Do it yourself: Avoid the agent
Someone once said, “If you want a thing well done, do it yourself”.
In most cases we might be inclined to agree, often micromanaging our tasks, and sometimes even those delegated to others! We are capable of leading teams, taking ownership and driving ourselves to achieve outstanding results.
But when faced with governmental processes, official departments and lethargic, indifferent officers in any institution – corporate, government or otherwise why is our first option, “Do you know someone who can get this done?”
So what is it that stops us from attempting to take it on ourselves? Is it time? (A valuable, and extremely precious commodity for most of us these days). Is it lack of knowledge or confidence? Or just an unwillingness to navigate corridors, get bounced about from desk to desk, and be forced to engage in inappropriate transactions?
Most often, we just want to ‘get it done’. So eventually, we get someone else to do it and factor in not just the mandatory payments but also the `under the table’ transactions and the highly inflated tout’s fee. In this way, we officially get on the bribe train.
The third in the series of ipaidabribe’s ten commandments on how to avoid paying a bribe encourages us to just `do it ourselves’. Here’s what one of our users who did this, had to say:
"I did not pay a single rupee as a bribe to the RTO. It is a myth that by going through a middleman one can get his/her licence easily. When I gave my licence test for the two-wheeler way back in 1994, I did not go through any agent. I applied directly with the RTO for the test date and on the test date I took my vehicle along with the required documents. After the test, the RTO asked me what mistakes I had made with my driving. I said, I just didn't indicate the signal to stop. That’s it. I was issued the licence.”
Now, for this to work effectively, let’s take a few leaves taken out of the books of DIY experts. Even if the advice is actually meant for those who have never painted a wall, upholstered a chair or built a shelf before, these DIY points are still relevant to all of us intending to avoid the agent and get it done ourselves.
- Start small – this translates into choosing a task you can achieve. This could be getting your driver’s license or passport renewal to begin with. The important thing is that you have chosen to take it on yourself to engage with the department and get it done. You can handle the more complex issues when you are truly ready. You are now good to go!
- Do your homework – ‘This is the second commandment from ipaidabribe’. Ask around a bit, figure out what you have to do, check websites for FAQs, rules and regulations, citizen’s charters and so on. Understand the process. Get suggestions from friends or those who know. Make a checklist for yourself. Make plans. Organise your time once you have understood the process end to end.
- Don’t worry about being perfect – making small mistakes is fine. You might have to run around a little, but you would have learnt a lot, made a few contacts, and got an official phone number to dial immediately next time round. Most importantly, you have made inroads into the incomprehensible world of government processes. Congratulations. So far so good.
“Many people came to me when i went to the RTO office assuring me they could get me my DL before the actual process time (One month). I disagreed with everyone (agents) who came to me for the same reason. I thought I would get my DL myself and by doing that will try to know what the government procedures are in practice. It took me almost two months to get my DL finally. I did fail in the DL twice but i finally cleared it. May be if i had bribed the officers, I would have passed in my first attempt. But i have not encouraged bribing till date no matter what the situation is. I know these are very small topics when it comes to bribing or corruption but we call can make up our minds not to bribe any government official. By doing this even they will stop expecting bribes form people and start working as expected." – ‘I did not have to pay a bribe’ report on ipaidabribe.com
- Get the right tools - Now it’s time to look at the little details. Have you got your paperwork and duplicate documents in place, deadlines clear, payments and places to make them on your checklist? If you can’t speak the language, plan to take someone along who can.
- Be confident -- After all the work you have done, it is impossible not to be anything but confident. You have knowledge on your side.
Now imagine this scenario:
You walk confidently into the office. The agent looks at your papers and tells you that they are incomplete. You pull out your checklist and inform him that everything is in place. He then asks you for a bribe saying it will take a long time to get it done. The Citizen’s Charter has already told you how long it will take, so you refuse to pay and insist that it be done within the mandated times frame. You also know the officers above him, and tell him that you are going to escalate the issue or report it if he takes money for doing his job. You are polite, firm and confident. Your knowledge of the process comes through as you run him through them. He just might realise that he cannot take you for a ride. He asks you to come back tomorrow and pick up the document. You have won.
In exceptional circumstances and bigger battles, the odds might be stacked against you. But even at this point, do remember that every victory counts, no matter how small it is. You will never know if you can, unless you try.