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indonesia

As one of the largest and most dynamic countries in the region, Indonesia recognizes the
need to strengthen its civil service and make it more efficient in order to meet its national
targets and keep it on the growth path.

Indonesia has a large civil service. In 2005, there were 3.74 million civil servants in
Indonesia, with each employee serving around 58 – 59 citizens.1 This number is estimated
to have reached 4.5 million in 2017.2 The country employs the Combination Scale System
(Sistem Skala Gabungan) to justify the salaries given, which is determined by the type of job,
standard of living, and level of responsibility.

Number of Ministries and Departments 1. 7 State Secretary Institutions

2. 34 Ministries
3. 4 Ministerial Level Institutions
4. 28 Non Ministerial Level Institutions
5. 88 Non Structural Government Institutions
6. 2 Public Broadcasting Institutions

Civil Service Coverage Includes the Indonesian military, Police of the Republic of
Indonesia, central civil servants and regional civil servants

Category of Civil Servants According to the nature of work, job requirements, and education
qualification

Organization Responsible in Civil Service Policy National Civil Service Agency

Main Legislation / Law on Civil Service Law 43 of 1999 on the Amendment of Law 8 of 1974 on the
Ordinance of the Civil Service

Population of Civil Servants Total: 4,583,652 *Low Resolution

Male: 2,347,207 A Buddha looks over surrounding temples in
Female: 2,236,445 Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia.

Source: Thinkstock

Civil Service
in indonesia
PROGRAMS
Over the years, Indonesia has instituted improvements for
faster and better services, both for the benefit of the civil
servants and the citizens.
The human resources development among Indonesian
government offices is expected to improve the quality of
services to the community.3 A number of political and
social changes that have had made an impact on Indonesian
society: democratization, decentralization or regional
autonomy, transparency, and openness of information.
To be able to adapt to these events, the Indonesian
government had started campaigns aimed at strengthening
the bureaucracy, which involved changes in structures and
systems among others. The human resources development
interventions are expected to improve the quality of services
to the community.4
5
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Indonesia hosts the 14th ASEAN
Conference on Civil Service Matters
(ACCSM) in Bali.
Source: ACCSM – Indonesia
Institutions identified responsible for Human Resource
Management in Indonesia were: (1) Office of the President
(State Secretariat and Cabinet Secretariat), for Overall
government policies; (2) Ministry of Finance Civil service
pay and pensions (state-owned enterprises are responsible
for their own pay and pensions under the supervision of the
State Ministry for State-Owned Companies); (3) Ministry
of Administrative Reforms Supervision, for coordination,
monitoring, and evaluation of all civil services matters, including
supervision and coordination of the National Agency for the
Civil Service and the National Institute of Public Administration;
(4) National Agency for the Civil Service Appointments, for
promotions (except at the highest levels, which are managed
by a team chosen by the president), and transfers, and (5)
the National Institute of Public Administration for education,
training, and organizational design.
Civil Service in indonesia 7

Electronic Government Procurement

Indonesia is moving forward with the utilization of Information Technology
for many purposes including procurement process.6 Surabaya, the second-
largest city, has initiated an e-procurement system, reducing its costs by
roughly 25%. Jakarta introduced two location-based e-government apps. The
Yogjakarta government started the Jogja Cyber Province Initiative to manage IT
implementation in government offices.7 Electronic procurement makes it much
faster, easier and more convenient for the government to source its needs, while
promoting transparency and reducing opportunities for corruption in the public
service delivery system.

One-Stop Shop Services

Indonesia also created One Stop Services (OSS), which allows certain
government offices offering related services to provide these from one point
*Low Resolution of contact with the public. Integrating the provision of these services makes it
easier for customers to easily coordinate with respective authorities who may
address their specific concerns, effectively reducing travel time and expenses.
These services include the Surabaya Single Windows (SSW) system, an online
innovation implemented by Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismahari in 2013, for citizens
to reduce face-to-face interaction with corrupt bureaucratic officials asking for
bribes for certain services.8

Innovations *Low Resolution

Public Information and Complaint Service Unit
Launched in 2003, the Public Information and Complaint Service Unit (PICSU)
is a mechanism for officials to listen to the opinions and gain the insights of both
the public and private sector by means of various channels for messages which
includes the formal letter request, phone, online of SMS. Citizens can ask for
information or file complaints that may range from infrastructure, government
officials, and corruption among others. The Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) system coordinates with the Centre, which collects and registers
the information and complaints and forwards the requests for follow-ups to
relevant government agencies. The agencies are obliged to act upon the requests.
This was developed by the government as a means to engage community opinion
in public service.5 This feedback mechanism allows the government to address
citizen concerns and find long-lasting solutions to help the public.

