Designing Independent Merit Oversight after Indonesia’s Abolition of Its Civil Service Commission
Main Article Content
Abstract
Following the abolition of Indonesia’s civil service commission (KASN) in 2023, merit oversight was transferred to bodies that also formulate and implement personnel policy. In 2025, the Constitutional Court required oversight by an independent institution. This study examines changes in the formal independence of merit oversight across KASN and two subsequent arrangements and identifies implications for institutional design. Document analysis and directed content analysis covered 14 core documents, including instruments governing the three Indonesian arrangements, the Court’s decision, four hearing records, the United Kingdom’s Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, and the 1987 Philippine Constitution. An AI model coded 17 indicators using a researcher-designed codebook; blind recoding of one arrangement matched 15 of the 17 indicator codes. KASN received a score of 1 on all 14 indicators concerning independence, mandate, and separation of functions, whereas the subsequent arrangements received that score on one and three indicators, respectively. The Court required institutional separation between the overseer, policy maker, and implementer. Hearing participants disputed whether systemic independence could substitute for institutional independence. Three design options were assessed against stated criteria, without recommending a preferred option. The findings document differences in written safeguards rather than institutional practice. The study contributes an indicator checklist for drafting the new oversight institution and assessing its formal independence, mandate, and separation from personnel policy making and implementation.
Citation Metrics:
Downloads
Citation Metrics & Similar Scopus Articles
-
Feng X. (2027)Designing Efficient Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells with Self-Assembled Monolayer Hole Transport LayersNano Micro Letters, 19(1)
-
Wu Y. (2027)Strategies of Designing High-Efficiency Electrolyte Additives for Aqueous Magnesium Batteries: A ReviewNano Micro Letters, 19(1)
-
Yan Y. (2027)Advances in TMDs-Based Electromagnetic Wave Absorbers: From Structural Engineering to Multicomponent SynergyNano Micro Letters, 19(1)
Article Details
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
References
Alya, D., Suhendra, A. S. R., Pratama, F. D., Iskandar, I., & Madinar, M. (2026). Kedudukan Lembaga Pengawas dan Penguatan Sistem Merit Pasca Putusan MK 121/PUU-XXII/2024. Verdict: Journal of Law Science, 5(1), 55–65. https://doi.org/10.59011/vjlaws.5.1.2026.55-65
Berenschot, W. (2018). Incumbent bureaucrats: Why elections undermine civil service reform in Indonesia. Public Administration and Development, 38(4), 135–143. https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.1838
Bizhan, N., & Howes, S. (2026). Papua New Guinea’s Public Services Commission since independence: Sidelined or strengthened? Australian Journal of Public Administration, 85(1), 146–166. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.70010
Blunt, P., Turner, M., & Lindroth, H. (2012). Patronage’s progress in post-Soeharto Indonesia. Public Administration and Development, 32(1), 64–81. https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.617
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Charron, N., Dahlström, C., Fazekas, M., & Lapuente, V. (2017). Careers, connections, and corruption risks: Investigating the impact of bureaucratic meritocracy on public procurement processes. The Journal of Politics, 79(1), 89–104. https://doi.org/10.1086/687209
Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines (1987). https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/45/25552
Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 (2010). https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/25/contents
Dahlström, C., & Lapuente, V. (2017). Organizing Leviathan: Politicians, bureaucrats, and the making of good government. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316822869
Dwiputrianti, S., Lestari, E. W. T., Sutiyono, W., & Purba, C. O. (2023). Critical success factors merit implementation of civil service management in Indonesia. In A. Rahman, S. Dwiputrianti, & M. N. Afandi (Eds.), Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Administrative Science (ICAS 2022) (pp. 112–120). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-104-3_12
Elo, S., & Kyngäs, H. (2008). The qualitative content analysis process. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 62(1), 107–115. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04569.x
Ennser-Jedenastik, L. (2016). The politicization of regulatory agencies: Between partisan influence and formal independence. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 26(3), 507–518. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muv022
Gilardi, F. (2002). Policy credibility and delegation to independent regulatory agencies: A comparative empirical analysis. Journal of European Public Policy, 9(6), 873–893. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350176022000046409
Gilardi, F., & Maggetti, M. (2011). The independence of regulatory authorities. In D. Levi-Faur (Ed.), Handbook on the politics of regulation (pp. 201–214). Edward Elgar.
