Oversight Theater

Oversight exists in form, but lacks independence or real corrective power.

What it looks like

• Committees approve everything
• Audits produce reports, not changes
• Reviewers are structurally dependent on what they review
• “We have oversight” becomes a shield

Failure mechanism

Oversight is captured by incentives, dependency, or lack of authority—so it cannot enforce correction.

Minimum viable controls

Verification

• Publish oversight findings and actions taken
• Independent sampling and testing
• Clear audit trails for decisions and follow-through

Counterweights

• Oversight independence (budget, authority, access)
• Ability to halt/hold high-risk actions
• Separate review from delivery chain

Correction Loops

• Tracking closure of findings
• Routine re-audits
• Metrics for “time-to-correct,” not “time-to-report”

Proof you’re controlling it

• Oversight stops things sometimes
• Findings lead to control changes
• Independence is measurable (authority, budget, access)

Where it shows up

Common at Institutional + Organizational depths.

Related patterns

Verification Gap • Crisis as Audit • Incentives Outrunning Safeguards