Is Zen Bureaucracy an Oxymoron?
Is the use of Information Technology by Government Bureaucracies Consistent with the Zen Concept of Simplicity?
Bureaucracies could learn from the Zen principle of simplicity. They have the incredible ability to add complexity to people’s lives: confusing them, cluttering their minds, and raising their anxieties. Simple, targeted, non-cluttered communication could greatly improve the quality of the interactions between citizens and bureaucracies. An extreme story of bureaucratic clutter illustrates this.
My mother, when she was alive, believed in and relied on the Social Security Administration. After all, it serviced the largest constituency of U. S. citizens of any Federal government bureaucracy. For a senior citizen who had directly experienced the Great Depression, SSA created the safety net that protected them from the ignominious experiences of the Depression. However, before my mother qualified for benefits she had no idea of how much anxiety would accompany those benefits or how information technology would extend SSA’s ability to generate anxiety. Obviously SSA did not understand the Zen principle of simplicity.
Like most federal bureaucracies one of SSA’s important tasks was to disseminate information to recipients about the benefits they were or would be receiving from the Social Security system. After SSA personnel became accustomed to whirring tape drives, clacking card readers and printers it realized how computers could enlarge its capacity to communicate with beneficiaries. It could spew out more notices in one night than it previously sent out in a month. All of a sudden by pushing a few buttons SSA could send out notices to millions of senior citizens which carried legends in bold letters saying things like “Legally Important Message – Read this immediately to avoid losing your benefits.” Notices went on to say how “the name of subpart (i) of Part 225 of Article VIII had been changed and after February 15th the name would be ….” Most recipients had no idea about what the name of Article VIII was or how it affected their entitlement. In fact the vast majority of the notices did not affect anyone’s benefits but they generated enormous anxiety.
I developed the routine of calling my mother once a week to hear and interpret all the SSA notices she had received since our last conversation. When I explained that this or that notice did not affect her continuing to receive her benefits I could hear the relief. When I contacted SSA and explained the problems they were creating, I was informed the law required the notice to be sent to anyone “who might be” affected and that the computer sent the message to all or none. There were no other options. When I suggested that a simple computer analysis of recipients’ records would save paper, money and my mother’s anxiety, I was informed that such analysis could not be done because only the mailing records were on the computer. Since the manual process for sending out notices had been dismantled notices were sent to all or none. Even today only a few governmental agencies receive a “C” grade for their implementation of egovernment. Most grades are “D” and below.
Bill Fenwick
Intrigued by your blog….
Would love to understand the zen principles you list in greater detail to be able to appreciate their Valley implications.
Maybe you can start a blog on “Zen basics and how to translate them ….”
Good luck!