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Bureaucracy ( where success is measured in how confidentially a PowerPoint can be presented and how well you can say "synergy" with a straight face ) can't desi

Bureaucracy ( where success is measured in how confidentially a PowerPoint can be presented and how well you can say "synergy" with a straight face ) can't design and manage software creation. This is not going to change because why would the bureaucrats give power to the technocrats? It's not like they're going bankrupt. Incompetent middle mangers, management by crisis of the month, accountants and contractors running the systems would mean bankruptcy in the business world. In government, it's more muddle to manage and "a budget increase would fix the problem".

mapgrep 13y ago
We know this is true because there's no bureaucracy whatsoever at Microsoft, Google, Oracle, or Apple. Or PowerPoint!
coldtea 13y ago
>Bureaucracy ( where success is measured in how confidentially a PowerPoint can be presented and how well you can say "synergy" with a straight face ) can't design and manage software creation. How's that different from the private sector? Note, I'm not asking if they differ in other stuff -- I'm asking what they do different regarding what you described above as a characteristic of government bureaucracy. >Incompetent middle mangers, management by crisis of the month, accountants and contractors running the systems would mean bankruptcy in the business world. Well, not in the financial sector and "too big to fail" corporations either. Or how about Detroit and it's bailout?
- Spooky23 13y ago
  The difference is the stakes to the employee. As a private-sector employee, unless you're committing fraud, you maximum consequence is termination. The government is different. Violating procurement rules is often a criminal act. So the civil servants build walls of process to protect themselves.
- pcurve 13y ago
  "How's that different from the private sector?" It's not. Large private sector companies make just as poor purchasing and sourcing decisions as the government.

mapgrep 13y ago

We know this is true because there's no bureaucracy whatsoever at Microsoft, Google, Oracle, or Apple. Or PowerPoint!

coldtea 13y ago

>Bureaucracy ( where success is measured in how confidentially a PowerPoint can be presented and how well you can say "synergy" with a straight face ) can't design and manage software creation. How's that different from the private sector? Note, I'm not asking if they differ in other stuff -- I'm asking what they do different regarding what you described above as a characteristic of government bureaucracy. >Incompetent middle mangers, management by crisis of the month, accountants and contractors running the systems would mean bankruptcy in the business world. Well, not in the financial sector and "too big to fail" corporations either. Or how about Detroit and it's bailout?

Spooky23 13y ago
The difference is the stakes to the employee. As a private-sector employee, unless you're committing fraud, you maximum consequence is termination. The government is different. Violating procurement rules is often a criminal act. So the civil servants build walls of process to protect themselves.
pcurve 13y ago
"How's that different from the private sector?" It's not. Large private sector companies make just as poor purchasing and sourcing decisions as the government.