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SECTION 3
DECISIONS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT BOARD SELF-ASSESSMENT
TO WHOM SHOULD THE ASSESSMENT cussion by the public may persuade the board to take con-
BE DISCLOSED? structive action.
A critical concern of many boards is the confidentiality of Openness will enhance public trust in the board. An open
the self-assessment. Many boards do not have wide discre- self-assessment process, particularly as part of a general prac-
tion under their state's sunshine laws, and this may affect their tice of openness on issues of public interest, will earn public
predisposition for information sharing. Other boards may have confidence in the board and trust that issues of interest and
legal discretion and a mutual commitment to maintain confi- concern are being candidly disclosed. This trust may generate
dentiality. The Handbook does not mandate either openness understanding and support, as well as carry over to more con-
or confidentiality, and the self-assessment process can be con- troversial issues such as service reductions, fare increases, or
ducted under either approach. exercise of eminent domain, where public trust is crucial.
Disclosure Limited Disclosure
Boards that see merit in public disclosure of the assessment For boards that are permitted to meet in closed session for
process act for several reasons, including the ones listed below. certain classes of sessions (e.g., those that do not include
public business actions, debate, or "deliberations"), a middle
Board effectiveness is a topic that interests and concerns road between complete disclosure and complete confiden-
the public. A theme that underlies sunshine laws and public tiality may be to receive an advance briefing on the process
involvement is that the transit operation is ultimately owned in closed session, to be briefed on the compiled results in
and funded by, and operated for, the benefit of the public; the closed session, and then to hold an open session to consider
agency (including its board) is responsible to the public. An the results and adopt a plan of action regarding the opportu-
assessment of its effectiveness is arguably the highest-level nities for improvement.
and most far-reaching topic considered by the board and
should therefore be a topic of most immediate relevance and
interest to the public and to the board's appointing entities. Confidentiality
Public disclosure of the process will improve the respon- A board's concern about the confidentiality of the assess-
siveness of the process. Interaction with the public in prepa- ment may arise from a number of causes, including the ones
ration for board meetings, and even during the public comment listed below.
portions of board meetings, can improve the objectivity and
perceptiveness of the board's assessment of itself. Further, the The media and the public are hungry for sound-bite
public's understanding of the board's strengths, efforts, and judgments. The public and the media want to know whether
opportunities for improvement will enhance public under- public agencies and officials are doing well or not; however,
standing and action on many other issues. information on their performance is usually communicated
within the tight confines of a news broadcast or a few column-
Public disclosure will reinforce constructive action. One of inches of newsprint. A self-assessment is just the sort of
the most useful results of the self-assessment process is the col- information that can be easily (if not always accurately) con-
lective recognition by the board of concerns that individuals veyed in such a format. There is a risk that a fairly sensitive
might have only articulated privately if there were no appro- and balanced assessment will be translated into "Trouble at
priate public forum for bringing such issues to the board's the Beleaguered Transit Authority Board."
attention. Such concerns may be sensitive enough to be skirted
by the board or suppressed if discussed only in a closed ses- Disclosure of negative assessments may put the board on
sion; an open-session board discussion and subsequent dis- the defensive. If the members of the community or media do
