To put it in a nutshell, a desk file is to spell out the tasks, functions and responsibility of an individual officer/staff while a work procedure manual is to document the work flow and output of a department or agency. Together with flow charts, they are supposed to provide clarity and enhance efficiency in the civil service. These documents spell out not only the tasks to be performed but also the time needed to complete the tasks.
From my experience, the challenge is in writing a “proper” desk file and manual. If we are not careful, there is a real danger of documenting the “activities” rather than “outputs” of each individual or department.
This is especially so when the civil service is bloated and when we have too many departments and agencies that are performing overlapping, or even duplicative, functions. On the surface, each department or agency will have its own desk files, manuals and flow charts, but the tasks being performed are essentially redundant and unproductive.
To be fair, desk files and work procedure manuals do help to enhance skill and knowledge among civil servants. If timeframes to complete certain tasks and processes are included in the desk files and manuals, the effort can help to reduce deliberate delay due to attempt to solicit bribes.
However, desk files and manuals can’t really help much in resolving the problems of over-staffing and duplication. Many departments and agencies are able to justify their own existence by producing elaborate desk files and long manuals even though they are performing unnecessary, overlapping or duplicative functions. Each of these functions inevitably causes delay.
For desk files and manuals to work effectively, we must first overcome overstaffing, redundancy and duplication in the civil service. For this, we need reorganisation, redeployment, privatisation or even a voluntary separation scheme which, to me, are much more daunting.
Only a lean and mean civil service will be able to cut bureaucratic red tape.
T K Chua is a FMT reader
The views expressed by the writer do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.