A follow-up exploration of engineering thinking applied to governance Introduction - Ngaphandle kweCode Kule nqakraza yam ezidlulileyo, ndandisa njani iingcali zibonisa ngokufanayo, ngoko ke sinxulumene iinkcukacha kunye ne-rigidity ephakamileyo, kunye ne-empirical testing, kunye ne-focus engaphakathi kwimfuneko esebenza ngokwenene. Kodwa yintoni xa i-engineering thinking ayifumaneka kwi-building ye-software okanye i-hardware? Yintoni ke xa umntu isetyenzise iingcali ephakamileyo kwi-building ye-nation? Lee Kuan Yew kwakhona. Nangona abaninzi nathi iinkonzo, i-API, okanye i-infrastructure, uLee Kuan Yew wayengcali iinkonzo yelizwe. Kwaye uye yenza ngexesha elifanayo leyo yenza iinkonzo ezininzi ezininzi, i-empiricism kwi-ideology, iziphumo kwi-retoric, kunye ne-reality kwi-wishes. I-Engineering Mindset ezisetyenziselwa Ukwakhiwa Kwamanzi Define the Constraints Zonke iiprojekthi zobuchwepheshe zifumaneka kwiingcebiso zokufumana. Lee Kuan Yew uxhomekeka kwiingcebiso ezibonisa ukuba iingcebiso zeengcali ze-startup ziyafumaneka ezincinane: I-Island ye-Zero Natural Resources Ayikho isakhiwo esebenzayo Imizila ezimbini Izakhiwo ezininzi ze-ethnic (i-Chinese, i-Malaysia, i-Indian populations) Akukho isiseko zezimboni I-Malaria swamp e-region ebonakalayo kumnandi Zero inkxaso okanye ukuxhaswa ngamazwe Iimpawu ezininzi ziyafumaneka. U-Lee Kuan Yew uqhagamshelane ngeenxa Ndiyathanda ukuba usebenza. requirements specification Ukucinga into efanelekileyo kwindawo ezahlukeneyo Njengomnye onjiniyela efanelekileyo, waza wabelane umzila. Wabelana izixazululo ezikhoyo: Umgangatho kunye ne-precision yaseSwitzerland I-Japan Efficiency and Work Ethics I-Israel defense strategy for small nations with hostile neighbors Izixhobo ze-European Small Countries zokusebenza kwihlabathi ngaphandle kweengxaki ze-size Waya ehlabathini ngaphandle kwe-tourist, kodwa njenge-systems analyst, ukuguqulwa iimodeli ezifanelekileyo kunye nokufumana iimodeli ezinokufanelekileyo. Ukulungiselela kunye nokuVula Ukusuka kwinkcukacha zayo njengomngcali we-free njengomngcali we-free kunye ne-open-source, apha i-Lee Kuan Yew ibonise i-geny yokweneneyo yokweneneyo, ngoko ke akuyona akuyona kuphela, akuyona. Ngokutsho kwe-Singapore. forked and modified : Uhlalutyo iiholide ezisebenzayo ehlabathini lonke, ke waye waya enye ebizwa phakathi kweiholide ezininzi ehlabathini. Port Infrastructure : I-Analyzed i-airports best, emva kokuba i-engineered ye-airports eyenziwe ngempumelelo kwi-# 1 ehlabathini. Changi Airport : Zifunyenwe iinkqubo ezisetyenzisiweyo zokuhamba, ke ziye ziye ziye zibonise izixeko ezininzi kunye nezinto ezininzi. Public Transportation Iintlobo ezijoliswe, izixeko zihlanganisa ngokuqhelekileyo xa Singapore yaba enye kwiizixeko ezininzi ezininzi. Urban Planning I-magic ayikho ekubeni iimpawu ezintsha. I-magic yaba ekubeni . Most leaders have visions. Few have the discipline to implement them without compromise. execution Iimpawu ze-Core Engineering kwi-Action 1. Ukufumana Incentive (The Real API) Iingcali ziyazi ukuba izisombululo zayo zokusebenza ngokutsho iinkqubo zayo zokusebenza, akukho ngokutsho into ethu. Lee Kuan Yew wafumana oku kwinqanaba ye-molecular. I-Singapore yaba inkcubeko esikhulu. Ngaphandle kokuchofoza kwezemfundo okanye ukwakha iinkombiso, iye