Why Members
Tr-Ac-Net is a membership organization so that there can be efficient sharing of information
to help bring transparency and accountability as the norm everywhere.
Trust
Trust is not easy. Trust is destroyed very easily, and takes years to build.
Trust develops not only between individuals, but through secondary links and
common connections. With trust, Tr-Ac-Net can move to address the big issues
that are destroying community value, and help put humanity on a better course.
Origins of Tr-Ac-Net Trust
The origins of Tr-Ac-Net trust started to emerge several decades ago when it became apparent
that many of the well known media establishments were better at reporting stories than in
disseminating meaningful information. When information cannot be trusted, what can?
Trust ... Because of Danger
Trust is central to Tr-Ac-Net's mission. Because the mission is not universally popular,
there is danger. People associated with Tr-Ac-Net's mission have been assassinated. Many
in positions of power and influence would prefer that performance metrics compromised.
The Tr-Ac-Net mission is "hard ball" and we need trust to move forward.
Making Data Trustworthy
Tr-Ac-Net aims to have data that may be trusted. Tr-Ac-Net aims to have data that may be
tusted even where the individual contributor is unknown. This is achieved in several ways.
Tr-Ac-Net uses standards which are data values that might be expected under similar
conditions. Tr-Ac-Net builds experience about the contributors of data and trusts the
data depending on the track record. Tr-Ac-Net has an approach to data that has its
origins in accountancy rather than the statistics of the social sciences.
Members Sharing Information
Most members share their information in an open way with all the other members. Typically
information is shared within the area of interest, with the contributor identified. It
would be best if all information could be identified to a contributor, but there will
be many situations where anonymous contributions will be required. Tr-Ac-Net aims to be
a safe place for data to be compiled and available for responsible analysis. Even though
the origin of some data may be unknown, Tr-Ac-Net aims to have the data that can be trusted.
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Contributing Members
Contributing members are the backbone of Tr-Ac-Net's power and potential. No one person
knows very much compared to what a community of people know. Tr-Ac-Net's contributing
members make it possible for Tr-Ac-Net to know jointly much more than any individual
can know. Tr-Ac-Net provides a platform so that contributed knowledge can be mobilized
for the maximum of social value.
Community Contributors
Community contributors make it possible for Tr-Ac-Net to help any active comunity
to achieve its potential. Knowledge is useful, but it only has value when it is
part of a system that facilitates effective investment and action. Community
contributors help to mobilize community information.
Community Volunteers
The Tr-Ac-Net system has been designed so that community volunteers can be
the backbone of dataflows about a community. This changes the dynamic of socio-economic
analysis from one that depends on highly educated expensive international staff to one
where the data are pulled together by people who know a lot about the community and can
bring a lot of data together at a very modest cost. Just as important, is that these
data can be used as a foundantion for the community to know a lot about itself, and
be able to track its own progress. Contrast this with, for example, the way in which
the Millennium Village Project (MVP) has been organized
Student Volunteers
Tr-Ac-Net is designed to facilitate students doing valuable work for Tr-Ac-Net and the
portfolio of communities in its database. Sometimes students will have the opportunity to
visit a community, and in the course of a visit will learn a lot, but the value
contribution to the community will be constrained by time and immediately available
resources. By using their training, students can accelerate the development of the
Tr-Ac-Net community portfolio, and thereby leverage the whole system for community good.
Community Teams
Organizations
Tr-Ac-Net expects some organizations to embrace the idea of Community Impact Accountancy (CIA)
and be active in helping for it to be deployed in all the areas where they are active. Some
organizations are likely to resist the deployment of CIA both overtly and covertly. This is
to be expected ... it is normal, upt to a point.
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