Changes in the coverage of essential services along the rural provincial border as a result of informal collaboration

Abstract

The Sustainable Deveopment Goals prioritize universal essential public services as the second most important development goal after human basic needs in a global perspective. Indonesia implements a public service provision standard with a territorial approach and a set of minimum population requirement that lead to urban bias, resulting in border areas failing to meet the requirements for the provision of public services. Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta Province is one of Indonesia's provinces with more than 70% of its border areas being rural, and more than 40% of border villages having limited essential public services. Because of the territorial delivery system for essential public services, formal cross-border services require a significant amount of resources. Using quantitative approach by indexing essential public services availability, this paper examines changes of essential public services coverage when cross-border services are provided informally. The case of Pustu Panggang informal crossborder service delivery provides lessons on how informal collaboration works. Although it involves misdeeds and omissions, the application of informal collaboration in cross-border services increases essential public service coverage by 57 percent in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta Province's rural border areas. As a result, informal collaboration should be viewed as a low-cost coping strategy in Indonesia's efforts to provide universal public service coverage.

Strategies for Utilizing AI and Data Analytics to Improve the Effectiveness of Public Services in Indonesia: A Local Government Level Approach

“…The integration of innovative technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics, is critical for improving the efficiency, responsiveness, and overall effectiveness of public services in Indonesia [1]. The advancement of information and communication technologies has led to major changes in the labor system, and the development of digital labor policies based on research results is necessary [2]. The adoption of Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) in Indonesian public sectors can boost employee innovation outcomes, but it requires factors such as technology fit, organizational resources, knowledge, and social influences [3].…”

“…The phenomenon of making new autonomous local government is widespread in Indonesia, with factors such as population density, per capita income level, and political aspects significantly affecting territorial splits and government fragmentation [9]. The provision of essential public services in border areas is a challenge, leading to the need for informal collaboration to increase coverage [2]. The competence of government apparatus and public services is crucial for good governance, and efforts are being made to improve their quality [10].…”