Single Database for Public Service Digitalization

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

2020 Population Census officers verify data in the field at RW 03 Galur Village, Johar Baru District, Central Jakarta, Tuesday (2/9/2020). This recording is carried out to produce a single data on the Indonesian population

JAKARTA, KOMPAS —The integration and digitalization of data in necessary for the improvement of public services. For this purpose, the government is accelerating the implementation of Single Data Indonesia (SDI). However, this effort must be supported by the strengthening of cyber defenses so that data is not easily hacked.

The deputy for monitoring, evaluation and control of development at the National Development Planning Ministry/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), Taufik Hanafi, said on Tuesday (21/9/2021), that data integration was the key to governance in the digital era. With the use of a single database, information related to government services, administration, bureaucracy and national development planning could be integrated.

However, before the implementation of SDI, he said, data integration involving systems and government applications, which still had a number of weaknesses, had to be reorganized. The existing data was often redundant and had multiple standards. They were also not based on a single reference.

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“This weakness has caused confusion among data users, regarding the data that is the most accurate. For this reason, the integration of public service data is important and urgent," said Taufik.

Taufik added that data integration was quite important in the midst of efforts to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was needed to maintain the effectiveness, efficiency, accuracy and impacts of social assistance and subsidies.

From the results of the evaluation of the implementation of the SDI policy in 2021, Bappenas found a number of challenges. First, a number of existing regulations require the use of different models in the administration of data in government agencies. This complicates the process of standardizing the administration of government data.

FRANSISKUS WISNU WARDHANA DHANY UNTUK KOMPAS

Left to Right: Cyber Security Practitioner Yohanes Syailendra Kotualubun, Cyber Security Observer Charles Lim, and Chairman of the Communication & Information System Security Research Center Pratama Persadha during the Cyber Threat Discussion in Jakarta, Saturday (9/2/2019).

Second, the issuance of regulations for the implementation of the SDI in the regions has been relatively slow. According to data from the Home Affairs Ministry, of the country’s 34 provinces, only 17 have issued regulations for the use of SDI. Meanwhile, the single data system of five of the 17 provinces that have issued SDI regulations will have to be aligned with Presidential Regulation No. 39/2019 concerning SDI.

“We have encouraged local governments to immediately issue a regulation on the use of single databases in the regions. But it depends on the commitment and understanding of the regional governments on the importance of data in evidence-based policy,” said Taufik.

Data security

Regarding SDI, Taufik said data security was also an important aspect. Therefore, the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) would play an important role. "Data governance must be strengthened in the implementation of SDI," he said.

The executive director of the Communication and Information System Security Research Center, Pratama Persadha, said that if SDI was implemented, the real problem would be security. “If [data] has to be integrated, it must first be ensured that cyber security is really tight. Otherwise, once hacked, all data can be stolen at the same time," he added.

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He said the infrastructure, human resources and cyber security governance in the government were still not strong enough. Very few government institutions had good cyber security governance.

To deal with the dangers of cyberattacks, Communications and Information Minister Johnny G Plate said the ministry and the SSN would work together to create a secure digital ecosystem, including through the implementation of an Electronic Government System. The ministry would also support the BSSN\'s task in managing and tackling cybersecurity incidents through personal data monitoring and comprehensive data governance, he added.

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.