Why do all higher level government managers put everything into writing ?

[steve2470]

It has always amazed me that the managers put the most incriminating stuff on paper. Duh ! Are they required by law to do this, or is this just Washington protocol ? Thanks in advance.
Steve

[ret5hd]

1. just imagine what they AREN'T putting on paper. (nt)

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. You beat me to it.

[acmejack]

3. It's a time honored CYOA technique

Paper trail. From a former life...

[TahitiNut]

4. AVO = Avoid Verbal Orders ... has been a part of the culture for decades

If I were still working in a government office, I wouldn't move a pencil without a written instruction to do so. CYA is totally obligatory.

[jody]

5. CYA! n/t

[whistle]

6. Bureaucracy standard operating procedure since early Egyptian

...times, "So let it be written, so let it be done" -- from the film 'The Ten Commandments' 1955, Director Cecil B. DeMille.

Actually, the basis of modern bureaucracies were researched and developed by Max Weber in the late 19th century:

<snip>
Max Weber
Six Key Characteristics of Bureaucracy

An historical perspective.

1. Fixed and official jurisdictional areas which are ordered by rules, that is laws and administrative regulations.

2. Hierarchy and levels of graded authority where the lower offices are supervised by the higher ones.

3. Management is based on official documents (the files).

4. The officials have thorough and expert training.

5. It requires the full time work of the official.

6. Management follows rules.

<more>
<link> http://www.das.state.ne.us/personnel/nkn/oegresources/weber.htm

Number three states "Management is based on official documents (the files)" where the concept of writing everything (and that is EVERYTHING) down, and then saving those files for future reference comes in. Can you see that if this is the way bureaucracy functions how easily bureaucracies can be corrupted by simply withholding or even purging files? No file, no record. No record, then who is to say something ever happened? Corporate MBAs have caught onto this later aspect of bureaucracies to their own enrichment.