Definition of Bureaucratic Reform, Aspects, Objectives, Benefits, and Examples

Bureaucracy can be said as a group of non-elected officials in a government or other form of institution that carries out the rules, laws, ideas and functions of the institution.

In other words, the bureaucracy is the unit of government financial administration that executes the decisions of the democratically elected legislature or state representatives.

The term bureaucratic reform refers to efforts to reform and change in the government administration system which aims to realize good governance with several characteristics including adaptive, integrity, high performance, clean and free of KKN, and others.

In Indonesia itself, matters related to bureaucratic reform are based on Presidential Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia Number 81 of 2010 concerning the Grand Design of Bureaucratic Reform 2010-2025.

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Bureaucratic Reform

A bureaucrat is a member of the bureaucracy and can run the administration of  any social organization  of any size, although the term usually connotes someone in a government agency.

Bureaucrats’ jobs are often “ desk jobs ” (the French for “ desk ” is bureau, although bureau can also be translated as “ office ”), although modern bureaucrats can be found both “in the field” as well as in offices.

Bureaucratic reform in the United States was a major issue in the late nineteenth century at the national level and early in the twentieth century at the state level. Supporters denounce the distribution of office by election winners to their supporters as corrupt and inefficient.

They demand nonpartisan scientific methods and credentials to be used to elect civil servants. Five important civil service reforms were the two Office Ownership Acts of 1820 and 1867, the Pendleton Act of 1883, the Hatchery Act (1939 and 1940), and the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) of 1978.

In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson, concerned that Federalists were dominating the civil service and army, identified the incumbent’s party affiliation, and systematically appointed Republicans.

President Andrew Jackson in 1829 began a systematic rotation of incumbents after four years, replacing them with his own partisans.

In the 1830s, the ” spoil system ” referred to the systematic replacement of incumbents whenever the government changed hands.

In Indonesia, the Ministry of Finance began implementing Bureaucratic Reform in 2006. Until 2009, Bureaucratic Reform was under the Central Bureaucratic Reform Team (TRBP).

Furthermore, in 2010, the implementation of Bureaucratic Reform was coordinated by the Ministry of Finance Bureaucratic Reform Coordination Forum (FKRB) formed by the Minister of Finance and the Unit Bureaucratic Reform Team (TRBU) formed by the heads of each Echelon I Unit.

Based on the Decree of the Minister of Finance Number 65 / KMK.01 / 2010, the duties of the FKRB are to coordinate, direct, monitor and evaluate the Bureaucratic Reform program implemented in all units in the Ministry of Finance as well as review and prepare the Ministry of Finance’s Bureaucratic Transformation Agency.

FKRB is the alignment of the Bureaucratic Reform Program which is merged into the duties and functions of related units.

Bureaucratic reform in the Ministry of Finance continues. Starting from the goal of becoming a service-oriented, accountable and transparent institution, the Bureaucratic Reform of the Ministry of Finance has entered half a decade.

The beginning of 2012 became an important moment in the history of Bureaucratic Reform with the ratification of Minister of Finance Decree No. 185/KMK.01/2012 concerning the 2010-2014 Ministry of Finance Bureaucratic Reform Roadmap. This provision is a real commitment from the Ministry of Finance to continue to improve through Bureaucratic Reform.

In addition, this Bureaucratic Reform roadmap is mandated by the Regulation of the Minister for Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform Number 20 of 2010 concerning the Roadmap for Bureaucratic Reform 2010-2014 which was compiled by the Ministry for Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform to become a guideline for bureaucratic reform implementation in all Ministries/Institutions and the Government. Regions in Indonesia.

In connection with the ratification of the roadmap, the three main supporting pillars of Bureaucratic Reform within the Ministry of Finance which have been implemented for 4 years since being inaugurated have changed to 9 programs.

The nine programs are the implementation of the 8 areas of change as mandated by the Regulation of the Minister for Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform Number 20 of 2010 concerning the 2010-2014 Bureaucratic Reform Roadmap.

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The nine programs consist of:

  1. Change management,
  2. Legislation Management
  3. Organization Improvement
  4. Procedure Management
  5. Arrangement of Human Resource Management System
  6. Improved Oversight
  7. Improved Performance Accountability
  8. Improving the Quality of Public Services
  9. Monitoring and Evaluation

The role of the Ministry of Finance in national bureaucratic reform is not only on paper. The performance of the Ministry of Finance has continued to increase since the implementation of bureaucratic reform.

One of them is reflected in the increase in state revenue in terms of taxation which has increased by up to 300% since the beginning of the implementation of bureaucratic reforms.

Vertical offices  have been upgraded and services are much faster than before. The success of this implementation is a benchmark for Ministries/Institutions, Regional Governments and even State-Owned Enterprises.

