There are problems that seem large because they are discussed in\nlarge meeting rooms. Once handed over to someone who understands\ntechnology, they sometimes shrink into a few database tables and web\npages. We then ask: is the problem complicated, or is it the\nbureaucracy\u2019s way of viewing the problem?<\/p>\n
I was reminded of this when reading about the steps taken by\nSudaryono, Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), who was\nappointed by President Prabowo Subianto on 22 July 2026. He is 41 years\nold, considered young for the top of this nation\u2019s bureaucracy, where\nage is sometimes treated like a software version: the longer it exists,\nthe more complete its features are assumed to be.<\/p>\n
A few days after his appointment, Sudaryono promised a system that\nwould allow parents to view information about the Free Nutritious Meals\n(MBG) programme: what menu their child received, its nutritional\ncontent, which kitchen it was cooked in, and even the name of the head\nof the Nutrition Service Fulfilment Unit (SPPG) responsible.<\/p>\n
He hoped the system could be accessed by all parents of students this\nweek. For someone accustomed to tinkering with computers and coding, I\nfind it somewhat difficult to call it a \u2018sophisticated system\u2019. If the\ndatabases for kitchens, schools, menus, and beneficiaries are already\navailable, the basic work becomes easier. One simply needs to create a\nweb-based interface, determine which data can be read by the public,\nconnect it to the database, and present it in a mobile-friendly\ndashboard. Of course, in practice, there will be issues related to\nsecurity, integration, and data quality. But conceptually, the\ntechnology is ordinary.<\/p>\n
Precisely because the technology is ordinary, the extraordinary\nquestion is: why couldn\u2019t the people who previously led the BGN see\nthis? This is where the matter of technology turns into a matter of\nleadership.<\/p>\n
A leader does not need to be able to write Python code or memorise\nSQL. An agency head also does not need to know why a programmer can\nbecome depressed because of a single semicolon. But today\u2019s leaders need\nto have \u2018digital imagination\u2019: the ability to see that data stored in\nthe office can be transformed into a service for citizens.<\/p>\n
A mother whose child receives MBG does not need a three-day seminar\non national nutrition governance. She just wants to know: what did my\nchild eat today? From which kitchen? Who is responsible? If there is a\nproblem, who should she complain to? Simple questions. Yet therein lies\nthe clue as to whether the state is present or absent.<\/p>\n
To be fair, the digitalisation of the BGN was not born with\nSudaryono. The BGN had already launched an e-tracking platform in\nSeptember 2025 to record MBG distribution. In April 2026, the BGN also\nannounced the opening of data checking access. So the previous BGN\noffice was not an archive warehouse still working with typewriters.<\/p>\n
What is interesting about Sudaryono\u2019s move is the change in\nperspective: government data should not only be useful for the\ngovernment. Our bureaucracy loves to digitise forms. Paper is moved to a\nscreen, and then we feel we have carried out a digital transformation.\nIn reality, the suffering of citizens remains the same, only the pen has\nbeen replaced by a keyboard. Queues are moved from the office yard to\nthe mobile phone screen, whose fate is determined by the internet\nsignal.<\/p>\n
Digital transformation should start from the needs of citizens, not\nthe agencies\u2019 fondness for creating applications. The OECD calls this\napproach human-centred public services: government services designed\nbased on user needs. Technology is not the goal, but a tool for openness\nand accessibility.<\/p>\n
Therefore, a leader\u2019s technological intelligence should not be\nmeasured by their ability to create applications. That is the\nprogrammer\u2019s job. The measure is whether, when facing a problem, they\nknow that technology can provide a faster and cheaper solution. A\nleader\u2019s digital literacy is not a skill of the fingers. It is a skill\nof the mind. And, more importantly, a skill of the heart. Technology\nwithout empathy only produces machines that work faster. Empathy makes a\nleader ask: what information do citizens need? Transparency makes them\nask further: if the data concerns the public interest, why should it be\nkept under lock and key?<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/leaders-who-know-the-button-1785397997", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }