Ministry of Social Affairs Awards for Verificating and Validating Integrated Social Welfare Data

JAKARTA (July 3, 2019) - The Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs awarded the most active city and district governments in conducting the Verification and Validation of Integrated Social Welfare Data.

The awards were given by the Minister of Social Affairs Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita to the regional heads in the National Coordination Meeting on Integrated Social Welfare Data in Jakarta on Wednesday. This year the awards were conferred to Boyolali Regency, Bojonegoro Regency, Labuhan Batu Regency, Samosir Regency, and Bukittinggi City.

"The government gives its highest appreciation to regional governments that have played an active role in the process of verifying and validating integrated social welfare data. I hope this can inspire other local governments," said the Minister.

In 2018, Tanah Bumbu Regency, Toli-Toli Regency, Ciamis Regency, Tulungagung Regency, West Lampung Regency, Bontang City, and Bukittinggi City were awarded as the most active local governments to verify and validate the integrated social welfare data.

The Minister said that the central government promoted joint commitment of Provincial and Regency / City Governments in carrying out verification and validation of social welfare data. The commitment manifested in updating the data regularly, allocating budget regularly and adequately, and preparing human resources starting from the desa/kelurahan (the lowest level of government administration), regency/city to the provincial level.

"Along with the commitment of the local governments, the Ministry of Social Affairs also supports data updating by local governments through policy socialization, technical guidance on online and offline data verification and validation in 34 provinces, and provides online helpdesk services to solve emerging technical problems," explained the Minister.

During his speech in the National Coordination Meeting, Minister Agus said Law Number 13 of 2011 concerning Poverty Reduction Management and Law Number 23 of 2014 concerning Local Government have mandated the important role of local governments in updating data of the poor household.

The aforementioned laws instructed the Regent/Mayor to play an active role in the integrated data verification and validation process. The Social Services Agency were required to sort the data of residents receiving and not yet receiving assistance in accordance with the requirements, and to implement minimum service standards based on relevant integrated data.

Minister Agus emphasized that data processing and updating are essential. "A program success depends on data quality. If the data is poor, the output could be correct, but the outcome is not certain, "he explained.

In reference to social welfare development, data became a non negotiable key due to the immense dynamics in the field. The social welfare development program, especially social assistance services will become better, more effective and efficient with all improvements and innovations and updated features.

"For instance, there are families who are no longer considered as underprivileged families. However, it is still possible that in the next year they will fall to poverty, "said the Minister.

Currently, BDT (Integrated Database) updates are implemented once every six months or twice a year.

Minister Agus revealed that the BDT renewal plan will be carried out routinely in three months as an effort to make KPM (beneficiary families) as recipients of social assistance right on target.

“So far, the data updating has been carried out well, but it is not enough. Hence, the Pusdatin team is preparing updating process that can be done in every three months, "said the Minister.

SIKS-NG Innovation

Meanwhile Head of Social Welfare Data and Information Center (Kapusdatin Kesos) Said Mirza Pahlevi said that the development of the Next Generation Social Welfare Information System (SIKS-NG) was to facilitate the management of Integrated Social Welfare Data.

SIKS-NG contains data of the lowest 40 percent households in socioeconomic status including demographic, education, health, housing, asset ownership, and membership of social assistance/subsidy programs.

"SIKS-NG services are already running in the form of integrated data management support, Food Assistance data, Family Hope Program (PKH) data, Data from the Government for Social Welfare Services (PPKS) for Children, and Health Benefit Contributions Recipients (PBI JK)," explained Mirza.

SIKS-NG as data management and social assistance/subsidy program had been disseminated to all provincial and regency/city governments. Data improvement from the field was managed through SIKS-NG for planning, decision making and distributing of social assistance/subsidies.

Through SIKS-NG, local governments can manage their data online, transparently, cheaper, easier, and faster.

"Praise to God, SIKS-NG this year has been chosen as the Top 99 Public Service Innovations in 2019 by the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucracy Reform which is holding a Public Service Innovation Competition. After going through a series of assessment stages, the application of SIKS-NG become one of 99 public service innovations with a breakthrough in providing direct or indirect benefits to the community," said Head of Data and Information Center.

National Coordination Meeting was divided into two phases. Regions of Java, Sulawesi and Kalimantan attended the Phase I taking place on 28 June 2019. The regions of Sumatra, Bali, NTT, NTB, Maluku, Papua attended Phase II which was held on 3 July 2019. The participants consisted of Heads of Social Services Agency/Social Institutions and Heads of Development Planning Agency from provincial, regency/city level.

This meeting aimed to boost the commitment of Provincial and Regency/City governments in carrying out verification and validation of integrated social welfare data.

Data verification and validation was important to attain accurate, relevant, and integrated data. Thus the accuracy of the target beneficiaries of the social welfare implementation program would be achieved.

Head of Public Relations Bureau, Ministry of Social Affairs RI

Sonny W. Manalu