T

hree years into Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s presidency, the development of physical infrastructure has started to show tangible results, improving the livelihood and welfare of the people. However, perhaps unknown to many in the republic, another type of infrastructure that is invisible physically, but no less strategic, is being built: a development policy database.

Why data? Not so long ago, if we asked the government about rice production, there was no single answer to the question. The Agriculture Ministry’s data is different from that produced by the State Logistics Agency (Bulog); even the Trade Ministry and the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) had contrasting data.

Who, how many and where the poor lived somehow remained a source of disagreement between the Social Affairs Ministry and the National Team for Poverty Reduction Acceleration, despite the very fact that this data formed the basis for the distribution of various social welfare schemes.

Some protected forest areas registered under the Environment and Forestry Ministry were also registered as mining concession areas, the licenses for which were issued by local governments or the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry. Areas that belonged to indigenous people and customary forests had, in fact, different statuses according to the Agrarian and Spatial Planning Ministry/National Land Agency. The list could go on and on: From food to health, from mining to maritime and fisheries.

When brought to the table, each ministry would defend itself, insisting that their data was the most valid simply because the data were “regulated” under their own regulatory framework or even laws. This is where the real problem is: How can we have proper development strategies or accurate policymaking with the absence of single-reference, precise and reliable data, be they statistical, spatial or administrative?

Different from the “visible” development of physical infrastructure such as roads, airports, dams and ports, the development of data as non-physical policymaking infrastructure is invisible. At times, it is imperceptible and obscure, but still benefit the lives of many when the policies run accurately and precisely.

Some might recall the Satu Data Indonesia (Indonesia One Data), the government’s effort to build and compile a single-reference data set for policymaking. Although it is still awaiting its legal basis, many agencies and public institutions are already aware of its importance.

Availability and access to data as the basis for producing accurate information is key to quality delivery of development programs. While budget effectiveness is fundamental to development planning, the measurable outputs, let alone outcomes, of the money being spent are much more vital.

On many occasions, President Jokowi has emphasized the importance of integrated and consolidated priority development programs, between and within sectors and regions, and both central and local governments. Yet, the absence of a single, unified database would result in difficult, if not impossible or unsuccessful, coordination, both vertically (between ministries and sectors) and horizontally (between regions).

This single unified reference applies to both statistical and geospatial data. For example, policymaking and development program implementation often encounter a lack of geospatial information, such as a map of the spatial plan. Thematic maps produced by different public institutions have different references; as a result, they slow the implementation of development programs.

Presidential Regulation No. 9/2016 on the one map policy was enacted to mitigate problems related to maps, such as the one above, that have been unresolved for years. Likewise, the regulation is expected to provide a unified single database and data reference for the policymaking process.

The purpose of Satu Data Indonesia is to establish a single government database that can be used as a reference for every policy and its implementation. There are three criteria to achieving Indonesia One Data’s goal: accurate, open and interoperable.

To reach the goal, we need to publish data in an open format and make it accessible through the One Data portal (data.go.id). At the same time, the utilization of the data must be promoted, for both internal government needs and public interests. From the perspective of data management, data synchronization and standardization, institutional capacity building and improvements in data interoperability across public institutions and governments are crucial.

In order to formulate policies to achieve Satu Data Indonesia, the government has provided room for public participation. The government is aware that encouraging public participation requires an appropriate ecosystem and relevant policy infrastructure in line with the principles of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The ideal ecosystem would be e-government, where the government takes advantage of the advancement of information technology not only to deliver quality public services and effective governance, but also to ensure meaningful public engagement. For the purpose of data development, e-government provides a handy platform for single reference data and maps.

Frequent issues such as the unavailability of data, the absence of institutional coordination and data that do not meet interoperability standards, can be solved through Satu Data Indonesia. In addition to development policies that are more accurate and precise, the government can also keep its promise to be present for the people and to deliver quality public services.

Satu Data Indonesia is not an end in itself. It is a vital infrastructure for policymaking, but this goes both ways. The policymaking culture also has to be more open, participative and fact-based to ensure successful implementation. Without this kind of culture, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to ensure the reliability and integrity of data that is free of vested interests.

The government encourages and promotes the practice of open government. In fact, Indonesia was one of the eight founders of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global initiative that aims at promoting governmental openness under which government and civil society have equal footing.

The OGP initiative is embodied and facilitated through Open Government Indonesia (OGI). Mirroring the OGP, the OGI is co-led by the government and civil society organizations with the aim to mature and establish the ecosystem necessary for achieving the development agenda.

The cornerstone of the OGI lies in the real work that openly produces data and evidence as the bases for development policymaking.

As the infrastructure for evidence-based policies, the development of Satu Data Indonesia requires sharp identification and strict implementation. The question remaining is whether we have succeeded in realizing the spirit of an open government and whether it has become our bureaucratic culture.

Open government requires better and more strategic support and clear political directives. But above all, it needs commitment from the very top down to ministerial and local levels of government. This is the way to ensure that open government provides, and even becomes, the platform for government and civil society to engage in a partnership of equals to guarantee development for all citizens.

Next week, Indonesia will host the Asia Pacific Leaders Forum on Open Government in Jakarta. The forum aspires to further strengthen commitments and to build understanding on the implementation of open government in different contexts and levels. Its focus is to provide opportunities for exchanging knowledge and practices on how open government can contribute to inclusive development in the region.

Strong commitment and better understanding will determine how fast we can accelerate the establishment of an open government. It will be the condition necessary for creating and implementing effective, evidence-based policies to ensure that in development, no one is left behind.
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The writer is a deputy to the presidential chief of staff, the national focal point for Open Government Partnership in Indonesia and honorary research fellow at the University of Manchester, UK.