The data revolution has permeated beyond the closeted realm of computer science into becoming a lynchpin of public policy-making. Data in all of its buzzy forms (big data, little data, open data) are transforming the face of public governance into a digital one. With the dawn of the data revolution comes digital innovation. But effective implementation and integration of digital innovation in support of more effective governance is not without its significant challenges.
Indonesia’s story of digital innovation in the public sphere is an excitingly recent one. In 2014, national legislative and presidential elections – data heavy and dripping with significance for the direction of democratic governance – prompted the creation of digital platforms such as Kawal Pemilu, as well as the country’s first governance-inspired hackathon, Code for Vote – all of which facilitated public participation in elections beyond merely voting.
Read more: Digital Governance in Indonesia: An On and Offline Battle
Local smart city projects need central support, says research firm IDC.
The Indonesian central government needs to support local officials on smart city projects, research firm IDC said.
“We believe the federal government needs to step up and invest so as to spur the growing momentum of digital city transformations and ensure long-term progress is maintained for smart city initiatives,” said Sudev Bangah, Country Manager of IDC Indonesia and Philippines.
Read more: Indonesian federal government must ‘step up’ smart city game
Bandung is emerging as Indonesia’s leading smart city. Spurred by Indonesia’s economic growth in the past decade, Bandung has developed into a thriving hub for manufacturing and creative industries. The city’s economy is growing at an annual rate of 9%, and its population is estimated to reach 4.1 million by 2030. With this rapid urbanisation, the city is starting to face a number of challenges such as traffic congestion, rising crime rates, waste management, air pollution and housing shortages.
To address these challenges, the government has announced that it will quadruple the budget for its smart city programme next year, from IDR25 billion (US$1.8 million) to IDR 100billion (US$7.3 million), which will be used to build up the city's digital infrastructure. Over the past year, the government has installed about 5,000 free wi-fi hotspots across the city, and they have set a target to install up to 40,000 hotspots to provide more citizens with access to free connectivity. “Bandung has 10,000 neighbourhoods and we intend to provide each with four wi-fi hotspots,” said Ridwan Kamil, Mayor of Bandung.
National Encryption Agency (Lemsaneg) head Maj. Gen. (ret) Djoko Setiadi, recently re-appointed for a second term, has pledged to ensure the security of communication between government officials and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
Djoko said that one of his priorities would be improving data security systems.
“Lemsaneg is improving the security system. We have managed to build a strong algorithm,” Djoko said after his inauguration at the State Palace on Friday.
Read more: ID: Encyrption body chief wants homegrown data security systems
During his presidential campaign, Joko Widodo repeatedly vowed to implement an e-government system that would strengthen monitoring, improve accountability and ultimately curb corruption.
Coming into his second year in term, the president is finding the task easier said than done, as Indonesia struggles to cope with a lack of technical and human support for its e-government plans.
Read more: Indonesia E-Government Dream Needs Troubleshooting