Hafidz, J., Wiranto, A. P., & Maharanti, R. A. (2025). The Law No. 20 of 2023: Reform or retreat? A critical analysis of its impact on the State Civil Apparatus (ASN) personnel system in Indonesia. Jurnal Daulat Hukum, 8(4), 1015–1032. https://doi.org/10.30659/jdh.v8i4.50770
Hanretty, C., & Koop, C. (2012). Measuring the formal independence of regulatory agencies. Journal of European Public Policy, 19(2), 198–216. https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2011.607357
Hanretty, C., & Koop, C. (2013). Shall the law set them free? The formal and actual independence of regulatory agencies. Regulation & Governance, 7(2), 195–214. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-5991.2012.01156.x
Hsieh, H.-F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277–1288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732305276687
Koop, C., & Hanretty, C. (2018). Political independence, accountability, and the quality of regulatory decision-making. Comparative Political Studies, 51(1), 38–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414017695329
Mahkamah Konstitusi. (2024a). Pengujian UU ASN Dengarkan: Mahkamah Hadirkan Pemberi Keterangan. https://www.mkri.id/public/content/infoumum/press/pdf/press_3840_3.12.24%20Rilis%20Perkara%20121%20Tahun%202024%20-%20UU%20ASN%20-%20RA%20-%20IV.pdf
Mahkamah Konstitusi. (2024b, November 7). Risalah Sidang Perkara Nomor 121/PUU-XXII/2024. https://www.mkri.id/public/content/persidangan/risalah/11207_Risalah-pdf_PERKARA%20NOMOR%20121.PUU-XXII.2024%20tgl.%207%20November%202024.pdf
Mahkamah Konstitusi. (2024c, December 3). Risalah Sidang Perkara Nomor 121/PUU-XXII/2024. https://www.mkri.id/public/content/persidangan/risalah/11271_Risalah-pdf_PERKARA%20NOMOR%20121.PUU-XXII.2024%20tgl.%203%20Desember%202024.pdf
Mahkamah Konstitusi. (2024d, December 13). Risalah Sidang Perkara Nomor 121/PUU-XXII/2024. https://www.mkri.id/public/content/persidangan/risalah/11310_Risalah-pdf_PERKARA%20NOMOR%20121.PUU-XXII.2024%20tgl.%2013%20Desember%202024.pdf
Mahkamah Konstitusi. (2025a). Putusan Nomor 121/PUU-XXII/2024. https://www.mkri.id/public/content/persidangan/putusan/putusan_mkri_13295_1760600232.pdf
Mahkamah Konstitusi. (2025b, May 20). Risalah Sidang Perkara Nomor 121/PUU-XXII/2024. https://s.mkri.id/public/content/persidangan/risalah/12648_Risalah-pdf_PERKARA%20NOMOR%20121.PUU-XXII.2024%20tgl.%2020%20Mei%202025%20by.pdf
Makiin, I. D. A., Karini, E., & Alamsyah, M. S. (2024). Looking at the abolition of the State Civil Apparatus Commission after the revision of the State Civil Apparatus Law from the perspective of fiqh siyasah. RechtIdee, 19(2), 372–393. https://journal.trunojoyo.ac.id/rechtidee/article/download/27841/pdf
Meyer-Sahling, J.-H., & Mikkelsen, K. S. (2016). Civil service laws, merit, politicization, and corruption: The perspective of public officials from five East European countries. Public Administration, 94(4), 1105–1123. https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12276
Nika, T. (2026). Urgensi Pembentukan Lembaga Pengawas Aparatur Sipil Negara Pasca-Putusan Mahkamah Konstitusi Nomor 121/PUU-XXII/2024. Jurnal Ilmu Hukum, Humaniora dan Politik, 6(5), 3990–3996. https://doi.org/10.38035/jihhp.v6i5.9279
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), Article 1609406917733847. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
O’Connor, C., & Joffe, H. (2020). Intercoder reliability in qualitative research: Debates and practical guidelines. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, Article 1609406919899220. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406919899220
Peraturan Menteri Pendayagunaan Aparatur Negara dan Reformasi Birokrasi Nomor 19 Tahun 2025 tentang Penyelenggaraan Sistem Merit dalam Manajemen Aparatur Sipil Negara (2025). https://peraturan.go.id/files/permenpanrb-no-19-tahun-2025.pdf