yenza iingcebiso ezininzi kunye nokulawulwa okuqhubekayo. Kwixesha elide, i-Singapore iye yaba eluhlaza ngexesha elide, ngexesha elide, ngexesha elide, ngexesha elide. . The Littering Problem cost function changed : Pay government officials poorly, get poor officials. The best talent goes where it’s valued. Solution? Pay government ministers over $1 million annually. Pay senior civil servants comparable to private sector executives. Result? One of the most competent civil services in the world. Civil Service Compensation : Umxholo wokuphefumla olufanelekileyo apho abasebenzi kunye nabasebenzi kubandakanya. Kodwa apha inguqulo lwezobugcisa: The Central Provident Fund (CPF) Ukuhambisa amandla: ngenxa yokuba abantu abalandeli kwi-voluntary savings Izixhobo ze-individual kunye ne-interest ye-national: i-pension yakho kuxhomekeke kwi-performance ye-economic yehlabathi Izixhobo zibonakalayo: Izixhobo zayo, ayikho ibhagamshelwano lwezimali : each generation pays for itself, avoiding the demographic time bomb affecting most pension systems Fully funded Yintoni ngexesha lokugqibela, i-designing izakhiwo zokuzonwabisa ezisebenza ngokwemvelo, ngaphandle kokuphuhliswa okuqhubekayo. systems thinking 2. Ukubalwa, Ukubalwa, Iterate U-Lee Kuan Yew uqhagamshelane ne-policy efana ne-code: Ship it → Measure results → Adjust based on data Uyakholelwa kwiinkqubo ze-eugenics ezisekelwe ekugqibeleni yayo kwi-science (ukukhuthaza amaphephandaba abalandeli abalandeli abalandeli abalandeli). Xa iziphumo zibonise ukuba ziye zisebenza okanye ziyi-contraproductive, uye No ego. No ukuxhaswa rigid ukuba iingcamango ezikhoyo. adjusted them Uxhaso lwe-intellectual, i-i-will to admit mistakes and pivot, iveza iingcali ezininzi kwi-ideologists abavela i-code ebandayo ngenxa yokubhaliweyo. I-Eliminate Technical Debt (Ukuhlaziywa kwe-Corruption) Wonke onjiniyela uyazi iingcebiso zobugcisa iiprojekthi. I-Corruption iingcebiso zobugcisa zeengcebiso ze-government eyenziwe ngokufanelekileyo kodwa zihlanganisa kwi-system failure. I-Anti-Corruption Strategy yeLee Kuan Yew: Imiphumo ezininzi: Yenza ukuphazamiseka kakhulu Ukucaciswa okuqhubekayo: Akukho ukwahlukanisa, bonke bafumana iimeko efanayo Umzekelo umzekelo: Uyavela ngokufanelekileyo, awukwazi ukufumana imveliso yobungcali, uqhagamshelane umzekelo yobungcali ukusuka phezulu Ukusabela? I-Singapore ihamba ngokugqithisileyo njenge-one of the least corrupt countries globally. Clean systems scale. Corrupt systems collapse. I-Design ye-Scale kunye ne-Succession Umbala phakathi kwe-prototype kunye ne-production code yintoni ifunyenwe ngu-creator yayo. Uninzi le "umongameli we-great" ibekwe iinkqubo ezisekelwe kwinxalenye yayo yobumfihlo, ngathi i-cultes ye-personality ebonakalayo njengomgangatho. Lee Kuan Yew built institutions, not monuments to himself. Utshintshe ngokucacileyo. Utshintshe amandla ngokucacileyo. Utshintshe abaphambili abaziqhelekanga kunokuba ngokucacileyo kuphela. I-Singapore uqhubeke ukuvelisa emva kokuba uqhagamshelwano. Yintoni i.e. iinkqubo zokusebenza ezininzi ukuba zithunyelwe ngaphandle kokusebenza okuqhubekayo kwi-architect. production grade engineering The Alpha Engineer Approach to Hard Problems Healthcare - Reality phezu Ideology inkqubo yokhuseleko yaseSingapore ibonelela