BRIN selects East Kalimantan as research focus for e-government public value
The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has designated East Kalimantan Province as one of the research sites for developing public value models for electronic-based government (e-government) in Indonesia.
BRIN researcher Uchaimid Biridlo’i Robby stated in Samarinda on Friday that the research is being conducted across four provinces: North Sumatra, Central Java, West Java, and East Kalimantan.
“The selection of the research site is based on the relatively good e-government assessments within the regional government agencies,” said Uchlagmid.
These remarks were made during a focus group discussion involving BRIN and several regional agencies of the East Kalimantan Provincial Government recently.
East Kalimantan was chosen because the region’s Electronic-Based Government System (SPBE) index has steadily increased in recent years, earning a “Very Good” rating from the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB).
According to the researcher, the study is also directed towards evaluating the implementation of SPBE while determining the extent to which digital transformation provides tangible benefits to the public.
Surasa, Head of the Administrative Division of the Organisational Bureau of the East Kalimantan Provincial Secretariat, noted that the Organisational Bureau serves as one of the research sites to explore experiences and perceptions regarding digital transformation in the region.
“To gain a comprehensive understanding of service perceptions regarding public value—which can be difficult to capture via questionnaires—we are conducting in-depth studies through discussions,” explained Surasa.
Meanwhile, Fery, Head of the Informatics Applications Division of the East Kalimantan Communication and Information Office (Diskominfo), stated that the implementation of e-government helps reduce workloads and makes budget usage more efficient, particularly in official travel administration.
“Changing mindsets is somewhat difficult to direct without regulations that enforce or provide sanctions. This system will not function optimally without leadership commitment,” he said.
To address these challenges, the East Kalimantan Provincial Government is currently drafting derivative regulations in the form of a Governor Regulation (Pergub) regarding SPBE Governance. This regulation will clarify sanctions and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for heads of regional agencies who fail to implement digital systems.
Based on data from Diskominfo East Kalimantan, services in urban areas such as Samarinda and Balikpapan are operating optimally, whereas several inland areas in Mahakam Ulu and Kutai Timur still require network reinforcement. Strengthening this infrastructure is necessary to ensure that e-government implementation reaches the community more evenly and meets the principle of justice in public services.