Are They Qualified?
// January 12th, 2009 // Pakistan
Talk about a PhD doctor performing brain surgery. This is precisely what is happening in Pakistan. Unfortunately the condition is worse, the surgeon in question here isn’t even a PhD doctor. Perhaps, the doctor is totally uneducated and illiterate.
When any of us apply for a job, the first question to consider is whether the job is suitable for us or not. Obviously holding a degree in electronics engineering I cannot go for a job in structures and construction. Even if I do apply, there is no way of getting accepted.
This makes me wonder what exactly is the criteria for the ministers. Take an example, Raja Pervez Ashraf, the minister for Power and Electricity holds a bachelors degree in an unknown discipline (law is the popular guess). With that knowledge and background, how can he even claim to root out loadshedding in one year? The man has an agricultural background and should know that electricity doesn’t grow on trees. It sounds almost comical when he makes those claims. There is a counter argument that it is not his fault because this is what his team tells him, most of whom are assumed to be qualified in the relevant field. Now this argument doesn’t hold because the team leader should have the knowledge (even if he doesn’t do the work) so that the members of his team are not able to deceive him.
Another example is Makhdoom Amin Fahim, holding a degree in political science and leading the critical ministry of commerce.
Doing a google search to find the profile of all the ministers listed here, it turns out that more than 70% are not qualified for the sector they are currently looking after it.
So what, exactly, are the criteria for grabbing those ministries? Apparently one or more of the following:
- Number of years spent in jail.
- Personal relations with Asif Zardari.
- Jiyala-pan.
- Potential to extract money and ruin the sector instead of improving it.
Can you think of any more?
Surely, with such people leading the important sectors, it is not a surprise that we are not progressing. The claims of global crisis and financial issues are just the reasons used to hide the real facts. We know that where there is a will, there is a way. But there is no way here, because there is no will (except Benazir’s will).
18 Responses to “Are They Qualified?”
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Potential of toppling a government might be a factor,
Some mutual secrets may be another reason.
If ur research is valid then i think 30% ppl who are qualified might be the reason why pakistan is still here
Yeah, they intend to cut out separate paths for rivers, build dams on the old ones, install turbines, generators and transformer stations, bring the river back to it’s old course all in the span of one month. That’s a complete power generation and transmission system we’re talking about here. Bloody morons!
Heck I don’t even think the guys on that moron’s team are qualified for their jobs!
@Awais: Family may be one too
@SAWJ: Exactly. Now why doesn’t those all-powerful media men question the ministers on this?? I bet they don’t even know the complete generation and distribution process.
now wat was the criteria to choose the president in the first place? obviously, his team comes much later.
One question: Why is the ad in your header going to Japan?
going to Japan? :S
* Number of years spent in jail.
* Personal relations with Asif Zardari.
I think the first two should do. Baqee kisi cheez ki zaroorat naheen
you should read yasir lateef hamdani’s write up on how great zardari is as a president at Pak Tea House, it will make you wonder what Pakistan does mr Hamdani lives in.
Well your counter argument is not very solid. The sad fact of the matter is that it is highly likely that even in big profitable organizations, at some point high enough in the hierarchy it is the non-technical managers who get to lead the ‘team-leads’ of technical groups. Just remember how many times Bill gates and Steve jobs have announced and introduced the up and the coming products despite not knowing more than a zilch of how it is or going to be done. Think raja parvez ashraf to be working in that capacity too : )
With that said, down with Pee-Pee-Pee!
Bill Gates actually proved his worth before being on top. I have never heard about a technical project team leader with a non-technical background.
But why do we think that a cabinet minister must necessary be a ‘technical’ team-lead. He could well be in charge of other team-leads who are actually the ones responsible for executing projects. I personally don’t find a great anomaly in there. And Bill gates might have proven his worth a couple of decades ago but as far as I know, he has been doing pure business management through out his tenure as microsoft’s COE. Another case in hand is the present CEO Steve Ballmer. Check out his career path, if it piques your curiosity.
Nevertheless, I personally do favour someone with a technical grasp to be in place instead of raja parvez, who apparently doesn’t know anything about anything. But the point is that our experimentation with different organizational structures specifically during the past half century suggests that perspicacity, dedication and sincerity matter a lot more than mere technical expertise for the person at the top.
