Sleman regency getting better with age<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, Sleman, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Every Wednesday and Thursday over the past few months, Sleman
\ngovernment officials have worn two-piece uniforms of sky-blue
\nshirts\/blouses and dark blue trousers\/skirts, instead of the
\nusual yellow-brown national uniform, which has been the official
\nuniform of Indonesia's civil servants for years.<\/p>\n
Some female employees in the capital of Sleman regency, Beran,
\nalso wear scarves matching their uniforms, giving the impression
\nof professional civil servants.<\/p>\n
The new uniform, which has a more "civilian" look than the
\nsemi-militaristic style of the normal uniform, is just one of a
\nstring of initiatives aimed at creating good governance, said
\nSutrisno, secretary of the Sleman administration.<\/p>\n
"This is part of our efforts to make the people of Sleman
\nproud (of their officials)," he said.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a press conference here in conjunction with the
\nregency's 88th anniversary, which falls on May 15, Sutrisno said
\nthe Sleman administration had stepped up efforts to improve the
\nregency's image.<\/p>\n
He pointed to the achievement of getting Sleman's soccer team,
\nPSS, into the country's top league, and building a Rp 150-billion
\nsoccer stadium in Maguwoharjo village, Depok, that meets
\ninternational standards.<\/p>\n
The stadium is still under construction and is scheduled to be
\nofficially opened by the end of this year.<\/p>\n
In order to improve the image of civil servants, Sutrisno said
\nthe administration would implement performance-based budgeting,
\nwhere budget allocations would be based on an agency's targeted
\nproducts or services and outcome. Under this program, any agency
\nwhose performance exceeded set standards would be given
\nincentives, and vice versa.<\/p>\n
Sleman is a pioneer with this initiative, Sutrisno said,
\nthough many Sleman residents are not yet aware of the program.<\/p>\n
"In discussions among officials, however, we are relatively
\nwell-known for the success of this pilot project. Every time I
\nmeet colleagues from other regencies, they promptly ask about PSS
\nor our performance-based budgeting," he said proudly.<\/p>\n
He said a planned "carrot-and-stick" approach to measuring
\nofficials' performance would further boost Sleman's image as a
\nplace for clean and professional government. This system is being
\nprepared with help from a consulting company from Jakarta and the
\nBuilding Institution for Good Governance.<\/p>\n
"The main idea is for people to be able to distinguish civil
\nservants who just come to the office to read the newspaper or who
\ngo shopping during office hours, from those who really work hard
\naccomplishing their jobs," said Sutrisno, explaining that rewards
\nwould be given in the form of financial bonuses.<\/p>\n
This new system is scheduled to come into effect through a
\nregent's decree by the beginning of next year at the latest. If
\nall goes according to plan, Sleman will be the first regency in
\nthe country to use such a performance-based appraisal system, a
\nfact that will hopefully make Sleman's civil servants proud.<\/p>\n
"We hoped to make this year's anniversary celebration the
\nculmination point of all the efforts. However, some of the
\nprojects are still in progress, including the reward system we
\nare preparing for our civil servants.<\/p>\n
"Hopefully it will be ready for implementation by the end of
\nthe year or the beginning of next year at the latest," said
\nSutrisno, who is also the chairman of this year's Sleman
\nanniversary celebration committee.<\/p>\n
He said improving the image of the regency would instill pride
\nin Sleman's residents, and help win their support for efforts to
\ndevelop the region.<\/p>\n
Theoretically, he said, by improving all aspects of life in
\nSleman, residents will think twice before doing something that
\ncould ruin the image of the regency.<\/p>\n
"It is a different feeling, of course, from just being
\nordinary to becoming the number one region. We residents of
\nSleman from all walks of life will be proud of their regency, and
\nwill be motivated to give their best for their home," Sutrisno
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Located in the northern part of Yogyakarta province, Sleman
\nregency has prepared a series of round-the-clock activities to
\nmark its 88th anniversary. These activities include a band
\ncompetition for kindergarten students, an official ceremony at
\nthe regency legislative council, where all councilors are
\nexpected to wear traditional Javanese costumes, a carnival, an
\nofficial ceremony at the local government office and a night-long
\nshadow puppet performance.<\/p>\n
Sleman only began celebrating its anniversary five years ago,
\nafter the local government decided to make May 15 the regency's
\nofficial founding date. That decision followed a long, careful
\nstudy involving local historians, cultural experts and
\ncouncilors.<\/p>\n
On May 15, 1916, Yogyakarta's sultan Hamengku Buwono VII
\n(1877-1921) issued Rijksblad Van Jogjakarta No. 11 on the
\nreorganization of the Yogyakarta government. Accordingly,
\nYogyakarta kingdom was divided into the three regencies of
\nKalasan, Bantul and Sleman.<\/p>\n
"We are still in the process of letting people know about the
\nanniversary, making it not just a celebration of the local
\ngovernment but most importantly a celebration for all of the
\npeople of Sleman," Sutrisno said.<\/p>\n
He hopes that by creating a sense of belonging, everyone in
\nSleman will work together to accelerate development in the
\narea.<\/p>",
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