City opens high-ranking posts for civil servants

JAKARTA. In its latest attempt to reform its bureaucracy, the Jakarta administration has introduced an open recruitment system aimed at finding quality human resources among Jakarta’s civil servants to fill thousands of middle- to top-level jobs.

The Jakarta Employment Agency — joined by the Communication and Information Agency; the Organization and Administration Bureau; and the Legal Bureau — on Thursday disseminated information about the recruitment process to hundreds of civil servants holding top-echelon jobs in the city administration, as registration is set to open next week.

Jakarta Employment Agency head I Made Karmayoga said that the merit-based recruitment was being undertaken to select the best human resources to fill the high-ranking posts, following the restructuring program introduced by the city in which more than 1,000 echelon-level jobs are being axed.

“This is part of our restructuring program. Open recruitment like this will prevent [nepotism and collusion] from happening. All eligible civil servants will have the opportunity to aim for all posts, including those higher than their current posts,” Karmayoga said at City Hall.

The eligible civil servants, who are estimated to total more than 13,000 people, are those of Echelon III and higher. They are obliged to undergo a series of assessments to secure up to 6,848 posts. The number of posts has been reduced from 8,011 posts previously.

“This is a result of the restructuring program within the city administration. Another consequence is a decline in monthly income as there will be about 45 to 50 percent [of civil servants holding echelon-level jobs] who will earn less than what they get currently because they won’t get the structural allowance anymore,” Karmayoga said, adding that he called on civil servants to adjust their lifestyles.

“This is the only fair way to do it. We have no better option,” he said.

Karmayoga said that eligible civil servants were welcome to bid for higher posts. “Echelon IV officials can target Echelon III jobs, for example,” he said, adding that the outcome would depend on the assessment result.

 “We will remove underperforming officials,” he said.

Karmayoga continued by explaining that there would also be adjustments in allowances. “We adjusted the allowance system. Everyone could receive different allowances based on their performance. It is very dynamic so the allowances [among the officials] won’t be the same,” he said.

According to the Jakarta Communications and Information Agency, online registration will open on jakgov.jakarta.go.id next week.

Eligible civil servants will have to sign up for an account before registering to take part in the recruitment process.

An official with the Communications and Information Agency, Ii Karunia, welcomed the open recruitment, saying that, “as it is obligatory, I have no other option but to join the process. This is inevitable as part of the restructuring program. However, I still have no idea as to which position I will apply for.”

Deputy Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama has said that unsuccessful officials will fill staffer positions. “I don’t want to give underperforming officials strategic posts anymore,” he said. Previously, underperforming officials have been transferred to other posts at the same level.

According to Karmayoga, the recruitment process is expected to be completed by December.

In the first year of Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo and Ahok’s leadership, the two introduced open-call selection for subdistrict and district leaders; top administrators at hospitals and schools; and procurement unit officials. Although the recruitment process is described as “open”, it is in fact only for civil servants working at the Jakarta administration. (Sita W. Dewi)