(no subject)

[botias]

There are definitely some frustrating differences between the public and private sectors. I really wish I had not come here from a database company. One difference is capital investment. In the public sector this is clearly done when it absolutely must and not one second before as there is no real incentive for increased productivity. It’s not like it’s going to make any difference in your market share. We have the most archaic and clunky computer system, and that’s the new one. If there are any built-in checks I don’t know about them yet. There are no proofing reports, no screens specifically designed to facilitate certain procedures. In the old system totals, were not calculated by the system, but were calculated by hand and input for each month. I found that most of the accounts had small adding errors in the particular area that I was working on. Lesson: calculate this stuff yourself for this government stuff, you never know how crappy the system is that the ‘pros’ are using. Next time I get a Social Security statement I’m going to compare their totals to my tax return. Working in a database company had given me a false sense of security, (which it ought not have as I knew all the fudging that we got up to) ‘cause we had proofing reports and cross-checks galore. They do try here, but there is not nearly that kind of efficiency and the situations tend to be much more complex and the state changes the rules on them about every six months.

Comments

[elynne.livejournal.com]

Yyyyyyyep. They can't get more up-to-date systems (and programs, and training) because the budget only allows for so much, and usually doesn't cover any kind of reasonable upgrade. violetvixen is working for the local housing authority, and has been under a lot of stress lately because some regulations on lead-based paint changed recently - and there was only one person in the department who could bullshit his way through them like he knew what he was talking about, and he got laid off. So now she's going through the housing regulations manual (which is IIRC five hundred pages - or maybe that was just one volume), trying to find the rules about lead-based paint so she can answer the questions from landlords who can't get payments, and tenants desperately seeking someplace to live. :P