December 20, 2024 | UCLG ASPAC supported the workshop on Minimum (Public) Service Standards (Standar Pelayanan Minimum/SPM) held by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) Indonesia in Jakarta. The event monitored and evaluated the implementation of SPM reflected on local governments’ data submission in electronic form as required by the Minister of Home Affairs Regulation No. 59 Year 2021. The support is part of the partnership between UCLG ASPAC and MoHA as mentioned in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on April 4, 2024. The MoU recognises three main scopes of partnership, highlighting one of UCLG ASPAC’s supports in enhancing the capacity of local governments in the implementation of the SPM.

UCLG ASPAC Secretary General, Dr. Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi, in her opening remarks, underlined the importance of the local government’s capacity to deliver good quality public services in accordance with SPM. “I hope, by monitoring SPM, MoHA can assess the implementation and evaluate the performance of local governments in providing basic services. This event can be a driver for enhanced local governance,” she added.
The Acting Secretary of the Directorate General of Regional Development, Mr. Zamzani B. Tjenreng, highlighted the efforts of the Ministry to capacitate local governments to submit SPM data in electronic form through a regular monitoring and evaluation meeting. He encouraged local governments to raise their awareness of SPM and strengthen the commitment of the local leaders to put SPM as a priority in their development agenda, despite the fiscal capacity.
The event was attended by around 300 local government representatives (100 attended in person and more than 200 joined virtually). Some concerns raised by local government representatives included the disparity of local government’s capacity to meet SPM requirements mainly due to different levels of human resources, infrastructure, and fiscal capacity. MoHA is planning to address the issues by including award categories in the next event.

In her final remarks, Dr. Bernadia also stressed UCLG ASPAC’s commitment to continually support the SPM implementation and the SDGs’ achievement. Moving forward, UCLG ASPAC will sponsor winners of each SPM category to attend the UCLG ASPAC’s event to learn further from fellow local governments on public services.

Coordination Meeting
December 19, 2024 | UCLG ASPAC also held a coordination meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Indonesian members to ensure the Organisation and its programmes are relevant to the needs of local and regional governments of Indonesia, where the Secretariat Office resides. The meeting also served as a platform for gathering essential inputs for the upcoming UCLG ASPAC Manifesto 2026-2030.
Key findings (using Mentimeter during the event) included:
- Local Government Priorities for the Next Five Years
- Strong focus on human resource development to enhance governance and competitiveness.
- Recurring themes included waste management, flood mitigation, poverty alleviation, and ensuring food security.
- Infrastructure development, including road improvements and sanitation, also emerged as significant priorities.
- Members’ Vision for UCLG ASPAC in the Next Five Years
- Role in knowledge sharing, collaboration, and capacity building.
- Focus on strengthening human resources, facilitating Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), and enhancing sustainability initiatives.
- Serving as a regional knowledge hub, driving efforts around smart cities and achieving the SDGs targets.
- Contributions Members Can Make to UCLG ASPAC’s Vision
- Timely financial contributions.
- Engaging in knowledge exchange and building stronger partnerships.
- What Members Value Most About UCLG ASPAC
- Fostering partnerships, opportunities for international engagement.
- Training and capacity-building programmes that have contributed to their professional and institutional growth.
- Areas for Improvement
- Enhancing branding and communication strategies.
- Increasing sponsorship opportunities.
- More localised outreach.
UCLG ASPAC Secretariat thanked the Government of Indonesia and the Indonesian members for their valuable contributions to the Organisation.