The closing reflection moves from naval history to the broader problem of institutional inertia. A system may continue to collect evidence according to familiar metrics even after those metrics no longer test what matters. Such data can show apparent improvement while becoming less useful for judging present performance. Research remains useful when institutions retest its assumptions and challenge obsolete measures. Its results still need to drive action, even when they are unwelcome.
Notable Point · 30:08-30:56
The historical lesson: retest the assumptions behind the data
The closing reflection argues that old test methods can keep producing reassuring but no longer useful data unless someone is empowered to challenge them.