inkqubo yokuzonwabisa: : Healthcare overuse when costs are hidden : Abantu abahlanganyela incentive Iinkqubo ye-hybrid apho abantu babe umzimba kwi-game ngokusebenzisa i-Medisave accounts (yinkonzo ye-CPF), eyongezwa nge-catastrophic coverage Problem Reality Solution Result? Singapore spends far less per capita than Western nations while achieving better health outcomes. The system aligns incentives i.e. you’re spending your money, so you care about efficiency. Housing - Elegant System Design Iziqathango ezininzi zilandelayo zihlabathi, i-spiral prices, i-crime-ridden public housing, okanye i-supply eyenziwe yi-rental control. Isisombululo yaseSingapore ibonise i-architecture ye-elegant: I-Government Builds High Quality Public Housing (i-HDB Apartments) Kodwa abantu baye, akuyona Yenza i-immobility eyenza i-middle class kunye ne-stability ye-system Ukukhuthaza i-enclaves ze-ethnic nge-policy ye-integration Most citizens benefit from economic growth through asset appreciation Akukho “ideological”, Akukho “neoliberalism”, Akukho “socialist” okanye “capitalist”. Ukusombulula iinkcukacha ezininzi kunye nenkqubo efanelekileyo. pragmatic engineering Ukufundwa - Ukulungiselela imiphumela I-Policy ye-Education kwiindawo ezininzi ifakwe yi-theorists eyenziwe ngexesha elidlulileyo. I-Singapore approach: Ukucinga meritocratic Rigorous testing and high standards Teachers well-paid and respected Abasebenzi abalandeli abalandeli abalandeli abalandeli Nge-performance kunazo iziphumo U-Lee Kuan Yew wathi: "I-stress e-school ihamba i-stress e-living ngaphandle kokufanelekileyo kwi-reality." Ukusabela? I-Singapore ibekwe ngokuvamile kwi-or near the top of international education rankings. . produces engineers, doctors, and civil servants capable of running a modern economy I-Strategic Architecture - I-Strategic Architecture I-Singapore ayikwazi ukuxhaswa ngamanani. Yintoni ufumane ilizwe omnqweno kunye nabalandeli amakhulu? Lee Kuan Yew isisombululo: . Make Singapore indispensable I-Financial Hub I-HUB ye-Logistics Technology hub I-Regional Headquarters yeenkampani zehlabathi Umgangatho we-neutral legal system for dispute resolution Ukukhangisa i-Singapore ithatha iilwimi ezikhoyo. Oku i-i.e. ukhetho oluphambili kwimeko asymmetric. security through economic integration Why Most Leaders Aren’t Engineers Izixhobo ze-Ideology Iimpawu ezininzi ziyafumaneka kwi-ideology (i-fundamentalism ye-free market, i-socialism, i-populism) kwaye zihlanganisa i-reality ukuba ifumaneke kwi-worldview yayo. Iingcali ziqaliswa kwi-reality kunye nokwakha izisombululo ezisebenzayo kwi-constraints real. U-Lee Kuan Yew wabhala: "Ukuya u-socialist okanye u-capitalist?" Ukusabela kwakhe, ngokwenene, "Ngoya okufanayo." Iimakethi ezininzi yokuvelisa iimveliso? Ndiya, zibonakalayo. Ukuxhaswa kwihlabathi kwimarike? Ndiya, xa kufuneka. Iingxowa ezininzi zokusebenza? Ndiya. Iingcebiso zempilo kunye neengcebiso ze-individual? Iinkampani ze-strategic kunye ne-government support? Ndiya. Yintoni iintloko ezimbini i-free market purists kunye ne-ideologists ze-socialist. Baya ufuna ukuba ukhethe i-team. pragmatic mix Lee Kuan Yew ukwamkela . results Ukusetyenziswa kwe-approval addiction Most politicians need applause. They need to be loved by journalists, academics, voters. They