Page 279 - Aamir Rehman - Dubai & Co Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States-McGraw-Hill (2007)

Getting Things Done: Operations Strategy and the GCC 261

The PRO is always a local citizen and needs to be adept at navigat-
ing the system.

The PRO Function: Navigating Bureaucracy
The role of a Public Relations Officer (PRO) in a GCC office is
both unique and indispensable. An effective PRO can be the key to
securing government approvals and navigating bureaucratic com-
plexities that could otherwise impede the smooth functioning of
business. Finding top-notch PROs can be a challenge, and retaining
them can be even harder. Considering the volume of government
paperwork that even small offices must manage, the PRO’s func-
tion cannot be ignored or underestimated.
PROs are always local nationals. Their core role is to shuttle
documents between the company and various government agen-
cies in order to secure approvals like visas, building permits, forms
allowing the display of public signs and events, and so on. The most
basic function of a PRO is to be a kind of courier; the best ones have
a skill set that makes them part messenger, part negotiator, and part
detective. The PRO must be a negotiator when a request needs to be
prioritized or exceptional permission is being sought. He or she
must be a detective when it is necessary to figure out what
approvals are required from what agencies at what level (e.g., fed-
eral, state, or municipal) and who the relevant decision makers are.
Larger firms may have multiple PROs, led by a senior member
of the team who understands the local intricacies well. Often junior-
level PROs will also act as drivers for executives or as protocol
officers who receive guests. The PRO’s workday is less intense
than that of other administrative employees and involves a lot of
waiting time. Companies may have PROs work in two shifts—early
morning and afternoon—with a long break in the middle of the
day. Alternatively, the PRO may have a shorter workday than
other employees, as government offices tend to close in the early
afternoon.
As an expatriate working with or overseeing the PRO, it is
important to remember that although the PRO may not be high on
the organization chart, PROs need to be managed differently from
other administrative staff. The company needs them more, and
good PROs know that. One cannot expect them to always abide