Workshop on Competency and Result

Based Assessment held in Bali,
Indonesia on October 31 – November 1,
2012.

Source: ACCSM – Indonesia

Civil Service in indonesia 9

Civil servants must be regularly assessed
to be able to monitor their performance
and to be trained to meet the
requirements of an efficient and effective
public service delivery.
Source: ACCSM – Indonesia
Citizen’s Charter
A citizen’s charter is a signed public statement by a local
service agency concerning a particular service, normally
posted in areas where the customers can see it. Indonesia
has launched a Citizen’s Charter Public Health Service
Excellence and Health Promotion. In January 2014,
Indonesia’s Universal Health Coverage UHC/JKN (jaminan
kesehatan nasional) was launched, with a target to cover
250 million people by 2019. If the ambitious target is
met, the JKN will become the world’s largest social health
insurance.9 This Citizen’s Charter also assures Indonesians
that their government will work to provide them health care.

E-government systems
Indonesia is on the move of expanding their services by
means of utilizing currently existing technologies with the
implementation of an Electronic Citizen Information Service &
Government Resource Management System, E-Performance,
and E-Library. Indonesia is improving the government contact
numbers dissemination as well with their Public Emergency
Call Services. Since the launch of decentralization, Indonesia
introduced to the public the e-Musrenbang (Musyawarah
Rencana Pembangunan) or Multi Stakeholder Consultation
Forum for Development Planning. It is an attempt to include
the public to participate in political and economic affairs.
Select regional offices have already passed down local bylaws
in the community level.10