This can be seen from the many requests for comparative studies or knowledge sharing in the implementation of Bureaucratic Reform in the Ministry of Finance’s social environment.

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Definition of Bureaucratic Reform

Bureaucratic reform is an attempt to make fundamental updates and changes to the government administration system, especially those concerning institutional (organizational) aspects, management (business processes) and human resources for apparatus.

Obstacle problems or obstacles that result in a government administration system that is not working or is not expected to work properly must be rearranged or renewed. Therefore, bureaucratic reform is carried out to realize good governance .

Or it could also be said that bureaucratic reform is a strategic step to build a more efficient and effective state apparatus in carrying out the general tasks of government and national development.

Definition of Bureaucratic Reform According to Experts

The definition of bureaucratic reform according to experts, among others:

1. Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia

Bureaucratic Reform is an effort to make fundamental changes to the government system, especially in the institutional (organizational) aspects, business processes, and human resources (HR).

Aspects of Bureaucratic Reform

There are several main bureaucratic problems which are the main aspects or targets in the implementation of bureaucratic reform, namely:

  1. Organization
  2. Legislation
  3. Apparatus HR
  4. Authority
  5. Public service
  6. Mindset ( mind-set )
  7. Integration of work culture ( culture-set )

Bureaucratic Reform Objectives

The goal of National Bureaucratic Reform, as stated in the Grand Design of Bureaucratic Reform 2010-2025, is to realize good governance with a professional government bureaucracy, which has the following characteristics:

  1. Adaptive
  2. Integrity
  3. High performance
  4. Clean and KKN-free
  5. Able to serve the public
  6. Neutral
  7. Prosperous
  8. dedicated
  9. Uphold the basic values ​​and code of ethics of the state apparatus

Benefits of Bureaucratic Reform

Bureaucratic reform is useful as the main pillar in creating the desired bureaucratic profile. Progress and improvement in the implementation of bureaucratic reform can at least be seen from the increase in the National Bureaucratic Reform Index.

Apart from that, it can also be seen from the results of a survey on public perception of the quality of government public services and the government’s anti-corruption attitude, as well as the results of a survey on the capacity of government organizations, both ministries, institutions, and regional governments (pemda).

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Parties Involved in Bureaucratic Reform

As for the various types of parties involved in bureaucratic reform include:

  1. Change Agent
  2. Government agencies
  3. Leaders and/or employees of government agencies
  4. Group collection of individuals in a government agency that has the same goal,
  5. Work Units within Government Agencies
  6. Change Agent Forum
  7. Internal Bureaucratic Reform Team (RBI Team)

Example of Bureaucratic Reform

One example of bureaucratic reform for example;

  1. Development of Bureaucratic Reform within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On January 6, 2010, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted the Bureaucratic Reform Proposal directly to the National Bureaucratic Reform Team at the Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform. This document was submitted as an initial requirement for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take part in the National Bureaucratic Reform program.

However, due to changes in national policy and the legal basis for bureaucratic reform from a Regulation of the Minister for Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform to a Presidential Regulation, there is a void at the national level which has an impact on Ministries/Institutions, including Ministries. Abroad, who must wait for the issuance of the Presidential Decree.

On December 21, 2010, the President of the Republic of Indonesia issued Presidential Regulation Number 81 of 2010 concerning the Grand Design of Bureaucratic Reform as a blueprint for National Bureaucratic Reform. Furthermore, the Minister for Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform has stipulated Ministerial Regulation Number 20 of 2011 concerning the Bureaucratic Reform Roadmap as a guideline for the implementation of Bureaucratic Reform between Ministries/Agencies.

The two regulations require Ministries/Institutions to submit Proposals for Bureaucratic Reform and Bureaucratic Reform Roadmaps to the National Bureaucratic Reform Team chaired by the Minister for Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform.

Bureaucratic Reform within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs aims to create a bureaucracy that is professional, integrated, high-performing, clean and free from KKN practices (corruption, collusion and nepotism), able to serve the community, neutral, prosperous, dedicated, and able to uphold the values ​​and the fundamental ethics of the state apparatus.

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These efforts are in line with the objectives of the National Bureaucratic Reform, which are contained in the Grand Design of the 2010-2025 Bureaucratic Reform. Furthermore, there are three main points that are the focus of Bureaucratic Reform within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, namely:

  1. Implementing a clean and corruption-free government by developing or perfecting a management system that is transparent, accountable and just.
  2. Improving the quality of public services by fighting for national interests in international forums and protecting Indonesian citizens and legal entities, both at home and abroad.
  3. Improving performance capacity and accountability by ensuring that all work units both at the Central Representative and Overseas have implemented an administrative and management system that upholds all organizational principles.

So, that was the article that we can describe to all readers regarding the meaning of  bureaucratic reform  according to experts, aspects, goals, benefits, parties involved, and examples that have occurred in Indonesia. Hopefully educational.