This open access book presents a new generation multi-criteria multi-stake holder decision
aide called an institutional compass. Based on hard data the compass tells us what
quality-direction we are heading in as an institution region system or organisation. The
quality is not chosen from the usual scalar qualities of: good neutral and bad. Instead it is
a quality chosen between: harmony discipline and excitement. None is good in and of itself. We
need some of each. The compass marks a new generation in four respects. 1. The representation
of the data is intuitive and simple to understand and therefore can be used to communicate and
justify policy decisions. 2. Any data can be included i.e. none is excluded. This makes the
compass tailored to particular situations voices and contexts. 3. The data includes different
time horizons and different types of value: monetary use social sentimental religious
intrinsic existential... 4. The process of compass construction can be made inclusive at
several junctions. An institutional compass can be extended to evaluate products add
normativity to a systems analysis reflect world-views such as that of ecological economists or
function as an accounting system to manage scarce resources.There are four parts to the book.
The first part introduces the general ideas behind the compass. In the second part the author
presents the method for constructing the compass. This includes data collection data analysis
and a mathematical formula to aggregate the data into a single holistic reading. In the third
part the author extends the methodology: to incorporate it into systems science adding a
normative and quality-direction dimension to use it as a non-linear accounting method and more
thoroughly to reflect the philosophy of ecological economists to give a real measure of
sustainability. In the fourth part we see three case studies: one for the World Health
Organisation a second is the use of the compass to label products in a shop and the third is
as a regional compass for Hauts-de-France. The book ends with philosophical conclusions.
Throughout the book we see tight arguments refreshing ideas and a thorough treatment of
objectivity in decision making.
