Honorary Workers Becoming PPPK: Justice or a Budget Time Bomb?

In recent years, the government has accelerated the mass procurement of Government Employees with Work Agreements (PPPK). This is to address two major pressures: the resolution of non-civil servant (ASN) personnel or honorary workers and the need for human resources in key public service sectors such as education, health, and technical staff. In terms of regulations, PPPK management is governed by Government Regulation No. 49 of 2018 on PPPK Management, which covers needs determination, procurement, performance assessment, remuneration and allowances, competency development, termination of work agreements, and protection. Furthermore, Ministry of PANRB Regulation No. 6 of 2024 stipulates that ASN procurement (civil servants and PPPK) is conducted in an integrated manner. The government has also opened PPPK selections in several waves, one of which is to complete the arrangement of non-ASN personnel in central and regional agencies. On paper, this policy appears to be a quick answer to the long-unresolved problem of honorary workers. Normatively, PPPK is designed as professional ASN managed based on performance and competency, not merely the “legalisation” of honorary workers. Government Regulation No. 49 of 2018 clearly positions PPPK within the complete ASN management framework from planning to termination of work agreements. However, in practice, PPPK formations are often based on “existing honorary lists” rather than projections of long-term competency needs. The policy orientation created is more political than strategic. Additionally, there is an assumption that PPPK are treated as “second-class civil servants.” Legally, PPPK are ASN with regulated protection rights, even though contractual in nature. If this pattern is allowed to continue, regulations that are actually progressive will only become a “legal umbrella” for mass appointments without strategic human resource management. From an HR perspective, PPPK procurement ideally starts from needs planning that can answer questions such as how many positions are needed in the next five years and what competencies are required. The problem is that many agencies do not yet have a mature job map and competency map, so PPPK formations tend to follow historical patterns (existing honorary workers) rather than future needs.