When I worked for the government, a lot of people would call in and I would say “how can I help you?” because I was educated to be helpful. Even if the job randomly entailed disgraceful things like drafting somebody’s recommendation letter for their school applications for my boss to sign. I liked to think that if we were helpful to others, our office would gain good reputation for being professional, which is an image the government could use more of. Then again whenever I needed help all I needed to say were the six magic words, “Hi this is the President’s office”, and the person on the other end of the phone line would be pleasantly obliging.
So that was then. Now, early on in my current job I called up a government department to ask clarification on a particular license procedure. The officer said:
“Which company is this?”
“Oh I’m a consultant ma’am, we are representing a client”
“Oh I see. Well it’s like this. I thought smart consultants should already know these things. Besides, you’re the one who gets paid in dollars, right? I should be getting some of those dollars for answering your question, right?”
I ignored this.
I said, “Well ma’am you see, the regulations are not very clear on this issue. It would be good if we could know how it is actually practiced in the ministry, or if you could point me to a specific regulation I may have missed.”
She said, “It’s all in the regulations, you can read it yourself.”
She practically rendered me speechless in disgust. Being an underpaid civil servant is hardly a justification for being unprofessional. To be fair some government institutions are very helpful and professional, such as the Capital Investment Supervisory Body and the tax directorate at the Ministry of Finance.
Steven D. Levitt, author of Freakonomics emphasized how any particular societal behaviour is fueled by a particular pin-pointable incentive. I wonder what could be the incentive for a professionalist culture? Remember those boring catchphrases they used to teach us in elementary school during the Old Order regime? “Let us develop a society that is flourishing with hard-working, money-saving people, who do not glorify short-cut methods of achieving goals.”
Well apparently the catchphrases didn’t work. In retrospect, I think what I should have told her was “Look, I happen to know your minister. Would you prefer I ask her instead?”
So that was then. Now, early on in my current job I called up a government department to ask clarification on a particular license procedure. The officer said:
“Which company is this?”
“Oh I’m a consultant ma’am, we are representing a client”
“Oh I see. Well it’s like this. I thought smart consultants should already know these things. Besides, you’re the one who gets paid in dollars, right? I should be getting some of those dollars for answering your question, right?”
I ignored this.
I said, “Well ma’am you see, the regulations are not very clear on this issue. It would be good if we could know how it is actually practiced in the ministry, or if you could point me to a specific regulation I may have missed.”
She said, “It’s all in the regulations, you can read it yourself.”
She practically rendered me speechless in disgust. Being an underpaid civil servant is hardly a justification for being unprofessional. To be fair some government institutions are very helpful and professional, such as the Capital Investment Supervisory Body and the tax directorate at the Ministry of Finance.
Steven D. Levitt, author of Freakonomics emphasized how any particular societal behaviour is fueled by a particular pin-pointable incentive. I wonder what could be the incentive for a professionalist culture? Remember those boring catchphrases they used to teach us in elementary school during the Old Order regime? “Let us develop a society that is flourishing with hard-working, money-saving people, who do not glorify short-cut methods of achieving goals.”
Well apparently the catchphrases didn’t work. In retrospect, I think what I should have told her was “Look, I happen to know your minister. Would you prefer I ask her instead?”
8 comments:
welcome to the real world (or is it jungle?)!
You could always ask hukumonline.com :D
So, why don't you just keep using the magic words?
more on govt officials http://pejabat-indonesia-sucks.blogspot.com although this blog seems to focus more on the ministry of foreign affairs.
for them, being an underpaid and stupid civil servant is enough justification to be rude and corrupt. disgusting but inevitable.
Just want to let you know, dear commenter above, i'm a civil servant and thank God, i'm not stupid. I think you being too rude when you use the word stupid..it feels like you underestimate civil servants brain..
Btw teez, don't say that you DON'T HAVE any friends or colleagues who worked at that ministry..:)
i think that the woman who answer your phone was not the right person to ask..
Anywe, if you say the word, i bet she'd say go ahead, just ask the minister..(like she'll believe what you say,eventho it's true..hehe)
A blue-eyed Indonesian civil servant, now how cool is that?
Rob: Very cool. And because I’m a rocket scientist, I noticed the casual advertisement. Cunning. But worry not, I am a daily user already. Comes with the job :).
Rima: The blog referred to seems to live off newspaper articles and hearsay facts. I cannot verify the truth of the sentiments. But I don’t mean to generalize that all civil servants are stupid, rude, and corrupt, and I certainly don’t think they are inevitably so. In fact, by personal experience I find the foreign ministry to be filled with brilliant people, and I’d say it’s one of the best departments in the country. What I’m saying is, as with every other societal gap in this country, the professionalism gap needs to be narrowed.
Blue: Thank God for civil servants like yourself :) Yes I do have friends in that ministry, and I do know the best way to get around is to know inside people. I just wish it was easier. I guess the real question was whether there is a magic formula to culturalize professionalism. It's probably worth a thought :)
culturize professionalism...
that's a great idea. i think it has to start from the very top. say, the President's office. if it lacks professionalism there, don't expect you'll find it in other ministries.
no, i change my mind, think it has to start from the very bottom: education.
oh, forget'it... i just wasted 15 billable minutes thinking abt it.
=D
See, this is why I refuse to work in a predominantly Indonesian-civil servants-working environment, simply because I know what their working culture is like. Not to say that all Indonesian civil servants are stupid nonetheless, I'm simply pointing out the fact that there can only be 2 possibilities which most likely happen to bright smart employees devoting themselves to be civil servants: 1) it would take them ages to be promoted to a lot higher ranks, or 2) they won't last long in their respective department...and these 2 are predictably, the result of the super bureaucratic and rather close-minded culture of seniority that has been planted long before one could even realize it.
Any suggestion as to where to work well these days? :D
I think it would be a good idea to have an exchange program between civil servants and lawyers/consultants, so that each would understand the pressures and challenges faced in daily life.
Irrespective of this, being kind, helpful and smart is an advantage to any person, be she a civil servant or a non-civil servant.
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