Scott here, putting in my 2 cents. Government. Geopolitics. Political machines. The clincher—bureaucracy. What varied reactions people have when they hear these terms! For a small number of us a profound excitement bubbles up from within and we can barely contain ourselves. For others there is a strong sense of repulsion. I don’t know where you fit in, but I’m somewhere in the middle. I love discussing politics, as long as the other guy can laugh about it in the end.
Most of us, even government employees, regard bureaucracy as a necessary evil. The greater the system, the more resource can be wasted. This is the trade off for not having the opposite: oligarchy. Even the greatest monarch still needs a political machine to physically administrate his domain.
Enough political theory! One of the keys to international work is to remember most things aren’t wrong, just different. Otherwise you get cynical and short-tempered. Being our team leader here has given me lots of chances to see the great political machine of this country at work. Below is a series of insights—not criticisms—into our local government, things that both bring joy and frustration. In the end, it all works and the country moves forward.
1. Every rule has an exception, but once a decision is made it won’t be changed. One of our first days in country 3 years ago, you may remember I was dropped off, with no language or help, at our realtor’s shop. It’s a small hole-in-the-wall place with a small bench which was crowded with men. Fortunately, one of the realtor’s helpers was waiting for me and brought me to a police station. I had no idea at the time what was going on—another blessing of moving to a new country. He brought me to a police station to register our new home with security forces. Looking back it was a good thing, something I have done several times since. I was interviewed briefly, but the policeman noticed I hadn’t received my visa yet. That was it, end of discussion. I would not be getting my registration that day. I returned to our then team leaders’ home to find out they got their registration without visas. We went back together this time to argue the point (since you can’t get the lease without this registration, and you can’t get keys without the lease!). The policeman realized his duplicity, but since he had already told me “no” he would not lose face by changing his mind. After getting my visa and 4 visits later, I got that registration and a new police friend who would do anything for me now, including making exceptions.
2. Few people know the full proper process for getting things done. “It takes a village” to get things done. We are in the midst of searching for land for a unique project here. A year and a half ago a plot was found, but no one knew what it would take to build there. Step by step we learned from the lawyer that the city had to rezone the land. He didn’t know exactly how to get that done, and once he found out, it was caught up in serious red tape. The architect was ready to move, but didn’t know about the zoning. The realtor who would have sold us the land didn’t know we would lose a full meter on every side because of a city ordinance. Since that time we have gotten a promise of a land grant from the government. But, it has been 7 months of going in and out of offices with the lawyer, asking for updates, when this, why that, where this. No one is quite sure what to do with us—we’re foreigners in new territory!
3. Connections matter. This is true in the States too. Knowing someone higher up is the only way to change a decision. Most people are so acutely aware of this that they use their connections before even starting proper channels. We generally avoid using influential relationships for a number of reasons, but it does help when a friend has a relative that works in a particular office.
4. Being friendly helps. In some cultures you get your way by showing an angry edge. Here that is not true. One late night a teammate and I went to the airport to pick up some luggage that arrived the day after its owner. The luggage was locked away somewhere and the workers didn’t want to go get it at that hour of night. Then we did the classic good cop-bad cop. My friend was all over the people and I was apologizing for his behavior and begging for help. It worked! We got the luggage. Another time I was sitting with the city planner regarding the land grant. He wasn’t helpful at all until I complimented his English and recommended he come take a class with us.
5. Bureaucracy saves the fall man. It’s frustrating to walk into American DMV offices and wait for an hour for a license plate. If that bugs you, you would literally rip your hair out here. The DMV is one office for over 1,000,000 people in the province. Instead of 300 employees with the same authority to help just about any problem, there are thousands who sit in cramped offices that specialize in one detail of any given process. We hired a guy to put our car in his name, but even still it was a pain when we had to show up only to pick up the plates. It took 2 hours! The director of the DMV really has the authority. He must personally sign off on all but basic issues. Employees have no authority and rely on the director to make nearly all decisions. While numbing critical thinking and personal productivity, this helps the average clerk keep a low profile and avoid getting in trouble for controversial decisions in a job that he desperately needs.
6. Providing work. A basic tenet of American ideals is that the government exists to serve the people above all. However, if you ask the 2.6 million or so federal employees, I’m sure they would be quick to add that that service provides a nice job. That figure doesn’t even take into account other government workers, like teachers, emergency workers, or state and city officials. I don’t know what the rate is here, but certainly the widespread belief that the government is responsible to find jobs for the tens of thousands of college grads every year has taken priority over quality service to the people. No one would admit that outright, but when push comes to shove and you are under-qualified it is certainly true. This has led to an enormous bureaucracy, but one that provides crucial employment. Because of the non-diversified economy here, people depend on these low-paying but steady jobs.
There you go! Lessons learned along the way, for better or for worse, make this fascinating place tick!
