Decentralizing Population Administration Services: Evidence from a Border Region in Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the implementation of the devolution of population administration services to the district level and to identify the supporting and hindering factors in Merauke Regency. The study employs a descriptive qualitative approach using a case study design in Merauke District. Informants were purposively selected from the Population and Civil Registration Office, the district government, SIAK operators, service users, village/subdistrict governments, and relevant local government agencies. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and documentation, then analyzed using an interactive model based on the six dimensions of policy implementation proposed by Van Meter and Van Horn. The results indicate that the delegation of authority has resulted in functional civil registration services at the district level and has brought service access closer to the community. Implementation was supported by policy clarity, basic resources, inter-organizational coordination, an implementation structure, and the commitment of government officials. However, the sustainability of these services still faces challenges related to human resource limitations, SIAK network disruptions, the availability of electronic ID card blanks, evaluation mechanisms, geographical conditions, and the public’s administrative literacy. This study identifies a pattern of operational decentralization with centralized technical dependence, indicating that the benefits of service decentralization depend on local capacity, the reliability of digital infrastructure, institutional coordination, and regional characteristics.