Depok, January 15, 2024 – The development of information and communication technology (ICT) has become crucial in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In this revolution, innovations in ICT are key to accelerating progress and efficiency across various industrial sectors. ICT supports digitalization and automation processes, providing significant opportunities for companies, government institutions, and individuals to improve efficiency, productivity, collaboration, and innovation. Therefore, understanding and implementing ICT is essential to address challenges and seize opportunities in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era.

This opening statement was delivered by Dr. M. Ari Setiawan during his Doctoral Promotion Session in Administrative Sciences, Graduate Program at the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, University of Indonesia (FIA UI), on Tuesday (January 9, 2023) at the EDISI 2020 Auditorium, Building M, FIA UI, Depok. Dr. Ari’s dissertation was titled “Governance Design in Policy Formulation in the Era of Disruption: A Case Study on App-Based Transportation Policy in Indonesia.”

“The background of this research stems from observations showing that the use of digital technology is transforming how people communicate, interact, and conduct business transactions in the trade, finance, and transportation sectors, replacing conventional methods. In the transportation sector, digital technology has facilitated ease of ordering transportation services through various smartphone applications,” he stated.

Dr. Ari explained that app-based public transportation activities in Indonesia are rapidly evolving, making them an intriguing case study due to their complexity. However, public policy struggles to keep pace with technological and business developments. This misalignment has resulted in both vertical and horizontal conflicts, as existing regulations fail to reflect responsive governance in policy formulation during the era of disruption.

“This is evident in government regulations challenged in the Supreme Court and the continuous wave of public protests. Initial analysis reveals two main theoretical problems in the policy formulation process for app-based transportation in Indonesia,” Dr. Ari said.

The first problem lies in the agenda-setting stage, which lacks comprehensive public participation. Policy-making has focused solely on regulatory aspects, resulting in ongoing issues. Second, the policy formulation process is unsystematic. Findings show that public testing and collaboration with relevant stakeholders are absent, leading to an absence of consensus on rights and responsibilities within the policy formulation.

“In this challenging era, governance theories and models are evolving rapidly. However, many policies and political decisions fail to meet public needs. Communication, coordination, and cohesion within networks are crucial for collective action, involving public, private, and non-profit actors. The increasing focus on governance through networks attracts attention not only from researchers and academics but also from practitioners implementing network governance,” Dr. Ari elaborated.

Dr. Ari emphasized that public administrators, policymakers, and policy analysts must navigate the complexity of networks to achieve effective outcomes. He also highlighted the importance of implementing agile processes in app-based transportation policy-making to enhance adaptability. Such policies align with Society 5.0 ideals, accelerating economic growth while improving accessibility for underprivileged communities.

“This research underscores the importance of robust governance design in formulating app-based transportation policies in Indonesia during the era of disruption. Due to rapid technological advancements and changing public behavior, inclusive participation, transparency, and accountability are vital in the decision-making process,” he said.

Furthermore, Dr. Ari called for inter-agency and stakeholder collaboration to ensure effective and efficient policy implementation. App-based transportation platforms and management systems should demonstrate greater transparency in decision-making to foster collaboration among stakeholders.

“This requires a new approach to regulating and supervising app-based transportation in Indonesia. These changes redefine the tasks of transportation planners. Our findings indicate that current debates primarily focus on how policies should respond to technological advancements,” Dr. Ari added.

Based on his research, Dr. Ari recommended collaborative efforts between government institutions (the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, the Ministry of Manpower, and the Ministry of Health) to establish a safe, reliable, and integrated app-based transportation system.

Additionally, he stressed the importance of e-participation in governance design for policy formulation. This approach accommodates diverse perspectives, ensures transparency and accountability, strengthens democracy, and improves service quality. Public and stakeholder involvement in policy formulation is essential to achieving sustainable and innovative transportation policies that meet the needs of all parties involved.

“From in-depth research and analysis, it can be concluded that responsive governance design is crucial in formulating app-based transportation policies in Indonesia during the era of disruption. Governance design, based on the Klijn & Koppenjan framework, is strengthened by institutional regime characteristics, including facilitators, regulators, and executors. This framework enhances the agenda-setting and policy formulation stages in app-based transportation governance design,” Dr. Ari concluded.

Notably, during the Doctoral Promotion Session, Dr. Ari wore traditional Balinese attire, marking the first time such attire was worn in a UI doctoral defense. He explained that this choice reflects Indonesia’s cultural diversity and acknowledges Bali’s prominence as a world-renowned tourist destination and a potential model for implementing responsive governance in app-based public transportation.

During the session, Dr. Ari officially became the 39th doctoral graduate from the Faculty of Administrative Sciences and the 227th in Administrative Sciences, earning the distinction of “With High Honors.”

The session was chaired by Prof. Dr. Chandra Wijaya, M.Si., M.M., with Dr. Roy Valiant Salomo, M.Soc.Sc., as the promoter, and Prof. Dr. Teguh Kurniawan, M.Sc., as the co-promoter. The examination panel included Dr. Gloriani Novita Christin, M.T.; Dr. Tjuk Sukardiman, M.Si.; Prof. Dr. Amy Yayuk Sri Rahayu, M.Si.; Prof. Dr. Eko Prasojo, Mag.rer.publ.; and Dr. Phil Reza Fathurrahman, MPP.