Finalists for the 2026 and 2025 BSA Attend Public Relations Training

Ten sub-district heads who are finalists for the 2026 Benyamin S Award (BSA) and 10 finalists from the 2025 award took part in basic public relations training at Grha Ali Sadikin, Jakarta City Hall, Central Jakarta, on Monday (26 October).

“Public relations is about, as Mr Nirwono [the Jakarta Governor’s Special Staff member for Development and Urban Planning] said, how to help sub-district heads become good urban estate managers in their areas,” said Faisal, head of third-party cooperation at the Jakarta Regional Cooperation Bureau, Regional Secretariat, on Monday (26 October).

An urban estate manager is responsible for managing, maintaining and operating an urban area.

In his remarks, Faisal stressed that sub-district heads are the government’s frontline representatives, interacting directly with residents to provide services. This differs considerably from government employees working at provincial level or in government agencies.

“Because you deal directly with residents every day, we feel this public relations training is highly relevant and, God willing, can help you carry out your daily duties even better,” Faisal said.

The training covered eight competency units under the Indonesian National Work Competency Standards (SKKNI) for public relations, through three hours of instruction combining theory, practice and simulations. It was led by Willy Bachtiar, head of public relations training at the Indonesian Public Relations Association (PERHUMAS).

The aim is for sub-district heads to be better able to map stakeholders and develop more comprehensive programme plans. The training will also strengthen their skills in managing official channels and monitoring online conversations.

The public relations training is part of the series of events for BSA 2026. The 2026 finalists previously attended communications training on Tuesday (13 October).

The Benyamin S Award is a Jakarta Provincial Government initiative recognising sub-district heads who have succeeded in improving the quality of their areas. It honours sub-districts committed to making Jakarta clean, comfortable, beautiful and prosperous.

This is the second year the award has been organised by the Jakarta Provincial Government through the Regional Cooperation Bureau of the Regional Secretariat.

After the preliminary and final rounds, the winning sub-districts will be announced and presented with awards on 30 October.