Development Research Under Attack by Administrators

While submitting the proposal for consultancy or research one need to be very careful while submitting by mail. The finance proposal should be submitted in a password protected file & the key be given only after getting technically qualified. Most of the organizations are honest & transparent but some one (not all) in the organization may play mischief. Secondly the financial proposal if given in advance influences the technical proposal. Now a days few International Agencies have become particular for pass word protected file. They ask the key only after technical evaluation.

A few times I got response from the client international agency the responses like " you were among 3 but your budget was higher than the organization planned for". If so they should have told in advance. The TOR will ask for the best approach & best technical inputs. But while evaluating at the end it is the price which over rides the quality though every one will talk of QCBS. Those who are successful in creating a quality camouflage (hidden the lowest price) with the race. The assessment of quality is much later stage. The first stage is to get the assignment.  "Bhale hi Pitaji ki patloon ek -ek bilant kam karte karte ghutanna ban jaye"  who cares? These are the persons who will always put the blame on consultants & researchers for ineffectiveness & accuracy.

When competition becomes tough & weaker competitors are brought at the same plane. Then price becomes the selection criteria. Under such situations the bidders become very violent in approach.  Rationality in financial bidding becomes secondary. Primary becomes the lowest price bidding. The bidder then decides on the price only for  that output  which is easily visible to the client. Thus the one who is smart in increasing the invisible output wins the race. All winners  have one thing in common that hide the output as much as possible. This formula is applied for those services where validating becomes costlier than production cost such as market research or social science research. If some one wants remain in such business then he should understand this formula. This type of corruption no one will catch as the client is party in inducing the price cuts saying " Master Ji Pitaji ki Patloon ek bilont chhoti kar do". Master becomes master in cutting the price and makes the pant as "Ghutanna".

Over Security without provisions for eventuality disables best inputs

Innovative technology & digitization has tremendous potential for enhancing transparency in the governance. But it does not mean people should not allow the learners an adequate space. We wished to get us  registered with one of e-tendering site after purchasing digital signature. But the technology adopted by the agency was so tedious along with playing with internet browser. It took longtime to get registered. Where as other systems like airline booking or even train booking are easy to register.

The technology needs to be user friendly by making security provisions at the end of the service providers rather than security provisions at user end.
The issue to be pondered is whether technology be user friendly or user be technology friendly?

Why Indian Government Servant is scared of making decisions

If a person has filled up his pitcher of performance by in-competencies, mistakes, faults, errors & corrupt practices but not exposed, he will not take any decision what ever right it may be because of the fear if caught even for very small mistake/ lapse his full pitcher  will be exposed and he will be punished. Those who are courageous,  they take decisions & do wonders.
A person left with 1-2 years for his retirement, he will never take courageous decisions with the fear that his pension will be affected what ever urgent or important the decision may be. Personal life is more important than the development of the country. India very badly needs revolution to come out of this slave mentality.
One should believe in God & should always rember that a decision taken in right spirit will always get a savior how ever late it may be.  

Symptoms of Weak Bureacracy

When a bureaucrat decides to be stray or arrogant or monarch and the Chief of the team is unable to make him realise so then make sure the organization will doom in spirit but will survive in shameless condition. This condition will continue until people support the cadre blindly but at the cost of the development of the country. 

Scope of Improvement in Development Project Managers

The project managers of development projects which belonging to category 2 ( Self Honest & considering all others as dishonest)  are more prone to be swayed away on hearsay about dishonesty issues of all others as they are always looking for the stories of dishonesty about others to elevate their opinion about themselves. This attitude is the most powerful tool to derail or retard the performance of the development programmes.

Self Proclaimed Honesty & Integrity the biggest enemy of development

The project managers of large development projects are IAS officers in India. These project managers can be grouped in main 4 categories. 1. Self honest & consider all others honest 2. Self honest & consider all others dishonest 3. Self dishonest & consider all others honest 4. Self dishonest & consider all others also dishonest. Out of the 4 the second one is found most inefficient & worst project directors because they detract & discourage even those who have capability to contribute in the development. The first category project directors are more successful  if they have capable stakeholders. Fourth category is the second worst. As a development workers one must be very careful of the secod category.