You have answered yourself here. Now assume that Raja Pervez Ashraf has a team of qualified techies. In case they;re bluffing him, how is he going to know? I’m not asking for a PhD qualification, but he should be knowledgeable in his own ministry.
Why have Shaukat Tareen for finance then? Will Sherry Rehman be able to head it?
The example of Steve Ballmer doesn’t fit in because he is required to manage something that is already so great. Also, he is like the PM of his organization who is required to have managerial skills. But on Ballmer’s team, the leaders/heads of different departments (analogous to ministers) will definitely be qualified in their respective fields.
Under normal circumstances, he is going to know the same way as the Intel’s CEO can know that his research team has been bluffing him all along by claiming to have developed 45nm fab.
The example of finance ministry doesn’t really counter my proposition. I am saying that cabinet ministers don’t necessary have to be technocrats and not that they necessarily have not to be a technocrat. In some cases, it is imperative as in finance ministry since the person responsible himself has to do a lot of thinking which cannot be just relegated to a technical team. But do you expect that someone in place of raja ashraf to actually go on the site and test against the benchmarks whether all the parameters of the generation plan have been met? At least I don’t. It might be a good skill for him to possess but that is in no way necessary.
And the example of Steve Ballmer does fit in. Just like him, our superman raja parvez ashraf can also be a PM of his organization which is beaming with highly qualified engineers and technicians : ) But of course I am not sure about the competence of his team.
I’m still unconvinced
BTW the 45nm claim is correct with its set of issues (that’s a completely different topic, which I love).
Why does finance minister have to a lot of thinking and power minister doesn’t?
Raja Ashraf will definitely not need to go and check at site. But he definitely gets reports, how can he verify the integrity of those reports??
Am I right to assume here that your point is that to lead ANY team, the head must have leadership qualities, and that should suffice?
Because ministry of finance, foreign affairs etc are ‘essentially’ like think tanks. And as a general statement, I doubt if we would find anywhere in the world a think tank working on, say public policy, but headed and led by someone who is a good PM but doesn’t know more than a tad about it. And I hope we recognize the distinction between think tanks and organizations of the other type.
I don’t mean that we have 45nm buzz without any issues. But that is not what I am highlighting, I want you to think how large is the possibility that intel’s CEO has been taken in on it? Is it because he knows inside out of the process and technology so he can verify, if the need be, everything on his own and that’s what keeps his researchers from bluffing?
About your specific example, raja ashraf or any head of that organization doesn’t need to verify anything by himself on a technical level. But he surely can know if the targets are being met, as the reports suggest, by seeing the output just like anyone else in the public. I would be surprised or shocked rather if he starts believing that power generation requirements of the country have been met while we are having load-shedding during winters.
And no your assumption about my opinion is not correct. I am against the idea that EVERY organization should be headed by someone specifically trained to do the business that organization deals in and as well as the proposition that a person with leadership skills is all we need to manage ANY organization. My opinion is that it is wrong to issue blanket statements and that we have enough working examples out there to think that the requirements for the top post can vary depending on the nature of organization under consideration.
About the Intel example, it will not be the CEO who will be aware of the ins and outs of the technology. But the section leader (analogous to minister), who reports to the CEO (analogous to PM) will be aware of the whole thing.
Raja Ashraf is a section head and not the head of an organization if you are comparing that.
Since you have stated your idea about the head of organizations, this is where we differ.
A power policy is some thing that cannot be made by someone with no knowledge of electricity and technology. If you say we have working examples of success, also look at the working examples of failures (they don’t work for that long and hence disappear).
I am unsure if this is an issue I would like to talk out to any length. I can carry on with this back and forth as to which analogy actually fits here or why should it sound so abnormal if a cabinet minister takes the role of a PM rather than a section head etc. But to what end? There are other more important issues to be resolved in this world and I should spare whatever left of my energy for that.
But your thoughts did enrich that of my own and you have my gratitude for that. Have a nice time!
In that case, good luck resolving world issues
A good page about Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, which is updated regularly.
http://www.wikimir.com/raja-pervaiz-ashraf
One can clearly see how many times this guy has just blurred out whatever comes first. This is the second time he has given a deadline for elimination of loadshedding.