The third and final discussion group was held on October, 20th, 2020 in digital mode on ZOOM, in compliance with the restrictions of the anti-Covid DPCM. Online were 12 participants including members of the Impact Hub Syracuse team, the team of the Office Comune dei Popoli, representatives of migrant communities and of public and private institutions.
PEOPLE AS A RESOURCE: BEYOND BUROCRACY
The aim of this third meeting was to understand how to enhance skills and capabilities of human resources and turn them into a key resource in service delivery. The reflection started from bureaucracy, from how much, with its rules and protocols, it takes us away from the dimension of solidarity and how much it may instead affect the attempt to modify schemes created by bureaucracy. The need to simplify the accessibility of services and rediscover the most useful and functional aspects of bureaucracy has emerged. For example, by accelerating the digitalisation process, limiting the use of paper and forms but also, through the enhancement of the role of the public operator as a mediator towards simpler procedures. All of this may be achieved through processes and moments of support, and through training courses for the acquisition of specific skills.
THE IMPORTANCE OF VALUING HUMAN RESOURCES
Apart from different kind of difficulties, there are dimensions of cultural and human mediation that may help us to improve things. Facilitating a process of understanding, for the benefit of the operator and the final user would save energy and enhance the use of human resources. Giving more space for manoeuvre to the counter operators (who certainly know better the problems of the users thanks to their continuous relationship with the public), and eliminating the complex bureaucratic rigidity, would favour the semplification of procedures and improve the self-esteem and gratification of the person providing the service.