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Asean resource
center in indonesia
The first Workshop on ASEAN Resource
Center on Information Exchange (ARCIE)
held on September 16 – 18, 1996 in
Jakarta, Indonesia.
Source: ACCSM – Indonesia
1111
ARC on information exchange
Information exchange is crucial between states,
especially in concerns involving research and
development. It will greatly benefit countries that envision
political and socio-economic progress.
In 1995, Indonesia was assigned to lead the hub for ARC
Information Exchange (ARCIE). The office of the National
Civil Service Agency (NCSA) envisions for each ASEAN
Member State (AMS) to have a metadata database and
a pool of experts. In January 1998 at the 8th ASEAN
Cooperation on Civil Service Matter (ACCSM), Indonesia
broadened their intention for ARCIE to become a single
data and information bank related to Civil Service
Matters, and to be able to provide data and information
related to the civil service matters in ASEAN Civil
Service.
ARCIE is to develop a prototype system which will be
accessible to ACCSM’s members. Indonesia hopes
that key officials, experts, and technical personnel will
lead the development. Once the system is up, ARCIE is
expected to become the Secretariat. They will facilitate
the exchange of information, and hopes to become a
support to the member countries.
In 1996, the first ARCIE Workshop was held in Hotel
Wisata Jakarta. His Excellency Mr. Soekarno delivered
the Opening Remarks, as the Chairman of the NCSA,
and expressed his support in the development of ARCIE.
The workshop was chaired by Mr. PL. Kasenda as
Deputy Chairman of Civil Service Information of NCSA.
The workshop was successful and the majority of who
attended became focal persons of their respective
countries. NCSA considered the event as a milestone in
the improvement of their commitment and further their
desire to excellently serve as a member of the ASEAN.
The first ARCIE Workshop is the first that Indonesia
conducted in international relations, especially in the
context of ACCSM’s activities. It pushed NCSA to be
committed to develop its plan not only in domestic civil
service matters, but in foreign activities as well.
ARC ON INFORMATION EXCHANGE
ASEAN Member States representatives
actively participating in the discussion of
the first ARCIE Workshop.
Source: ACCSM - Indonesia
The ARCIE Development Team followed suit. Due to the
expensive cost, limited number of high-level officials with
technical expertise, and slow delivery of the Internet back
then, Indonesia resorted to drafting an information exchange
manual which was given the name “ARCIE Bulletin”,
published in 1997 and ran for seven editions. The delegates
in the first ARCIE Workshop eventually became focal
persons, and contributed ideas, views, and information,
which were transformed as articles for the Bulletin. The
Bulletin then was disseminated through the ASEAN Focal
Persons, and local government agencies in Indonesia
through the Office of Minister of State for Administrative
Reforms of the Republic of Indonesia and National Institutes
for Public Administration of the Republic of Indonesia.
On October 1998, NCSA organized the Second ARCIE
Workshop that recommended the development of
an Internet-based information exchange system. It
*Low Resolution
recommended the publication of online content of the
Bulletin inside the website prototypes. However, wit the
financial crisis of 1998, and lack of human resources, the
publication stopped. Hence, NCSA still tried to revive the
spirit of ASEAN because of the robustness of the current
leader like HE. Mr. Soenarko, Mr. PL. Kasenda, and Mr.
Cyrus Manurung and also the ARCIE Team that encouraged
the existence of international cooperation in NCSA.
Through the initiative of Mr. PL. Kasenda and the NCSA
Chairman, they encouraged the ARCIE Team to conduct
a technical training to initiate website prototypes. NCSA
then formed a special team for managing, maintaining,
and editing the website. The team began to cooperate
with private companies to work together in developing
infrastructure and facilitating trainings needed to prepare a
prototype system which was recommended by the Second
During the first ARCIE workshop,
representatives of ASEAN member-states
actively participate in discussion, sharing
knowledge, and information.
Source: ACCSM - Indonesia
*Low Resolution
ARCIE Workshop. The team was eventually able to produce
the ARCIE Website.
In 2009, during the 15th ACCSM, NCSA introduced
the Indonesian government’s innovation on information
technology. It involved the use of smartcard for civil
servants, propelled by the initial e-government strategy back
in 2003.11 Smartcards were recognized as an emerging
technology that will contribute in the development of the
KPE system (Katu PNS/Pegawai Elektronik), or the Civil
Servant’s Card. Advantages of the KPE involves offline
and online applications, enhanced user convenience, and
security against security fraud. The launch of KPE is a
big step for the NCSA to promote the implementation of
e-governance.
13
The project intends to increase the efficiency of public
service delivery with the simplification, improvement
and standardization of processes, excellent services for
civil servants, and availability of updated and reliable
information, which in the long run will save the government
from spending. Smartcard also becomes the opportunity
to increase transparency in public administration by
personnel data up-to-date and accessible, which improves
the institution’s overall performance. Utilizing this
technology highly increases the security to the data from
loss and manipulation. The arrangement benefits both the
government and the civil servants.
Encapsulated in the project are a personal information
database, health insurance, housing saving, pension saving,
and additional services such as banking, other merchant
facilities and the integration of KPE in the payroll system.
ARC ON INFORMATION EXCHANGE
Delegates of the first ARCIE Workshop
participated by civil service officials from
the ASEAN Member States.
Source: ACCSM – Indonesia
Data capture for 525,000 civil servants from five Indonesian
provinces of Aceh, Kepulauan Riau, East Kalimantan, DKI,
and East Java commenced in 2008. In 2009, 625,000
were added to the database. The next five years the
uncaptured data and backlogs were addressed, envisaging a
completed system.
Indonesia also gave an update on the project, “Public
Service Management Information System” (PSMIS) which is
an upgrade of the current system striving toward a unified
system and integrated management information system
for civil servants across government bodies. Twelve NCSA
regional offices and select local government units were on
the initial stage of the implementation.12
NCSA was able to survive despite changes in international
management development. In October 6-7, 2015, during the
Senior Officials Meeting of the 18th ASEAN Conference on
Civil Service Matters in Mactan Island, Cebu, Philippines,
Indonesia renamed their ARC to ARC A-EXPECTS, and
hopes to overcome future challenges and continue its
existence. NCSA needs to conceptualize new strategies
related to formulation of ARC A-EXPECTS concepts. NCSA
plans to conduct a workshop related to these concerns in
the future.
NCSA hopes that the lack of feedback from other AMS
will be addressed, since there are little to almost no more
barriers in terms of communication, due to the rapid
15
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development of Internet all over the world. NCSA also
anticipates lack of intensive communication with member
countries by choosing capable and experiences officials in sub-
unit which manages international cooperation in NCSA. NCSA
has recently established a Human Relations Bureau which has
sufficient human resources who will be able to manage the
website in English.13
ARC ON INFORMATION EXCHANGE
collaborations with other countries
Indonesia has implemented various learning events Projects under the ACCSM
Work Plan 2008 - 2015 and ACCSM+3 Work Plan 2012 - 2015. One is the
Workshop Knowledge Management on Local Government, a two-day Workshop
for ASEAN Member States that expounded on the importance of the Local
Government in advancing development and services to the public in each country.
Held on February 24-27, 2015, it highlighted that the relationship between
the Central and Local Governments must be preserved and maintained. The
participating countries shared their best practices which can be adapted in each
country.
Another project is the Workshop on Competency Based Assessment and
Results Based Assessment, which focuses on Competency and Result Based
Assessment held on October 30 – November 2, 2012, and attended by Vietnam,
Darussalam and Myanmar. Highlights were the usage of various tools to assess
17
*Low Resolution
Participants of the Workshop on Knowledge
Management on Local Government on
February 24-27, 2015 in Bandung, Indonesia
Source: ACCSM – Indonesia
civil servant competency, bringing more objective, transparent, and accountable
result on civil servant competency assessment system.14
In August 1-4, 2017, the Badan Kepegawaian Negara (BKN) hosted the
Workshop on Talent Management for Senior Executive Services, part of the
ASEAN Cooperation on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM) Plus Three Workplan T
2016-2020. Objectives of the workshop were: (1) Sharing knowledge and best
practice of talent management implementation in Indonesia and other ASEAN
member countries; (2) Discuss the talent management model appropriate to
the characteristics of staffing organizations in ACCSM member countries; (3)
Formulate applicable talent management concept and can be a reference for each
ASEAN member country in the effort to prepare leadership succession in each
member country to strengthen bureaucracy in ASEAN especially for strategic
position at high leadership level.15

