally are. That's not the same as rushed.

It normally drags out due to financial risk (don't invest in step B until you're certain of step A, etc). The financial risk was totally removed for anyone who wanted .gov support, and the potential financial upside is huge, which again incentives aggressive private-sector investment.

It's a dangerous mis-characterization to call it "rushed". The government has been very measured and deliberate in this, even to the point of the FDA taking the entire 4-day thanksgiving weekend off while people are dying all over the country... they are intentionally sacrificing lives to prove how not rushed it is.

Excargodog

Which alone would be cause to question their reason as well as their ethics.

highfarfast

Damned if you do. Damned if you don't.

rickair7777

AZ's large US trial will clarify and remove uncertainty caused by the possible confusion over dosing in earlier trials...


https://www.reuters.com/article/heal...-idUSKBN28H1YL

TransWorld

Don’t think so.

Autopilot is routining you through a big storm. You take the initiative and fly around it. That is exactly opposite of what my friend describes. Not wanting to take the initiative means you fly right into it.

rickair7777

FDA happy with Pfizer vaccine...

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-...ctive-and-safe

Escargot

Govt approved the MAX and that worked well. Let's all go grab the COV-19 vaccine and hope it doesn't trim nose down.