NEXT assesses that ASN WFH policy needs to be balanced with supporting policies

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The NEXT Indonesia Center assesses that the work-from-home (WFH) policy for civil servants (ASN) needs to be balanced with other supporting policies to not only save energy but also foster an efficient, productive, and sustainable work culture in the public sector. “The WFH policy cannot be viewed in isolation but must receive support and evaluation within the next two months through other supporting policies,” said Director of the NEXT Indonesia Center, Christiantoko, during a discussion in Jakarta on Thursday. According to him, this policy represents a quick step by the government with relatively low political risk compared to other options such as raising subsidised fuel prices, which could trigger public unrest. “I greatly appreciate the government not raising fuel prices. If that happened, the burden would fall entirely on the public. And I see this reduction in working days as an initiative that can be promoted as the government tightening its own belt first,” he said. He also stressed the need for massive communication efforts to build public trust and mitigate negative perceptions that implementing WFH every Friday would reduce service quality. Furthermore, the WFH policy is seen as an entry point to accelerate digitalisation in the bureaucracy. Experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Christiantoko, demonstrated that remote work systems can enhance efficiency and productivity if managed properly. However, he reminded that clear monitoring and performance measurement systems are necessary, including the implementation of output-based indicators or key performance indicators (KPIs), to ensure employee productivity remains maintained even when working from home. On the other hand, he acknowledged the social and operational consequences for both ASN and the private sector that has linkages with government services. Therefore, evaluation within the next two months is crucial to assess the effectiveness of this policy.