Challenges of Meritocracy Vs Mediocrity on the Placement Senior Officials of Indonesia’s Civil Servants Apparatus

Abstract

The effort to manage The Human Resources of the State Civil Apparatus (ASN) become professional apparatus is a challenge for Government to handle the management process in a better form. One of which, by conducting the appointment and placement of candidates Senior Officials in the body of the government, by assigning the best people in positions or fields in accordance with their respective expertise. The process must be carried out by referring to merit principles, such as openness, fairness, competitiveness, and selectiveness based on competency. Most importantly, it should be free from the practice of corruption, collusion and nepotism as it’s referred to the spirit of bureaucracy reform. This study focussed on the placement for The State Civil Apparatus of Senior Officials JPT Pratama (Pratama Level of Senior Official) in the City or Local Government. The practice itself refers to a number of regulations related to mechanisms and procedures. However, in practice, this policy is often treated as administrative and political policy instead of upholding meritocracy prinsiples that may turned into mediocratic formality. This study uses qualitative approach and descriptive-analytic research methods. The main problem that become the focus of this research is the challenge faced by the Government to place the Senior Apparatus of State Civil Apparatus (ASN) by accommodating all the principle of merit in the Palembang City Government. Inspired by several examples occurred during Senior Officials placement in JPT Pratama Palembang City Government that allegedly not in accordance with the merit principle that emphasizes the profesionalism, which can lead to a long history of a mediocre apparatus place an important position in a Regional Government that tends to prioritize formality works rather than quality works of public service.