Jakarta, Sita W. Dewi – With Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's arguably unique leadership style, the city administration has seen changes in bureaucracy like never before.
The city administration, notorious for its ineffective coordination and sluggish bureaucracy, has seen local leaders, including mayors, subdistrict and district leaders, and agency heads descend on the field to ensure that everything is heading in the right direction.
Often, local leaders and all senior officials turn up in a full team to attend various events held on weekends or after work hours as the governor, who almost never gets to enjoy weekends at home, loves to hold cultural festivals and the like.
Jokowi's policies have forced his subordinates to become more familiar with technology; last year's open-call recruitment required subdistrict and district leaders to undergo a series of tests.
Several of the candidates at the time trained themselves in using a laptop before undergoing a computer-based competency test. Now all of them have to maintain their technological savvy to communicate with one another, or with the governor and deputy governor.
"We are no longer unfamiliar with technology. We use technology to communicate," Menteng district head Bondan Dyah said.
Recently, there were reports that a number of the city's officials have a micro-chat communications group. "[We have a chat group] based on areas of duties," she pointed out, declining to elaborate on the kinds of topic they regularly discuss.
Jokowi's no-nonsense leadership style has also introduced a fresh communication pattern into the administration. As soon as he assumed Jakarta's top job, Jokowi axed complicated bureaucratic procedures that had often decelerated progress, allowing his staff to reach him anytime via the simplest way possible.
"I reported my agency's budget spending to the governor via BBM [BlackBerry messenger]. It didn't involve a single formal letter and he didn't ask me to come meet him face-to-face to give my report," said Fire Fighting Agency head Subejo. "It's easier and faster," he added.
The governor's accessibility also extends to Jakarta's residents, creating an added challenge to civil servants. "Now that we know residents can easily report anything to the governor, we have to be more aware and responsive. Everything needs to be handled immediately," Subejo continued.
Coordination meetings are now not something they have to do face-to-face. "When officials have to discuss a certain issue, we can do it anywhere and at anytime; it doesn't always have to involve formal meetings. Pak Jokowi is a result-oriented leader," said Thousand Islands Regent Asep Syarifudin.
Jokowi also applies the same approach when communicating with parties outside the city administration, including leaders such as the Jakarta Police chief. He is also open for communication via email.
"When there's an easy way, why would you choose any other way?" Jokowi told The Jakarta Post recently. "If I can do something by phone, I prefer to do it that way. It saves time and it is more efficient," he added.
Jakarta Employment Agency head I Made Karmayoga acknowledged that changes in the bureaucracy had resulted in a positive impact on public services and, to some extent, improved the city's image.
"There's a significant change in terms of public services and image," Karmayoga said after a briefing by the governor, attended by senior officials at City Hall.
He also said that "changing [the civil servants'] mind-set is not an overnight job; that's why we have to remind them over and over again about the importance of putting public interests above our own".