Where will the reforms begin

In fact, if you turn off the emotional sphere, which is not very useful for a journalist, but sometimes strictly necessary for the harsh theory and practice of public administration, then the situation that has developed now in the flood regions of Siberia and the Far East is also extremely important as almost a "full-scale experiment." Complicated and sometimes tragic, but extremely useful, including for further study: in fact, we are dealing with a kind of crash test for, albeit at the regional level, the country's management system.

However, let's take it in order.

At a meeting on flood management in the Irkutsk Region and the Far East on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin was, to put it mildly, not very affectionate with his subordinates. And, that rare case, not because they work so badly: frankly, against the general background on this subject, managers just work more or less well.

Alas, for these specific conditions they work pretty well, but not good enough: and this is not verbal balancing act, but the harsh truth of system testing. No matter how good you are, from an everyday point of view, you work, no matter how hard you turn, but if you and your “system” cannot trivially cope with the challenges formulated by the crisis (sometimes even artificial, but not in this particular case), you, together with this system, are simply unsuitable for use and you have a place in the trash. It may sound harsh and even cruel, but for that, ideally, a crash test is carried out: it’s natural that under such conditions, and under such supervision, and not only the presidential, but also the media accompanying it, all problems and bottlenecks in flood regions, sorry for the involuntary pun, are somehow especially convexly visible.

And there are, unfortunately, a lot of them.

And it’s probably not worth trying to talk about the main bottleneck of what’s happening, the president himself: “I know what I want to pay attention to: of course, there are always a lot of questions when working with people. I will not comment on all these issues right now. But if we do not work with people soul and heart, there will be no result. ” And this, keep in mind - this is not about an abstract humanitarian desire. And about a very specific and completely rational managerial direction. For “if there is no such inner mood for individual work with each person, then, then, those who cannot build their work with people like that have not got there. We need to do other work, ”Putin told interested parties. And this, as it seems to us, is very somehow unpleasant when a person who is looking at you directly enough in person is actually looking directly into his eyes and says such things.

Once again: this is not about the humanitarian categories.

This is about the formulation of specific management tasks: did not manage - sorry.

At a minimum - look for another job.

As a maximum, we are humane people and it is better not to mention “repressions” at all.

But in general, if we talk about the actual state of things, then the conclusions here can be very diverse. From very disappointing to moderately if not positive, then quite what is called workers.

First and foremost: it is obvious that a system “on the ground” without the direct and harsh intervention of the federal authorities would confidently and stubbornly lead a difficult but completely predictable situation in our geographical realities to a real catastrophe. And this means the following: the management system “on the ground” starting from some “crisis moment” turned out to be simply banal incapacitated at the level of “recruit by announcement”, it simply does not work stupidly under certain circumstances. And, therefore, it should be radically reformed: because the car can have the coolest design, a very beautiful driver of any gender and age can sit behind the wheel, but if this iron shit doesn’t go banally, then in any case it’s nobody in FIG need not.

The second conclusion is moderately positive: the qualified intervention of the federal government allowed not only to localize a very serious problem, which was actually in the competence of a completely different level of authorities. But also, as they say, to reverse the trend: yes, with a terrible amount of flaws, yes, which, alas, it is true, with the same complaints - of an entirely existential, by the way, character, from the section "on the nature of power" - which were voiced by the president.

But in general - the situation is quite what is called a working situation.

There are problems - these problems are solved.

Or they don’t make up their minds, and then they are simply made to decide.

Sometimes even tough.

And for me, over the long years of journalistic practice, I’m almost used to the fact that our problems are more often systematically chattered than solved, this is the main positive result. And this is one of the reasons why we simply do not have the right not to treat what is happening as the crash test itself, which allows us to research and build social and managerial technologies that are adequate to non-general ideas about the “principles of democracy” and other things “for all the good and against all that is bad ”, but real human life in a real country inhabited by us.

Just because this is the real simulation of the future. And it doesn’t take place at the rallies, especially when the protesters simply stupidly have no program other than a negative one. Real modeling of the future is taking place, I apologize for some tautology, exclusively on real-life crisis situations, if the experience of overcoming them, of course, is rethought and studied.

Here, in this case, I also want to believe that the current difficult experience of overcoming the crisis in flood regions, with the punishment and encouragement of those involved, and most importantly, with the generalization and analysis of this experience as technology that will form the basis of regional governance reforms, will otherwise meaningful.

It’s not just that Putin goes there, to these same flood regions, already in fact with the regularity of a regular inspecting official. Yes, and at all kinds of events in the capital, as they say, also does not leave the question.

And - yes, this is now a matter of truly national importance.

Including from the point of view of developing a new system of relations between citizens and representatives of regional, and not only authorities. From this point of view, underestimating the importance of such crash tests here is at least just not respecting ourselves. For if it’s not possible to learn from someone else’s experience, it makes sense to at least do it, albeit bitterly, but on your own.

And if you and I are all together - not only regional authorities, the government - but also the media, and just, excuse me, then the most notorious civil society, which is talked about so much and which, in fact, is an association of citizens, but not a flock of meaningless shkolota in the square, if we don’t do it, it’s worth thinking hard. Because the change of trend from the "management of elite minorities" to "power for the people" is no longer a slogan, but a specific social technology. Stupidly necessary to ensure that the management machine again normally "rode" even in critical situations. And “power for the people,” which Putin again spoke about in relation to the situation in the flood regions, is one of the vital elements of the architecture of our common future. And it’s just in our, not in some abstract, but quite specific everyday interests.

And the cruel, so-and-so, crash test showed it with all the clarity.

This is somehow very stupid not to understand. And the author of these lines is not very clear why this is time after time, speaking to his own subordinates, the president is forced to repeat again and again.

The author’s point of view may not coincide with the position of the publisher.