Tuty Kusumawati, Head, Empowerment, Child Protection and Population Control Office, Jakarta Capital City Government, Indonesia

How do you use technology/policy to improve citizen’s lives? Tell us about your role or organisation.

Technology is used to amplify the capacity of my role and my organisation’s role, to comply to our mandate in empowering families and women; protecting women and children; as well as controlling population growth and quality.

Currently, we developed an application called ‘Carik Jakarta’ which is used in collecting data of families throughout Jakarta, done by 70,902 women volunteers, who are members of the Family Empowerment and Welfare Organisation. This is the first time that the capital city government of Jakarta is collecting a massive data of population and families in a collaborative format with the citizen, particularly with women cadres (health volunteers).

The objectives of involving local women cadres in collecting families’ data by name, by address, by problems, is to gain accurate data based on factual condition of the families, whereas the cadres are living around families. Normally, one cadre covers 10-20 households.

Secondly, the capital city government of Jakarta provides call centre 112 to serve the citizens for preventing and managing gender based violence (GBV), particularly violence on women and children.

The call centre is integrated with the police command centre as well as the GBV care centre (Pusat Pelayanan Terpadu Pemberdayaan Perempuan dan Anak), ambulance services, local hospitals, local government security (Satuan Polisi Pamong Praja), fire and rescue services, and an application called ‘Jakarta Aman’ (Safe Jakarta).

What has been the most exciting thing that you worked on in 2019?

The most exciting work that I had is to get a special assignment from Governor of Jakarta to integrate family data collection (Pendataan Keluarga Satu Pintu). To do this mandate, I need to collect all family data as well as synchronise all the programmes on family welfare and happiness through Family Empowerment and Welfare Organisation members.

Several governmental sectors in Jakarta are involved in integrating family data on their own function, such as health, social, education and other sectors. Previously, each sector held data on their own sector, but through this programme, all data and interventions are integrated into one door service. Integrated Family Data Collection using ‘Carik Jakarta’ will compile all data and keep it under capital city government of Jakarta.

These data are collected by women cadres from Family Empowerment and Welfare Organisation. We are optimising the organisation that already exists, and keeping close to the community.

What is the best thing you have experienced in your career?

In my career, I have experienced many interesting phases. The best thing that happened to me in my career is when I received appreciation of what I have done.

In my previous institution, the Regional Development Planning Board of Jakarta Capital City Government, we conducted a participatory planning that was one of 15 shortlisted innovations out in the 2016 Guangzhou Awards. There was a total of 301 innovations by 171 cities from 59 countries.

Furthermore, we made several improvements to improve the planning mechanism and documents, as well as integrating e-planning and e-budgeting. We received several appreciations, in 2016 being a double winner for No. 1 Best Planning Province in Indonesia and also The Most Innovative Planning Province in Indonesia. In 2017 my institution was a double winner again, receiving No. 2 Best Planning Province in Indonesia and The Most Innovative Planning Province in Indonesia.

In my current institution, we are implementing gender mainstreaming approach, prevention and management of GBV, and population, family planning and family development programmes. These programs brought us to receive appreciation from Ministry of Woman Empowerment and Child Protection.

One of the appreciations is Anugerah Parahita Ekapraya, a form of recognition for role and commitment from the leader of institution in governance in gender mainstreaming strategy. Another appreciation that was received by capital city government of Jakarta is a pioneer in Child-Friendly Province (Provinsi Layak Anak) in 2019.

Other than government related awards, in 2019 the capital city of Jakarta also received an appreciation from Indonesian Child Protection Commission (Komisi Perlindungan Anak Indonesia) as a Province that cares and is friendly to children. Also several appreciations from Save the Children under the topic of ‘Creating Jakarta as a Child-friendly City and Resilient City’.

If you were to share one piece of advice that you learned in 2019, what would it be?

One thing that I always kept in my mind is to be a useful person in any role that we have in our lives. By doing good to others, we may also gain goodness in our own life. So, my advice is keep doing good things no matter how.

What tool or technique particularly interests you for 2020?

I have an idea to make an application that can serve family empowerment, welfare, and happiness. One application that can serve many different services such as online consultancy, online parenting, online posyandu (integrated centre for children service), online service for gender based violence, etc. I want to provide different kind of services with online and artificial intelligence. With this kind of application, we can serve many different services and bring the services closer to people’s lives.

What are your priorities for 2020?

My first priority is to provide a complete and accurate database for capital city government of Jakarta. If we have database, we can make intervention programs that based on data. This is really important for us to be able to make policies based on evidence.

What is one challenge you would like to take on in 2020?

In 2020 I have a big challenge that I will face. I will integrate and arrange different types of cadres that exist in the society. Currently, there are three different sectors that have cadres to collect data from their society. By integrating these cadres, it can be optimising and amplifying their role in the society.

What has been your fondest memory from the past year?

Engaged with the citizens. I’m really fond of working with 70,902 women cadres from all over Jakarta. It’s not a simple number and apparently it’s really memorable. Collaborating with cadres from Family Empowerment and Welfare Organisation, I learned that they are compassionate and tender-hearted but tough and mighty.