Peraturan Presiden Nomor 178 Tahun 2024 tentang Kementerian Pendayagunaan Aparatur Negara dan Reformasi Birokrasi (2024). https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/306876/perpres-no-178-tahun-2024
Peraturan Presiden Nomor 91 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas Peraturan Presiden Nomor 47 Tahun 2021 tentang Kementerian Pendayagunaan Aparatur Negara dan Reformasi Birokrasi (2024). https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/296607/perpres-no-91-tahun-2024
Peraturan Presiden Nomor 92 Tahun 2024 tentang Badan Kepegawaian Negara (2024). https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/296608
Price, D. (2024). Political revenge? Downgrading Indonesia’s KPK from hero to villain. Politics and Governance, 12, Article 7907. https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.7907
Ramadani, R. (2020). Lembaga Negara Independen di Indonesia dalam Perspektif Konsep Independent Regulatory Agencies. Jurnal Hukum Ius Quia Iustum, 27(1), 169–192. https://doi.org/10.20885/iustum.vol27.iss1.art9
Ramadhan, M. N. (2025). Threats to the meritocracy and neutrality of state civil apparatus. South-East Asian Journal of Advanced Law and Governance, 2(1), 70–83. https://journal.ugm.ac.id/v3/SEAJALGOV/article/view/20290
Roziqin, A., Kamil, M., Ma’mur, R. M., & Muhammad Bintang, R. (2026). Merit system in Indonesian government: Policy implementation and determinant factors. Public Administration Quarterly. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/07349149251413245
Sampe, V. L., Rasdiyanti, A., & Darsim, S. K. H. (2022). Reform of human resources management through merit system at West Java Regional Personnel Agency. KnE Social Sciences, 7(9), 928–943. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v7i9.10990
Schuster, C., Meyer-Sahling, J.-H., & Mikkelsen, K. S. (2020). (Un)principled principals, (un)principled agents: The differential effects of managerial civil service reforms on corruption in developing and OECD countries. Governance, 33(4), 829–848. https://doi.org/10.1111/gove.12461
Surat Edaran Menteri Pendayagunaan Aparatur Negara dan Reformasi Birokrasi Nomor 4 Tahun 2024 tentang Pengalihan Pelaksanaan Pengawasan Sistem Merit dalam Manajemen Aparatur Sipil Negara (2024). https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Download/361248/2024sepanrb004.pdf
Thatcher, M., & Stone Sweet, A. (2002). Theory and practice of delegation to non-majoritarian institutions. West European Politics, 25(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/713601583
Undang-Undang Nomor 20 Tahun 2023 tentang Aparatur Sipil Negara (2023). https://jdih.setkab.go.id/PUUdoc/177069/Salinan_UU_Nomor_20_Tahun_2023.pdf
Undang-Undang Nomor 5 Tahun 2014 tentang Aparatur Sipil Negara (2014). https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/38580/uu-no-5-tahun-2014
Article Sidebar
Page Numbers:
8626-8648
Digital Object ID:
Viewed: 34 times
Downloaded: 23 times
LYAS Publisher cordially invites qualified professionals to serve as Editors or Reviewers. Your expertise will make an important contribution to maintaining and strengthening the academic quality of our publications. Interested applicants are kindly requested to complete the application form at the following link: Editors & Reviewers
Please feel free to contact us if you need any further information about the submission process or if you have any additional questions.
Authors:
Copyright :Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication.
Explore Our Journals
Find the journal that best fits your research. If this journal does not match your manuscript’s scope, explore our portfolio below to select a more suitable publication venue.