Policy dialogue session on the importance of SP4N LAPOR! in improving public services, including in the field of environmental protection. Photo: USAID SEGAR

Banda Aceh – Aceh Provincial Government, through the Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) and the Provincial Office for Communication, Informations, and Coding (Diskominsa), conducted a policy dialogue on the National Government Monitoring and Reporting System (hereinafter referred to as SP4N LAPOR!) with a focus on environmental protection and management (Tuesday, 12/12). This event was organized in collaboration with the USAID Sustainable Environmental Governance Across Regions (SEGAR) project, a collaboration between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas.

Dr. Nur Hygiawati Rahayu, S.T., MSc., Director of Forestry and Conservation of Water Resources (KKSDA) of Bappenas, also conveyed a welcome speech to the event. SP4N LAPOR! represents the government's commitment to realizing quality and responsive public services according to the needs of the community. The involvement of USAID SEGAR in strengthening this initiative in Aceh is expected to contribute to environmental protection and biodiversity conservation efforts.

In his opening remarks, the Head of Bappeda of Aceh Province, H. T. Ahmad Dadek S.H., M.H., stated that the presence of SP4N LAPOR! in Aceh is a significant step in strengthening public service governance. Through this system, the Aceh Provincial Government aims to respond quickly and effectively to every complaint, including those related to the environment.

Aceh Provincial Government has introduced SP4N LAPOR! as a tool to enable the public to provide aspirations, complaints, and requests for information regarding public services. Based on discussions with various speakers, SP4N LAPOR! can also be driven within the context of environmental protection and management. The presence of SP4N LAPOR! is expected to be one of the instruments in supporting public participation, enhancing public oversight, and facilitating communication between the public and policymakers with an orientation towards environmental sustainability.

The dialogue, guided by Law Enforcement Specialists from USAID SEGAR, involved speakers such as Chief Expert of Deputy II of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP), Agung Hardjono and Head of the Management and Public Information Services Division of Diskominsa Aceh, Safrizal AR, S.Sos, M.M. Also participating online were the Deputy Assistant for Digital Transformation of Public Services of the Ministry of State Apparatus Utilization and Bureaucratic Reform (KemenPAN-RB) Drs. Yanuar Ahmad, MPA, and Head of the Facilitation of Complaints and Public Information Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) Rega Tadeak Hakim.                                                         

"Public complaints can serve as a reference to identify issues in the monitoring and evaluation of national priority targets, including those related to forest and land management and protection," said Agung Hardjono, Chief Expert of Deputy II of KSP.

According to SP4N LAPOR! data in the Aceh region throughout 2023, the most reported topics include employment, social assistance, and education. Generally, there are few reports in the field of the environment. However, in North Aceh, one of the districts supported by the USAID SEGAR project, environmental pollution topics have started to be widely reported through SP4N LAPOR! in the last year.

Through the support of USAID SEGAR, the BYTRA Civil Society Organization (LSM) also supports the capacity building of the community, especially youth communities in North Aceh, to collectively learn about SP4N LAPOR! and utilize it. North Aceh District has also developed an Action Plan Road Map for the Implementation of SP4N LAPOR! and has completed the Complaints Handling Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for SP4N LAPOR! administrators in North Aceh.

Furthermore, based on information from KemenPAN-RB, public satisfaction with the management of complaints through SP4N LAPOR! is influenced by the accuracy of administrators in handling complaints, the speed of response from relevant agencies, and the ease with which the public receives updates on the status of reports.

"It is important to note that a small number of complaints does not necessarily mean that we are doing well. What is more important is how we build the public's trust to report issues in the field and how quickly and accurately the government responds to those complaints," said Deputy Assistant for Digital Transformation of Public Services KemenPAN-RB, Drs. Yanuar Ahmad, MPA. He added that there may be issues in the field, but the community may not know how to report them.

In line with this statement, Rega Tadeak Hakim representing Kemendagri emphasized that SP4N LAPOR! applies nationally and aims to connect all providers of public services, both at the central and local levels. It is necessary to ensure that all agencies related to public affairs can connect with SP4N LAPOR!

"One key to the success of SP4N LAPOR! at the local level is the political commitment at the leadership level towards the management of public service complaints. In addition, socialization to the public and internalization of SP4N LAPOR! within government units still need improvement," said Rega Tadeak Hakim.

Meanwhile, Safrizal AR, S.Sos, MM, Head of the Management and Public Information Services Division of Diskominsa Aceh, provided the perspective of the local government. "The Aceh Provincial Government has reached an agreement with the district governments in Aceh Province for the provincial and district governments to jointly succeed in the implementation of SP4N LAPOR!. One of the agreed-upon points is the commitment to use SP4N LAPOR! as the only official complaint channel for public services," emphasized Safrizal.

The commitment of the Aceh Provincial Government to utilize SP4N LAPOR! to improve environmental governance in Aceh Province is also realized by appointing the Forest Management Unit (KPH) and other relevant Technical Implementation Units in dealing with environmental issues as SP4N LAPOR! administrators. This way, they can receive and respond to public reports directly.

The presence of SP4N LAPOR! in Aceh is designed to support the implementation and achievement of development in various sectors, in line with Governor Regulation Number 6 of 2022 concerning the Aceh Development Plan (RPA) for the Year 2023-2026. The RPA includes strategic issues in Aceh that correlate with the existence of SP4N LAPOR! as a complaint system, including the improvement of democracy, the enhancement of health quality, the reduction of poverty rates, the increase in economic growth, job creation and unemployment reduction, and the optimization of environmental governance, forest preservation, and disaster management.

In addition to the Director of KKSDA of the Ministry of PPN/Bappenas RI, representatives from USAID Indonesia, several representatives from various government agencies in Aceh Province, and administrators serving as SP4N LAPOR! managers also attended the event.

After the policy dialogue session, the event continued with training for SP4N LAPOR! administrators from various government agencies in Aceh Province, North Aceh, East Aceh, and Aceh Tamiang, especially those related to environmental management, forests, and land. This training involved facilitators from USAID SEGAR with speakers from the Deputy Assistant for Digital Transformation of Public Services of KemenPAN RB, Rosikin, S.Si., M.M., and the Coordinator of SP4N LAPOR! Administration of Diskominsa Aceh, Surya Ramadhan, S.Sos, M.Sc. The administrators were equipped with technical skills, knowledge about features in the SP4N LAPOR! application, and coordination for resolving complaints received through SP4N LAPOR!. This training lasted for two days.