I just had the obvious articulated to me on why the developed and undeveloped countries have such a hard time working together. Why we who have been indoctrinated in the step by step written process world of the developed countries are so frustrated when we go to the undeveloped countries. It is simply the "Process".
The developed world is based on a system of processes for everything. That is why when we leave our job the world does not come to an end. The next person is able to take over where we left off, so that no matter how important we think we are the company keeps moving forward without skipping a beat. A lot of people will not accept this reality, but it is true. In one sense it makes us simple clogs in the system, moving along as part of the process.
Our developed world process gives us a sense of security. We know that the bus will be at a certain point at a certain time everyday, the price of water is equal for me and my neighbor, the purchase of a home is based on regulations (no matter how loose the regulations maybe at the time), that our agreed to paycheck will be paid on x day of every month, and the rules apply to everyone equally. In the USA we pride ourselves on being a country of laws. The laws that generate processes to protect the individual, while being good for the group.
In general a small business can compete against a large corporation. Lower overhead, streamlined processes, etc makes doing business with the small company much more enjoyable than the large cumbersome corporation with all their processes. But in the end the process of the competition itself is what makes the playing field more or less equal. We (USA) are more angry with 'set aside quotas,' 'special interests', 'special circumstances', than with the actual competition for the project or job. Why, because these special items with their added bonus points is not process driven--favoritism
How does this translate to doing business in a undeveloped (under-developed country)?
These countries rely on individual judgement to manage their day to day lives within government. Even in the democratically elected governments. The individual manager makes a decision based on the person standing in front of him at the time, which takes into account relationship, and how risky the decision maybe for his career.
These managers build the process for the operation of their offices from scratch, and like most small businesses the process revolves around the one person. It should make for quicker decision making not be tied up with the normal red tape found in government, but in actuality it makes it more difficult. Why?
A process requires that decisions be made at each step of the process. It is either yes or no, based on meeting specific criteria that is documented (most ofter). There is little subjective decision making in the process. You either have the spill plan or you don't. The Spill plan is certified or it is not. Simple as that.
But when the process requires a manager to make the decision that manager's career is based on making the right decision. Without a approved process to protect him he can't just say a certified spill plan is acceptable. He has to have a strong comfort level that the person who is presenting it is credible, and does this plan really meet a level of requirements which he has no clue about.
Now for a manager to get to the point of making decision assumes that the gate keepers in front of him allowed the issue to get to him in the first place. This is a whole other set of decision makers, which more often than not resemble typical government employees that rather have no decisions to be made all day long. But if the person standing in from of the first worker is a friend, or family member this person gets taken up the chain. The decisions are easier to make, which doesn't seem fair in our world, but it is no different than a woman owned, veteran owed, whatever getting in front of the line. This is a broken process.
We as environmental professionals base our work on process. Cleanup process, environmental management system, ISO14001, procurement, environmental assessment, on and on. Each is a process that have multiple processes within the big process.
Recently I obtained the first ever Used Oil Authorization/Permit from a government agency in one of these undeveloped countries. The agency had never issued this permit before, yet used oil is transported, stored, and shipped all the time. In fact the US government in that country uses the services of companies that have no government authorization.
In order to obtain the authorization I, being from a developed country and trained in process, completed all the typically necessary plans and procedures used to obtain a Used Oil transport/handling/storage/processing permit. I expected to be asked for this documentation. It took nearly two months to be obtained, and had to be signed by the Minister. The documents were not reviewed, only asked if we had them. It was more a matter of coordinating with another high level government official who is working with us.
Could we have operated without this authorization? Yes, sure of course--no one else has taken the time to get one. But with the authorization we have set the precedent. Now the next time the US government wants to ship used oil they HAVE to make sure the company they use have a permit to do it.
I have now deviated from my topic, so back on track.
A lot of international companies operate their businesses without permits that we are familiar with in our normal world. There are a lot of projects never get past the discussion phase. It is assumed that it is because of issues of 'bribery', or what I have seen many times 'inability to communicate'.
Bribery is what a lot of companies assume is needed to move a process a long, not knowing that the slow system is not meant to extract a bribe, it is just the way things are done.
The 'inability to communicate' issue raises its head when nothing seems to be getting done fast enough. In these worlds the pace is slow and generally non-confrontational. So when we ask for something it appears to be 'demanding' and aggressive so the response to us is "yes, you are right." This translates to "impatient man is hiding something, I better slow it down".
There is a method to doing the right thing, and getting through the system. If you haven't figured it out yet from what I have written, contact me. I am happy to help out.
