Improving File Processing in Govt Offices
Friends,
Below is a comprehensive review of Solutions, Root Causes and Issues with file processing in Govt Offices.
Kindly review and if you have anything additional, please add to the list. We will soon be putting together the whitepaper for submission to PMO and other stakeholders in the Govt.
File processing in Government offices – Solutions
1. All paper submissions/pending files should be fed into the systems
2. Electronic files should be created for new cases/projects
3. As soon as a case is fed into a system, it should automatically assign to the related officer
4. Every file should have an owner who should be held responsible for timely processing
5. The system should show the number of pending cases/files against each officer’s name, which should also be visible to their seniors including the Secretary and Minister
6. Each application should have a ‘maximum response time’ failing which the office should be made accountable
7. A week before a case file is to reach its ‘maximum response time’ limit, the system should start displaying an urgent message against it
8. Once a file/application is submitted, it should be made the offices’ responsibility to get back to the applicant
9. It should be made a rule that the files should be transferred to the second department on the same day as it is cleared from the first one
10. No file should move for more than 3 layers for decision
11. Timely file/case processing should be embedded into everyone’s KRA from Secretary to Clerk with different weightage
12. Efficiency and results should be made the key to performance appraisals
13. Proper pest control measures should be taken for the file storage rooms
14. Electronic tracking of files/cases should be enabled and in cases where the customer is a citizen/business, they should have a tracking number
15. A clear set of instructions should be issued from the offices for the documents required for each set of work
16. CCTV cameras should be installed in Government offices to keep an eye on the proceedings
17. Officers/peons caught taking bribes should be immediately suspended
18. Paperwork in Government offices should be reduced by replacing it with electronic communication and approvals
19. Employees should be periodically trained on using computers for their daily work.
File Processing in Government Offices – Root Causes
1. There is NO identified owner of the file within the Government department in most cases
2. There is NO “complete by” or “action by” date on the file and hence no urgency
3. No triggers/alerts are served to officers once a file has arrived in their office
4. No triggers/alerts are served to them if they have been sitting on a file for weeks or months
5. Processes in most Government offices have not been automated yet
6. Employees working there are not comfortable in using computers
7. Officers like to show off their importance and hence don’t let the file move
8. Employees intentionally stop the file process so that they could ask for bribes
9. Employees don’t want to take accountability of a case/file
10. There is no time bound decision making in Government offices
11. File rooms are more of dump yards where files get lost or damaged
12. Government employees oppose the computerization and its use as it will reduce the possibility of them getting bribes
13. There is an absence of a proper Performa
14. KRAs of the officers is not clearly defined and hence the file is pushed from one department to another
File processing in Government offices – Key Issues
1. A lot of paper work is put into files
2. Citizens or Businesses are called several times to complete paperwork
3. Most Government officers have a tendency to let files sit either because they want a bribe or they delay decision making
4. There is no owner of a citizen/business file once it is submitted to a Government office. Citizen/Business has to go chase it
5. File transfer takes a lot of time
6. Citizens/Businesses don’t hear from the department about their files for months
7. It is very hard to find files and peons/clerks want money from citizens/businesses to find their file
8. Files are put in the file room which has thousands of files with no easy identification
9. Files getting lost is a usual sight
10. Many times, files are damaged by rodents
11. The Government Officers struggle to find files in their own chamber/office
12. In most cases, electronic tracking of a file submitted to Government office is not available more
Below is a comprehensive review of Solutions, Root Causes and Issues with file processing in Govt Offices.
Kindly review and if you have anything additional, please add to the list. We will soon be putting together the whitepaper for submission to PMO and other stakeholders in the Govt.
File processing in Government offices – Solutions
1. All paper submissions/pending files should be fed into the systems
2. Electronic files should be created for new cases/projects
3. As soon as a case is fed into a system, it should automatically assign to the related officer
4. Every file should have an owner who should be held responsible for timely processing
5. The system should show the number of pending cases/files against each officer’s name, which should also be visible to their seniors including the Secretary and Minister
6. Each application should have a ‘maximum response time’ failing which the office should be made accountable
7. A week before a case file is to reach its ‘maximum response time’ limit, the system should start displaying an urgent message against it
8. Once a file/application is submitted, it should be made the offices’ responsibility to get back to the applicant
9. It should be made a rule that the files should be transferred to the second department on the same day as it is cleared from the first one
10. No file should move for more than 3 layers for decision
11. Timely file/case processing should be embedded into everyone’s KRA from Secretary to Clerk with different weightage
12. Efficiency and results should be made the key to performance appraisals
13. Proper pest control measures should be taken for the file storage rooms
14. Electronic tracking of files/cases should be enabled and in cases where the customer is a citizen/business, they should have a tracking number