make compromises that feel good but produce bad results. U-Lee Kuan Yew uyenza izixazululo ezinzima, kodwa zithunyelwe iziphumo ezinhle. : Iimeko ezininzi ezinzima, umdla we-death for trafficking, zero tolerance. Iimpazamo zeLiberal ezidlulileyo. Drug policy Ukusabela? Singapore unemibuzo malunga neengxaki. Ukuhamba nge-Singapore ngeveki, ngoko ke unomgangatho engaphezulu kunokuba phantse kwindawo yehlabathi. Akukho izixeko ezimbini ezimbini. Akukho izixeko ezimbini ezimbini opioids. You can debate whether the approach is too harsh. You Qhagamshelana ukuba ifanelekileyo. cannot Yintoni iingxaki phakathi kwe-leadership kunye ne-performance art. Political Correctness vs. Correctness Lee Kuan Yew wathi: “I always tried to be correct, not politically correct.” Yintoni ingxelo kunceda yonke into. I-Political Correctness is Management of Perception. Ukunyaniseka yi-Management of Reality. Most leaders spend energy worrying about offending people, about criticism, about how history will judge them. All that energy on perception is energy . not spent solving actual problems Ukuba unemibuzo efunyenwe, uye wabelane. Ukuba inkcazelo lithembisa kodwa lithembisa, uye wabelane nangona kunjalo. Ukuba ubudlelwano obungapheliyo, uye wabelane. I-Hard Truth ye-Success Akukho imibuzo, kuphela imiphumo Emva kweMfazwe we-II, izixeko ezininzi ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye ziye zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe zibe Yintoni i-Singapore ifumaneka xa abaninzi bafumene? Lee Kuan Yew refused to make excuses. Olandelayo: “I-Colonialism uyenza nathi.” Lee Kuan Yew: "I-Colonialism yaba eluhlaza. Oku kwiminyaka embalwa. Thina ukwakha into engcono." Other leaders: “We have no resources.” Lee Kuan Yew: "Ukuvelisa i-economy eyenziwe ngeenkonzo kunye ne-manufacturing." Olandelayo: “Iingxaki ze-ethnic will destroy us”. Lee Kuan Yew: "Setyenzisa izisombululo ezijoliswe ezininzi ezahlukahlukeneyo." Uyavuma zonke iingxaki kunye nokufumana okanye uqhagamshelane nayo. Ayikwazanga ukuba "ukungabikho ngenxa yeemeko zethu." This mentality separates success from failure in nations, businesses, and individual lives. Ukufundwa kwezobugcisa kwiminyaka embalwa Ndingathanda kwimibuzo yayo ngokuqhelekileyo, ngoko iingcali eazwe amaninzi e-Western amazwe zithembisa iingcali, ukunciphisa iinkonzo, iinkqubo ezincinciphise. Meanwhile, Lee Kuan Yew looked at a malarial swamp with zero resources, hostile neighbors, ethnic divisions, no international support and built Singapore. Yintoni ingxaki? Mindset. U-Lee Kuan Yew akukwazi ukuchithwa kwimeko emangalisayo. Ukusetyenzisa zonke iinkqubo zayo. Kwixesha lakho, kwinkqubo yakho yokusebenza, uya kuxhomekeke ukhetho efanayo: Spend time complaining about why things are hard, or spend time figuring out what works and doing it. The first approach produces resentment. The second produces results. Yintoni ungayifunda njengeengcali 1. Face Reality ngaphandle Flinching Ikhowudi yethu ayikwazanga izibonelelo zethu. Iinkqubo ziyafumaneka ngokufanelekileyo, ayikwazanga izibonelelo zethu. Inyaniso efanayo kwakhona yonke into. U-Lee Kuan Yew wahlala kwi-reality, umntu, izakhiwo ze-incentive, iimfuno ze-geopolitical, kwaye usebenzise kunye ne-niya, akukhetha. I-Competence Over Credentials Umongameli