Rizki Hustiniasari, Head of Jabar Digital Service, Indonesia

1. How do you use technology or policy to improve citizens’ lives? 

Technology and its supporting policies must be able to have a significant impact and change on people's lives.

We must pay attention to and observe what the community needs so that the application of technology does not confuse the community. In addition, we must also assist the community in the transition process and provide technological literacy to the community adequately so that the community is able to use technology for productive things. 

I work as a civil servant at the West Java Provincial Government, specifically at Jabar Digital Service, a unit that focuses on digital transformation of public services in West Java. 

I believe that the government system must be effective and efficient before providing service to the community. To carry out digital transformation of public services, I also bring my work unit to seriously contribute to improving the work system through the application of appropriate and targeted technology. 

2. What was the most impactful project you worked on this year? 

At Jabar Digital Service, my team and I handle many West Java digital products and programmes. All products and programmes have their own important role in the development of digital transformation in West Java. 

Sapawarga, which currently has more than two million users, has a significant impact on the digital transformation of public services in West Java. This app can eliminate ego between institutions, because almost all sectors are competing to integrate their services to facilitate the community. 

The Jabar Executive Dashboard has an important role to support leaders in West Java to make the right decisions for the benefit of the community with the principle of “good data, good decision, good result". 

Community literacy programmes such as Jabar Digital Academy, which provides free training scholarships to the community in the fields of digital marketing and computer programming, can help young people pursue a career in the digital world and contribute to West Java and even Indonesia. 

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3. What was one unexpected learning from 2024? 

I learnt a lot about how to build a better team. I also learnt to pay attention and appreciate the team better. I have introverted tendencies, and because of my technical background, I am often less sensitive to the non-technical needs of the team.

Along with the experience in leading the team, I am now much more able to understand that the team has a need for a figure who must be able to pay attention, nurture, encourage and motivate, realise and be sensitive if there are team members who are experiencing problems, be it work problems or personal conditions that then have an impact on work.

4. What’s tool or technique you’re excited to explore in 2025? 

From the policy aspect, I would like to explore more about policies that can be applied in project management and performance management, so that organisations can achieve effective and optimal performance with efficient resources. Of course, in achieving this, we must also pay attention to and create ideal working conditions for employees or workers.

From the technology aspect, I would like to dig deeper into the potential of AI to support people's lives and how to encourage data utilisation so that data can actually be used to drive good decision-making for people's lives. 

5. Everybody’s talking about AI today – give us your hot take on AI and what it means for the public sector. 

I think AI technology has enormous potential in the public sector and can be applied for public benefit. The issue is whether we are willing to learn about it or not. Whether we are willing to use it or not. 

AI can be used to strengthen the decision-making system. My team and I at Jabar Digital Service have also developed a dashboard with the application of AI for decision support systems for leaders regarding priority community issues. 

In the future, there are still many potential applications of AI that can be exercised to encourage the public sector, such as the AI chatbots to increase the availability of public services for the community, as well as AI-powered devices to support smart cities and smart provinces. 

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6. What are your priorities for 2025?  

I want to learn business. Working in the public sector doesn't mean we can't talk about business. People who work in the government sector should also be able to explore potential sources of income so that the government can have significant sources of income outside of taxes. The government can co-operate and collaborate with various parties. 

However, every effort to explore potential sources of revenue is aimed at improving service quality. 

7. What advice do you have for public sector innovators? 

Focus not on technology, but on people's needs. Technology is only a tool to help us understand people's needs better.  

8. Who inspires you today?  

Everyone can be a source of inspiration for me. For me it is not important who the subject is but what the person does. It is better to be objective than subjective, because being subjective can make our views biased. 

This feature was made possible in partnership with Jabar Digital Service (JDS)