15. A clear set of instructions should be issued from the offices for the documents required for each set of work
16. CCTV cameras should be installed in Government offices to keep an eye on the proceedings
17. Officers/peons caught taking bribes should be immediately suspended
18. Paperwork in Government offices should be reduced by replacing it with electronic communication and approvals
19. Employees should be periodically trained on using computers for their daily work.
File Processing in Government Offices – Root Causes
1. There is NO identified owner of the file within the Government department in most cases
2. There is NO “complete by” or “action by” date on the file and hence no urgency
3. No triggers/alerts are served to officers once a file has arrived in their office
4. No triggers/alerts are served to them if they have been sitting on a file for weeks or months
5. Processes in most Government offices have not been automated yet
6. Employees working there are not comfortable in using computers
7. Officers like to show off their importance and hence don’t let the file move
8. Employees intentionally stop the file process so that they could ask for bribes
9. Employees don’t want to take accountability of a case/file
10. There is no time bound decision making in Government offices
11. File rooms are more of dump yards where files get lost or damaged
12. Government employees oppose the computerization and its use as it will reduce the possibility of them getting bribes
13. There is an absence of a proper Performa
14. KRAs of the officers is not clearly defined and hence the file is pushed from one department to another
File processing in Government offices – Key Issues
1. A lot of paper work is put into files
2. Citizens or Businesses are called several times to complete paperwork
3. Most Government officers have a tendency to let files sit either because they want a bribe or they delay decision making
4. There is no owner of a citizen/business file once it is submitted to a Government office. Citizen/Business has to go chase it
5. File transfer takes a lot of time
6. Citizens/Businesses don’t hear from the department about their files for months
7. It is very hard to find files and peons/clerks want money from citizens/businesses to find their file
8. Files are put in the file room which has thousands of files with no easy identification
9. Files getting lost is a usual sight
10. Many times, files are damaged by rodents
11. The Government Officers struggle to find files in their own chamber/office
12. In most cases, electronic tracking of a file submitted to Government office is not available more
Viewed by 8869
View all 84 comments Below 84 comments
Pertaining to "Improving File Processing in Govt Offices", A very good work seems to have done. Many of the points have been covered without a loop hole... People would also be interested to know what actions can be taken against the concerned officers if the alerts pop up after after ‘maximum response time’ laps / no action is taken by officer.. Can these officers be suspended OR their promotions / increments be withheld for a period of two years against each mistake like this. Pertaining the bribery, there is no FEAR...as they know that shelling out some part out of it & they will come out clean..even if the officer is suspended, he gets the part of the salary... There should be enormous financial fear so that no one can dare...can the officer be made to pay back the full salary to his department till the time of his suspension period sealing all his bank accounts rather that he receiving part of the salary ? Upon having found guilty, he is of no use for the government(s) who have taken so much efforts/ time & money to train the officer(s) to perform the respective job/duty with utmost responsibility... Having found guilty by court of law can the officer be made to reimburse the scam/bribery amount 10 times more over a penalty with an interest @ 24% for the duration of the court proceedings. These kind of actions against the officer(s) having found guilty in a bribery case would refrain them to stay away from all this and pay attention to perform their duties they have been appointed for. In case of ministers, rules should be 100 times harder...the minister should not remain eligible to even contest any kind of election from any of the constituencies across the country even if found to be suspicious.. The government should bring in that sense of responsibility and value addition to perform with highest integrity and also a fear if not done so.... more
May 27
TCS/Infosys can write a software to replace all bureaucrats. It will be better, faster and much much cheaper. India will become a developed country in no time. more
May 27
Ex Beurocrats Secratry Har department Ex Honesto ki Commeti banaye Sujavo ke liye .Vo hi sahi salah sahi de sakte h . Gram city State Center me ho .Retired Logo ki sea honrary govt sewa le.Honrary mandhan bhi de .Coa ching ya SCHOOL college ek hi ho .Attendance 90% ho .School college me .Har District hospital ko medical college state /centere ki madad se turant khol sakte h .Kam kharch par turant suru kar sakte h . more
May 27
Their appears to be lack of willingness to expedite file processing. Several Root Causes and key issues involved have been mentioned. Same system may not work in all Govt. offices. Strict discipline is the need of the hour. Target setting, daily monitoring, corrective action and periodic revisit to the approved system, if implemented rigorously, can possibly bring better results. Re-engineering is most important. more
May 14
Improving file processing in govt offices is the need of India. main reason of corruption in India is file processing system. individual has to go pillar to pillar for clearance of his file and he never knows whether his file will be cleared from all prospect or not. private persons/ enterpeneour has to give file for clearance to a particular person in a particular office and it should be duty of that person to clear his file in a fixed prescribed period from all the concerned person / authority.. receipt should be given for receiving of the file. if there is any deficiency in the file, a deficiency memo should be given to the individual within a prescribed period and after clearance of that all deficiency, his file should be clear without any further deficiency memo/objection. More emphasis should be given for online system as well as of singgle window system in each deptt. May 8 (5 days ago) more
May 13
