Such a thoughtful and clearly written explanation of some of the pitfalls of the current bureaucracy there. I enjoyed reading this very much, David. In any entrenched system, it's always hard to fight the "....because we've never done it that way before" mentality and many people are threatened by their "turf" being infringed upon. Keep fighting the good fight with education and patience! And hard cider! :-)
Good article, David. As someone who has experienced Moldovan bureaucracy (mostly 25 years ago and not to the extent you have) I especially appreciate your analysis and practical suggestions.
From the business process analysis standpoint there's a lot of work to do, although looking at the "stupid" stuff is a good start, especially in terms of developing new thinking patterns. (Why is this step here? What's the worst that could happen if we skipped it?) Mission-driven is also needed: what's the purpose of this agency/department? (Government work can be rewarding because it should have a purpose that serves the public in some way like safety, transportation, revenue, business success etc.)
Everyone's going to want to jump in and "automate" these procedures without doing the underlying work first. (What are the requirements of this process? What are the objectives and the steps needed to accomplish them?) The paper office procedures that the U.S. and Europe were implementing from the times of Florentine double-entry accounting up until the mid 20th c is a both form of infrastructure and a philosophy about getting things done. Computer systems were built upon those earlier tried-and-true principles underlying tracking, auditing, verifying, etc.
It's hard to imagine how Moldova can reinvent this stuff—wondering if any other post-Soviet countries have managed to do it, and what kinds of historical systems they may have had in place before the U.S.S.R. introduced its Byzantine practices. Hiring consultants or running out to buy "off-the-shelf" software would probably not be the way to go.
"Everyone's going to want to jump in and "automate" these procedures without doing the underlying work first"
This makes me think I missed a major opportunity in the article to drive this point home - the worst investment in time is making something more efficient that you should never have done in the first place :)
I'll make sure to work this theme in more directly in the future!! Love your comment - totally on point!
Such a thoughtful and clearly written explanation of some of the pitfalls of the current bureaucracy there. I enjoyed reading this very much, David. In any entrenched system, it's always hard to fight the "....because we've never done it that way before" mentality and many people are threatened by their "turf" being infringed upon. Keep fighting the good fight with education and patience! And hard cider! :-)
Good article, David. As someone who has experienced Moldovan bureaucracy (mostly 25 years ago and not to the extent you have) I especially appreciate your analysis and practical suggestions.
From the business process analysis standpoint there's a lot of work to do, although looking at the "stupid" stuff is a good start, especially in terms of developing new thinking patterns. (Why is this step here? What's the worst that could happen if we skipped it?) Mission-driven is also needed: what's the purpose of this agency/department? (Government work can be rewarding because it should have a purpose that serves the public in some way like safety, transportation, revenue, business success etc.)
Everyone's going to want to jump in and "automate" these procedures without doing the underlying work first. (What are the requirements of this process? What are the objectives and the steps needed to accomplish them?) The paper office procedures that the U.S. and Europe were implementing from the times of Florentine double-entry accounting up until the mid 20th c is a both form of infrastructure and a philosophy about getting things done. Computer systems were built upon those earlier tried-and-true principles underlying tracking, auditing, verifying, etc.
It's hard to imagine how Moldova can reinvent this stuff—wondering if any other post-Soviet countries have managed to do it, and what kinds of historical systems they may have had in place before the U.S.S.R. introduced its Byzantine practices. Hiring consultants or running out to buy "off-the-shelf" software would probably not be the way to go.
Hi Grace - I love this line from your comment:
"Everyone's going to want to jump in and "automate" these procedures without doing the underlying work first"
This makes me think I missed a major opportunity in the article to drive this point home - the worst investment in time is making something more efficient that you should never have done in the first place :)
I'll make sure to work this theme in more directly in the future!! Love your comment - totally on point!