Leveraging Agile Transformation: Redesigning Local Government Governance

Abstract

A change from bureaucracy as a machine to a lively bureaucracy is needed for future VUCA. Being ”agile” is a defence strategy for bureaucracy to handle disruptions. Transformation of local government from a hierarchical system to an agile bureaucracy while maintaining stability and sustainably delivering services to citizens in diverse spaces and times necessitates leveraging a range of factors. We conducted a systematic literature review to explore enabling factors that help leverage agility for local government governance transformation. Redesigning local government bureaucracy requires a shared commitment and an integrated central government policy framework for enabling the support system. We prescribe a new model of local government governance in disaster-prone areas, which needs to be supported by an elite team who are responsive, flexible and innovative in real-time. This group should have expertise in policy analysis, human wellbeing, health, food supply, communication, informatics, risk disaster management, and mitigation to maintain future governance. This futuristic local government organizational design adapts crisis management into an integrated digital system dominated by strategic management levels, which adhere to morals and values.
 Keywords: agile local governance, crisis management, operational policy, redesign bureaucracy, responsiveness in VUCA

Introduction to the special issue ‘Towards a Multi-Level Understanding of Agile in Government: Macro, Meso and Micro Perspectives’

“…Following the meso-level approach they focus on restructuring the hierarchy, implementing new units and departments, and introducing new work processes. In a similar notion, Kurnia et al (2022) suggest the redesign of Indonesian local governments into more 'agile bureaucracies' among others drawing on flexible expert units in areas prone to natural disasters. They suggest that such an adapted organizational structure improves disaster-resilience and crisis management.…”