Depok, July 1, 2025 – A doctoral graduate from the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FIA UI), presented significant insights into the governance reform of Indonesia’s State Safety Program. The research revealed persistent network fragmentation hindering effective collaboration among key actors, despite the system’s adaptive capabilities.

In his dissertation defense, Dr. Oke Hendra explained that while vertical collaboration (following regulatory hierarchies) functions relatively well, horizontal collaboration faces severe obstacles. Major barriers include the absence of formal inter-agency agreements and internal silos within the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

“Coordination often relies on structurally weak ad hoc task forces, leading to dependency on informal levers such as personal relationships. While these help maintain operations, they ultimately undermine long-term strategic coherence,” Dr. Oke explained.

The study also highlighted critical bottlenecks in data analysis capacity. The ability to transform safety data into actionable intelligence remains limited, hampering systemic learning and the proactive management essential for sustainable safety improvements.

Dr. Oke introduced an empirically grounded framework called the Vertical-Horizontal Actor Collaboration (VHAC) model. This framework outlines the complex interaction between limiting contextual factors, fragmented collaborative arrangements, and underperforming outcomes within Indonesia’s State Safety Program (SSP).

“This framework offers theoretical insights into managing mandated networks under institutional constraints, particularly addressing the dynamics of formal and informal interactions and the importance of analytical capacity,” he added.

In conclusion, Dr. Oke emphasized that Indonesia’s aviation safety governance requires a comprehensive overhaul. His recommendations include strengthening coordinating agencies, formalizing inter-agency collaboration, making substantial investments in data analytics, and fostering a strong culture of collaboration to build a more resilient aviation safety system.

The defense session was chaired by Prof. Dr. Dra. Retno Kusumastuti Hardjono, M.Si., with Prof. Dr. Eko Prasojo, Mag.rer.publ. as the main supervisor, Dr. Phil. Reza Fathurrahman, MPP as the first co-supervisor, and Prof. Dr. Colin Pilbeam, MA, MBA, PhD as the second co-supervisor. The examination committee also included Prof. Dr. Bambang Supriono, M.Si., Prof. Dr. Azhar Kasim, MPA, and Dr. Vishnu Juwono, MIA.