‘The Attitude’s’ Impact In/On Government Agencies:
This is Part #2 of a series of discussions on some of the cultural differences that most Americans must recognize and accommodate to live comfortably in the country of Panama. The earlier parts of this series are below in the order they were posted (e.g., Part #1 listed first) if you chose to start reading from the beginning of the series.
The requirement for the ex-patriot to recognize and accept the tendency of the Panamanians to be ‘inconsiderate of others’ (by U.S. standards - what I have termed ‘The Attitude’), is more than just a method to cope with day-to-day dealings with the population at larger. I am suggesting that ‘The Attitude’ permeates the society in a variety of ways that have much more relevance than whether some guy cuts in front of you in line in the farmacia. So, for starters I would like to take a look at government agencies and functions in light of what we know about individual attitudes. And since I am not a social scientist, I do not want to get into a cause-and-effect discussion about what is the root of the situation. To me that is like a chicken-or-egg discussion while we are standing in line at Kentucky Fried Chicken. It is a moot point, for the purposes of this discussion, whether “The Attitude” influences bureaucratic behavior or said behavior reinforces “The Attitude”.
Government Agencies: Let’s start our look at government agencies where most Americans start – Immigration. I will use processing into Panama at the border crossing at Paso Canoas as an example because I am very familiar with it and the changes that have gone on there over the last five years. We will start by ‘walking through’ the in-processing and then review.
When you leave the Costa Rican Immigration office your next stop is the ‘Entrar’ (enter) window in the Panamanian Immigration office where, hopefully the line is not too long. When your turn comes the agent will look at your passport, study the enter/exit stamps on the various pages and then hand you a scrap of paper he has scribbled something on and direct you to a window across the complex. After another wait, a clerk will take your passport (and the note) and disappear inside an office, usually to return in about 20 minutes with a multi-part form which is a ‘Tourist Visa’. All of your relevant passport information has been hand transcribed on to this visa, which also cost $5. You then are directed back to the ‘Entar’ window from whence you came earlier – Yes, back in the same line.
When you get to the front of the line, the agent will first check to see that you have the secured the required tourist visa (and a $1 stamp that has been affixed by third person working there in the area) and scan your passport into the immigration computer. Then, in accordance with the immigration laws, the agent will want you to provide your travel reservations out of Panama (keep in mind you are entering the country for a maximum of 180 days), and may at his/her discretion ask you to confirm that you have on your possession $500 (most often done by showing a credit card). You passport will then receive the dated ‘entered’ stamp.
(Note: For you readers familiar with Paso Canoas crossings, I am not going to go in to all the games that were played by immigration personnel at the border over the years as they are not relevant to this discussion. And yes, I am aware that the Tourist Visa is no longer required.
I am also not going to get into the fact that I have never been through the border, when they have opened the second ‘Entrar’ window, even though there were people available in the booth and the lines were out of sight.
It is likewise out of the realm of this discussion, to get into discussions about what, if anything is done differently with the processing system in case of a glitch of some type – power, phone, or computer outage, for example.)
What Have We Got Here? So let’s just stop right here and look at the process as outlined. If the point of the various procedures is to process people legally into the country, does this work? I would say, ‘Yes’. So the process works.
But lets assume you also wanted the process to also be efficient - to process people with the least amount of work and as efficiently as practical. Maybe even take it a step farther, and be able to produce the maximum number of people processed in a given period of time. Does the system’s procedures and process do that.
Obviously the answer is, ‘No’ - Multiple lines, multiple entries of the data, hand written forms, etc. What this mini-analysis tells us is that the system as we have described it is ‘Process Oriented’ as opposed to ‘Product Oriented’. In laymen’s’ terms the system is designed to insure that all the squares get filled, all the ‘I’s get dotted and ‘T’s get crossed, and all the paperwork is straight. The ‘product’ – a processed tourist – is a secondary result of the procedures, and only if and when the process is completed properly.
A Comparative Look: To further illustrate the point, particularly as it applies to Americans, let’s use as our model what has taken place across the U.S. in just one big bureaucracy – Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Anyone over about 30 years of age can remember well the days when you would consider slitting your wrists rather than taking a trip to DMV. In fact they were so bad that there were intense political pressures brought to bear to ‘clean them up’ and that movement rolled across the U.S. over a period of about 15 years. And the experts that were brought in to look at the myriad of procedures, processes, testing, documentation requirements, etc., all came up with the same starting point for the fix. You have to make the DMV product oriented. What does that mean? The entire system, and everything and everyone in it, has to be convinced and dedicated to the idea that when Howdy Dowdy walks through that door to get his driver’s license renewed, that is the reason we are here! And we need to do it as quickly and efficiently as possible because Clarabelle the Clown will be following him in here in just a few minutes. Product orientation!
It is not by accident, therefore, that in modern DMV’s you are flooded with information – no more sitting around wondering what is going on. Someone at an information desk explains the process and gives you some forms (including a form outlining what the clerk just explained), and gives you ‘your number’. There are both visual signs and PA announcements posting the numbers, thereby telling you where you stand in the process. Most of the processing is done out in sight (you can actually see the guy two ahead of you getting his license because he doesn’t go in another room). All of this designed to get you in/out and make sure you can see the progress. Product orientation, and by default, customer orientation!
Back In Panama: So let’s put a good example out and you tell me what you think would be the reaction:
- In our U.S. DMV, a new political appointee takes over the system and decides there are too many misspellings coming out on DMV documents and as a result no product will be given to the customer until an additional management check have been done. In addition, his analysis shows that under normal workloads this requirement will only add about 15 minutes to the process. Do you think the ‘new boss’ would have a revolt on his hands from his staff?
- In our Paso Canoas Immigration office, the new political appointee decides he will bring in another person who will be responsible to check the paperwork on each and every process for accuracy, and then make out a form authorizing the immigration officer to stamp the person’s passport. He estimates under normal circumstances it will only add 15 minutes to the process. Do you think the ‘new boss’ would have a revolt on his hands from his staff?
Summarizing 'The Attitude' And Government Agencies: What I am surmising, and I think you would agree, is that the reaction of these two groups would probably be exact opposites. I can see the Panamanian clerks shrugging and penciling in a step on a checklist. The difference of course is orientation - orientation of both the different systems and the atttudes of the people operating in them. A difference in the importance and relevance of the product. An oblique interest in the individual and his well-being. An concern about the customer!
For the most part I think most ex-pats would agree that our immigration example is fairly representative of government agencies in general. I doubt that very many folks can come up with any government agency that they look forward to dealing with. And I am not naive enough to think that we are all going out and change the entire system. So what is the point of all of this?
Well earlier we pretty much decided that on an individual basis we are not going to make the average Panamanian suddenly become very concerned about whether their car horn honking bothers us. Is there any logical reason to assume that dealing with government agencies is different?
First off, to the degree we can it is incumbent on us to know the system. All we can really do is make sure we have done our homework. What is going to happen and what is supposed to get done in this office. And then show up at the agency with all those things that are required of you. And be prepared to gut it out. And if you haven’t figured it out yet, sitting there sighing or scowling does not make people anywhere more responsive and efficient!
A Panama Primer (To Be Continued)
Coming Next:
- ‘The Attitude’ And Business Impacts
- ‘The Attitude’ And A Developing Economy
Till Next Time. Pura Vida.