Trinada Willya Citra, Assistant Project Leader, Jakarta Smart City, Indonesia

1. How do you use your role to ensure that technology and policy are truly inclusive?  

One way to ensure that policies and technologies are genuinely inclusive is by conducting regular evaluations – monthly, quarterly, or biannually. These evaluations help measure how far a policy or technological improvement has supported public services and met people’s needs effectively.  

2. What’s a moment in your career when you saw firsthand how technology or a new policy changed a citizen’s life for the better?

I currently serve as an Assistant Project Leader at Jakarta Smart City, which manages one of the city’s key digital products, the JAKI (Jakarta Now) application.  

JAKI is an integrated digital service platform where citizens can access public services, including the Citizen Reporting feature.

Through this feature, residents can report issues such as waste, damaged roads, or broken streetlights directly to the Jakarta Provincial Government.

Under the Regional Secretary’s Decree No. 99 of 2022, all reports submitted via JAKI must be followed up through the CRM (Citizens Quick Response System) system. This policy has made the process more integrated, transparent, and easier for citizens to monitor. 

I personally experienced the benefits of this system. One day, I reported a broken traffic light on my commute via JAKI and surprisingly, within less than 12 hours, the issue was resolved.  

It was a memorable moment that showed me how technology and public policy can come together to create quick, transparent, and satisfying public services, even for someone who is not a Jakarta resident.  

3. What was the most impactful project you worked on this year, and how did you measure its success in building trust and serving the needs of the public?  

This year, I had the opportunity to lead the CRM project. One of my key focuses was improving the EWS (Estimated Completion Time) feature, which local agencies use when handling a report requires more time. The update introduced a validation process before additional time could be approved.

With this mechanism, the use of EWS has become more accurate and accountable, ultimately strengthening public trust in the report-handling process.  

4. What was one unexpected lesson you learned this year about designing for real people?  

One essential lesson I learned this year is the importance of communication within a team, along with the ability to manage schedules and prioritise tasks to meet project timelines.

In my view, a project runs well when team members communicate openly and effectively. To support this, I implemented daily stand-up meetings lasting 5-10 minutes.  

This short routine allows team members to share updates on completed and upcoming tasks. If issues arise, we schedule additional meetings to discuss solutions more thoroughly. 

I also learned the importance of prioritising work. In government settings, requests for changes or new features often come all at once. In such situations, the team must distinguish which issues are urgent and which can be completed with more flexibility.  

With clear priorities, projects can stay on track without being disrupted by unexpected requests.

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5. We hear a lot about AI. What's a practical example of how AI can be used to make government services more inclusive and trustworthy?  

AI can make government services more inclusive and trustworthy by acting as a tool that supports public policies, provided that the government implements AI policies that are transparent, safe, fair, accountable, and human-centred.

6. How are you preparing for the next wave of change in the public sector? What new skill, approach, or technology are you most excited to explore in the coming year?  

To face the next wave of change, I must be ready to adapt and collaborate. I practise lifelong learning and ensure that there is room for innovation.

The technology I am most looking forward to next year is the application of AI-driven sentiment analysis.  

Although official complaint systems exist, many concerns and aspirations flow into social media because people feel it is a faster way to be heard. AI sentiment analysis will allow us to map social issues in real time and respond more quickly before an issue goes viral in socia media.  

7. What advice do you have for public sector innovators who want to build a career focused on serving all citizens?  

To build a career in public service, we must understand its essence: serving citizens, not seeking profit.

Focus on meeting people’s needs and ensuring their satisfaction. Make sure every action aligns with the values of transparency and fairness.  

8. Who inspires you to build a more inclusive and trustworthy public sector? 

I am inspired by Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s former Prime Minister. His leadership demonstrated that good public service begins with integrity and role-modelling.

He also emphasised the importance of innovation and adaptability – including the use of technology to improve government efficiency. 

One programme I admire is the Civil Service Computerisation Programme (CSCP), which digitalised administrative processes.  

Through this programme, Lee Kuan Yew showed his long-term vision that technology can become a pillar of trust and transparency in public service.  

9. If you had an unlimited budget, what would your dream project be?  

Following my answer to question five, I would like to contribute to Jakarta by developing an AI Sentiment Analysis tool.

I want to help increase public trust in government and eliminate the perception of 'the government only responds once something goes viral’.  

10. Outside tech, what excites you the most?  

When I was in high school, I loved watching the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) series. I watched it so often that I even dreamed of becoming a forensic doctor, though fate had other plans, haha.

Interestingly, my interest in CSI eventually led me to the tech industry. I realised that to be involved in investigative work like in CSI, you don’t have to become a forensic doctor. IT experts play a crucial role, too.  

So, if you ask what excites me outside the tech sector, my answer is still crime scene investigation. Not as a perpetrator or victim, of course, but as an investigator.  

It’s incredibly exciting to conduct investigations, solve mysteries, and uncover the truth through data and logic.