1
Tjiptoherijanto P. (2006) Civil Service Reform in Indonesia. Graduate School
of International Cooperation Studies.Kobe University. Retrieved from: http://
unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/eropa/unpan027466.pdf
2
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/06/07/indonesia-seen-to-have-1-
million-excess-civil-servants.html
3
Tjiptoherijanto P. (2006) Civil Service Reform in Indonesia. Graduate School
of International Cooperation Studies.Kobe University. Retrieved from: http://
unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/eropa/unpan027466.pdf
4
Tjiptoherijanto, P. (2013). Civil service reform in Indonesia: Redefining the
ethics. Basic Research Journal of Social and Political Sciences Vol. 2(5) pp.
32-37. Retrieved from: http://basicresearchjournals.org/social%20political%20
science/pdf/Prijono.pdf
5
Observatory of Public Sector Innovation.Public Information and Complaint
Service Unit (PICSU) of the City of Yogyakarta. Retrieved from: https://www.
oecd.org/governance/observatory-public-sector-innovation/innovations/page/
publicinformationandcomplaintserviceunitpicsuofthecityofyogyakarta.htm
6
Wicaksono, A. P., Urumsah, D. &Asmui, F. (2016). The Implementation
of E-procurement System: Indonesia Evidence. SHS Web of Conferences.
Retrieved from: https://www.shs-conferences.org/articles/shsconf/pdf/2017/02/
shsconf_four2017_10004.pdf
7
Warf, B. (2017) e-Government in Asia: Origins, Politics, Impacts,
Geographies. University of Kansas. pp. 80-81.
8
Surabaya Single Windows. Retrieved from: https://ssw.surabaya.go.id/
19
9
World Health Organization. Universal Health Coverage and Health Care
Financing Indonesia. Retrieved from: http://www.searo.who.int/indonesia/
topics/hs-uhc/en/
10
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).Musrenbang as a Key
Driver In Effective Participatory Budgeting - Key Issues and Perspectives
for Improvements. (2008). Retrieved from: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/
Pnadq129.pdf
11
National Civil Service Agency. (2009). Delivering Better Services for Better
Government to Indonesian Civil Servants Through Smartcard Technology.
Retrieved from: http://www.moha.gov.la/accsm/resources/Indonesia/A02_
Technical%20Paper%20Indonesia.pdf
12
National Civil Service Agency (2009). Update on ARC Project. Public
Service Management Information System (PSMIS). Retrieved from: http://
www.moha.gov.la/accsm/resources/Indonesia/A03_Update%20of%20
ARC%20-%20PSMIS.pdf
13
Gallery Walk.
14
Civil Service Commission. Report on the Completion of ACCSM Work Plan
2008-2015.
15
Badan Kepegawaian Negara (2017) BKN Hosts Talent Management
Workshop for High Leadership in ASEAN Government Agencies. Retrieved
from: http://www.bkn.go.id/berita/bkn-tuan-rumah-workshop-manajemen-
talenta-untuk-jabatan-pimpinan-tinggi-di-instansi-pemerintah-se-asean