we-Singapore uthetha abantu abakwazi , ayikho abantu abaninzi ukuba bafumane iingcango okanye ukunika iingcango. run things Kwimveliso yethu, sinokufuneka oku, ngoko ke ingcali elihle ayikho ngexesha elidlulileyo okanye owaziwa kakuhle. Kuyinto owaziwa iinkqubo yokusebenza. Apply that principle everywhere. i-Systems Thoughting Over Fast Fixes Lee Kuan Yew hhayi kuthetha kuphela iinkcubeko ezidlulileyo. Uyavela iinkqubo ezisebenza kwiimveliso ezininzi, i-CPF ye-resistance ye-demographic, umgangatho we-institutional eyenza ukusuka kwakhe. Njengomingcali, sinazi ingxaki phakathi kwe-hack eyenza ngoku kunye ne-architecture eyenza. I-Build for the long term. 4. Ukubala Yintoni Ukubala “I always tried to be correct, not politically correct.” Translation i.e. Optimize for actual outcomes, not optics. Don’t confuse metrics that look good with metrics that matter. I-Iterate Based On Evidence Kwakhona iingcamango ezikhoyo ye-Lee Kuan Yew (ezinye iinkqubo ze-eugenics) ziye zithintshwe xa iziphumo zibonise ukuba ziye zithembisa. Iingcali ezifanelekileyo abalandeli abalandeli abalandeli zabo xa iinkcukacha zibonise ukuba bafumene. Ukugqithisa Ukugqithisa U-Lee Kuan Yew wabelane into ebalulekileyo nangokufanelekileyo: . small countries with no natural advantages can succeed if governed well Oku kunceda, kunceda ukufumana iziphumo, ukuba umqhubi kunye nokulawulwa kubalulekile ngaphezu kwezimo zokufunda. Kodwa apha i-catch i.e. kufuneka umongameli abahlala njengeengcali. Umongameli abahlala: Ukutya kwimeko ngaphandle kwe-Illusion Ukuphendula i-ideology ekubeni i-empiricism Tolerate criticism but ignore noise Qhagamshelane abantu abasebenzayo, nokukhuthaza abantu abasebenzayo Iinkqubo ze-Design ezisekelwe kwi-incentive, akukho izidingo Ukusebenza ngempumelelo kwiminyaka emininzi ngaphandle kokuphazamiseka How many leaders like that exist? Very few. Yintoni iingcamango ye-Singapore yinto ezininzi. Akunconywa iingcamango okanye umdla. . sustained excellence in execution Kwaye ubungakanani obungapheliyo kwikhwama iyiphi na ingxaki ngenxa yokuba ngempumelelo. Ukulungiselela - Building vs. Talking U-Lee Kuan Yew ayikho epheleleyo, kodwa uye wabelane into ebonakalayo: Intelligence, discipline, and focus on reality can overcome almost any disadvantage. Iingcali we-Alpha ziyafumaneka kwihlabathi enobugcisa. Thina siphinde imiphumo kwihlabathi enomdla. Thina uxhomekeke kwihlabathi enomdla. Yinto inguqulelo inguqulelo inguqulelo. As engineers, we have something in common with Lee Kuan Yew: we build things that actually work. We can’t fake our way through a broken system. We can’t spin failure into success with clever marketing. I-Code ifumaneka okanye akayi. I-Infrastructure ifumaneka okanye akayi. I-Systems ifumaneka okanye akayi. Inyaniso efanayo kwiminyaka emininzi, nje kufuneka unayo ubudlelwane yokusetyenziswa kwe-engineering ngaphandle kwe-terminal yakho. Lee Kuan Yew did. And Singapore stands as proof that when you approach problems like an engineer, empirically, pragmatically, relentlessly, you can build something extraordinary from almost nothing. The formula is simple i.e. Face reality. Figure out what works. Execute relentlessly. Measure honestly. Adjust when necessary. Simple, kodwa akukho nto elula. Yintoni inguqulelo. Let’s Go!
