In Prato, Italy, it sometimes takes so long for the government to process residence renewal permits that by the time they are ready to be picked up, they have already expired.

Noting that the Italians have challenges with government efficiency might sound like the punchline for an insensitive joke. But for the 3.5 million legal resident aliens who live and work in the country, problems with bureaucracy are no laughing matter. According to the International Herald Tribune:

The issue is particularly pressing in this part of Tuscany, where a once-thriving textile industry fueled immigration, especially from China. The influx of new workers had spurred local administrations to meet with the police department to cut through the bureaucracy. The new procedure has been a huge setback, local officials said.

“Before, we could get papers processed in 15 days, we were cited as a model area,” said Irene Gorelli, the provincial councilor for social affairs. “Now it’s as bad as Milan or Rome, it takes months.”

Incredulously, the local official seems to have a well-defined benchmark for unacceptable delays. She believes that the situation is officially dire when turnaround times are as slow as in the major cities!

The language we use to describe processes is essential to understanding our perspective and building new approaches to improving our systems. Learn more about Slaughter Development to see if we can help you to improve processes in your business.

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