The Relevance of Bureaucratic Transformation Challenges in Central and Regional Government Management in Realizing Asta Cita - Center for Geopolitic and Geostrategic Studies

The transformation of bureaucratic management in central and regional government is a grand agenda that has never lost its relevance in the nation’s development journey.

Bureaucracy cannot be understood merely as an administrative machine that executes procedures, but as the very face of the state in the eyes of its people.

Thus, the quality of bureaucracy in today’s digital and Artificial Intelligence (AI) era is a mirror of the quality of governance itself.

The idea of transforming it is therefore not simply a choice, but a historical necessity.

Conceptually, there are two important foundations guiding this effort.

First, New Public Management, with its emphasis on efficiency, productivity, and results orientation.

Second, the paradigm of Good Governance, which demands transparency, accountability, and public participation.

When combined, these paradigms produce not only a modern bureaucracy but also strengthen the political legitimacy of the state.

Bureaucratic transformation, therefore, is not only a technocratic project but also a moral project that tests the nation’s ability to deliver clean and just governance.

This grand aspiration must not remain as mere jargon.

Noble goals such as a government free from corruption, collusion, and nepotism (KKN), high-quality public services, and accountable bureaucracy must not only exist on paper but also be measurable in achievement.

Efficiency should not merely mean cutting procedures but must be realized in cost savings, faster services, and higher citizen satisfaction.

Accountability, too, must go beyond internal reporting and include independent oversight and citizen participation.

In other words, normative language must be translated into empirical instruments that can be held accountable.

Indonesia has in fact attempted to translate these ideas into real policies.

Presidential Regulation No. 81 of 2010 on the Grand Design of Bureaucratic Reform 2010–2025 targeted the creation of a clean and accountable, effective and efficient bureaucracy capable of delivering quality public services.

Presidential Regulation No. 95 of 2018 on the Electronic-Based Government System (SPBE) became another milestone in bureaucratic digitalization.

Even so, significant challenges remain in bureaucratic transformation, such as changing a work culture that is hierarchical, rigid, and inclined to preserve the status quo.

Thus, visionary leadership is required – capable of driving change, effective communication to unify understanding, and incentives that encourage employee adaptation.

This is because bureaucratic transformation is essentially also the transformation of the people within it.

A key agenda, therefore, is strengthening the human resources of the civil service.

No bureaucracy can be modern without competent and adaptive civil servants (Aparatur Sipil Negara, ASN).

Today’s civil servants must possess digital literacy, analytical skills, and adaptive leadership capabilities.

Data from the National Institute of Public Administration in 2024 showed that only around 36 percent of civil servants had adequate digital literacy skills.

This highlights a serious gap that hinders e-Government implementation.

Civil servant training must be based on real needs, not mere certification formalities.

At the same time, oversight systems must be strengthened.

The “principal-agent” theory reminds us that bureaucrats, as state agents, are prone to abuse authority when oversight is weak.

In fact, 70 percent of corruption cases handled by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in 2022 were linked to misuse of bureaucratic authority, ranging from procurement to licensing.

Therefore, internal and external oversight must be integrated, using technology such as big data analytics to detect irregularities at an early stage.

The digitalization of bureaucracy carries hope, but it must be designed inclusively.

Global practices offer lessons: Estonia stands out as a success story of bureaucratic digitalization.

The small country managed to save the equivalent of 2 percent of its GDP annually through digitalized public services.

The key was not technology alone, but political consistency, system integration, and public trust in data security.

Indonesia can learn that technology is only a tool; what truly matters is institutional design and consistent political commitment.

Still, the fundamental issues remain: resistance to change, limited technical capacity, and fragmentation between central and regional governments.

Bureaucratic reforms often fail due to inconsistency across regimes, or because they stall as mere political jargon.

Yet bureaucracy is the lifeblood of the state.

If bureaucracy is not transformed seriously, national development will continue to be shackled by inefficiency, corruption, and weak political legitimacy.

This is why bureaucratic transformation requires transformative leadership.

Bureaucratic leaders must act not only as regulators but also as drivers of change who set examples of integrity.

Reform must be implemented comprehensively – from the central to regional levels – with interconnected information systems, continuous training for civil servants, and inclusive digitalization.

Equally important, this agenda must gain political support across administrations so it does not fade midway.

Thus, bureaucratic transformation is a long journey that demands collective courage.

It is not merely about job simplification or the creation of digital applications, but about reshaping paradigms and governance.

If carried out consistently, this transformation will strengthen national competitiveness, enhance government legitimacy, and create a bureaucracy that truly serves the people.

Therefore, the biggest challenge is overcoming self-resistance—both within the scope ofindividual officials and within the institutional and political spheres.

However, if this challenge is successfully overcome, the Indonesian bureaucracy will rediscover its true identity: not as a burden, but as the main driver of national progress and Asta Cita as the foundation of the modernization strategy towards Indonesia Raya 2045.

Prof. Dr. Ermaya Suradinata, SH, MH, MS, was Governor of Indonesia’s National Resilience Institute (2001–2005) and Director General of Politics and Social Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs (1998–2000). He is an Expert Council Member of BPIP (Agency for Pancasila Ideology Education) in the field of Geopolitics and Governance, and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Center for Geopolitics & Geostrategy Studies Indonesia (CGSI).