6.3 The EOD and the BAPPEDA
6.3.1 Degree of Relationship
The relationship between the Local Education Office (EOD) and the Local Planning Board (BAPPEDA) in districts and cities involved in this research still appears very formal, considering their role and functions. Functionally, the BAPPEDA has greater influence over the development of the VSE development programs than the EOD does. The BAPPEDA is
472 Republic of Indonesia, (2003), “Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia Number 8, 2003 regarding Guidelines for Regional Organization”, original title “Peraturan Pemerintah Republik Indonesia Nomor 8 Tahun 2003 tentang Pedoman Organisasi Perangkat Daerah”), Available [online],
involved in providing the planning for priority programs and budget allocation for all sectors, including that of education. These are discussed with the DPRD before final approval. The EOD is responsible only for the implementation of local government education policy, including that of the VSE sector. The EOD has to work jointly with the BAPPEDA to ensure the planning programs meet the focus of the given policy and the budget allocation. Thus, the relationship is a hierarchical one.
However, both the BAPPEDA and the EODs are engaged in struggles regarding their respective roles, particularly in formulating annual local government programs. The mechanism for formulating the annual programs, as illustrated in Figure 9 below, encourages them to interact with each other in a formal environment, especially when it comes to discussing and coordinating planning programs for the development of VSE.
Figure 9. Local Programs/Budgeting Formulation
Source: summarised analysis of interview data from the interviewees, illustrated by Turijin
The Head of the BAPPEDA of Pangkalpinang City relates that: “…The BAPPEDA acts as coordinator of all planning, whether this be for education or other sectors …but the initial planning is actually carried out by the Local Education Office (EOD)…”473. However, as explained by the Head of the BAPPEDA of the Tangerang District, the BAPPEDA also reviews all local planning, including that done by the Local Education Office (EOD). He argues: “Special reviews are carried out regarding school-building plans … The Local Education Office (EOD) is required to provide the technical specifications … but we give
them the formulas and standards as to how the vocational secondary schools (SMK) must be built…The technical review must be outstanding…”474
. He adds: “In the review, activities, budgeting for students, teachers and the like are evaluated. There is a budget ceiling...and standard budget indicators, given by the DPR (Local People’s Representative) and, together with us, (the BAPPEDA)…”475
.
Other BAPPEDA heads involved in this research have similar perceptions, asserting that, in the local programs’ planning process, the responsibility of the BAPPEDA in carrying out review is to ensure compliance with RENSTRA (Strategic Planning). The DPRD’s most significant role is to review the proposed budgeting. The Head of the BAPPEDA Tangerang City stated: “…the responsibility of evaluating the programs is the BAPPEDA’s”.476
The Head of the Bekasi District BAPPEDA stated that “…the BAPPEDA deals with all planning issues…”477. The Head of the Bangka District BAPPEDA added that, further along in the process, the planning is socialized478, by being submitted to the DPRD for comments and suggestions479. Thus, it could be argued that evaluation of proposed planning is a BAPPEDA function.
Each year, after compiling the proposals from the schools, the EOD has to meet with the BAPPEDA to discuss planning and budgets, in a session known as pembahasan or evaluation. The schools (SMKs) have to plan annually for their routine expenditure and also for obtaining specific funding through block grants and developmental programs from the central or provincial governments. Routine expenditure is for school operational needs, which have been standardized for all Vocational Secondary Schools (SMK), such as maintenance and repairs, teaching materials and staff salaries. ‘Developmental programs’ refers to activities used to support the current national educational development policy and is funded by the Central Office (DVSE), in the form of block grants, assisted by the Provincial Education Offices (EOP). Examples are listed in Appendix 1 and 2 and include teacher professional development programs, curriculum and new course development. Some block grants require budget contributions from the local government480.
474 Head of the BAPPEDA Tangerang District, interviewed 5 March 2005 475 Head of the BAPPEDA Tangerang District, interviewed 5 March 2005 476
Head of the BAPPEDA Tangerang City, interviewed 7 February 2005 477 Head of the BAPPEDA Bekasi District, interviewed 5 May 2005
478 The word of ‘socialization’ is very popular among the state officials and is generally formed as an activity to introduce a new concept or policy
479 The Head of the BAPPEDA Bangka District, interviewed 20 July 2005 480
Dikmenjur (2004), Program Outline of the Vocational Secondary Education Programs, Jakarta- Indonesia, Dikmenjur
Before regional autonomy, both routine and developmental programs were decided at central office and the data used in the decision-making process was collected directly, by visiting the schools481. Currently, as illustrated in Figure 10 below, these programs have been decentralized to local government. Both routine and developmental programs are managed by the local governments, through the Local Education Office.
Figure 10. School Budgets: before and after Regional Autonomy
Source: summarised from the interviews, illustrated by Turijin
In the evaluation session, as indicated by the school personnel above, the BAPPEDA has the right to examine the proposed planning. The Head of the Tangerang City BAPPEDA suggested that the EOD is not yet capable of implementing the proposed VSE programs, maintaining that, until now, information on education issues and problems is still coming from outside of the EOD, such as from newspapers482. He also suggested that the EOD is only capable of handling routine programs, and is not yet looking ahead as to what should be achieved in the future. The Head of the Bekasi District BAPPEDA criticized the EOD office in his district: “When it comes to planning issues, the problem with the Local Education Offices (EODs) is cultural; our bureaucrats are not eager to start planning on a systematic, continuous long-term basis. They just want instant programs”483.
However, he is also aware that, in reviewing EOD proposals, the BAPPEDA is still struggling with the changed guidelines. When Regional Autonomy was first introduced, the assessment of the local government offices’ proposals was informed by the RENSTRA (Strategic
481 In my previous research in 1995 for my Master degree, the data and information of the vocational secondary schools in Indonesia were gathered directly by the Central Education Office (DVSE), assisted by the Provincial Education Office (Kanwil)
482
Head of the BAPPEDA Tangerang City, interviewed 7 February 2005 483 Head of the BAPPEDA Bekasi District, interviewed 5 May 2005
Planning Guidelines) of the local government. RENSTRA was based on the top-down central planning and national priorities (PROPENAS)484. Currently, as he mentioned, the BAPPEDA has to become accustomed to the new regulations which, in many cases, differ from the views of the EOD officials. As stated in new planning law, Law 25/2004, planning for local government programs is to involve the local institutions and the participation of the communities, in a bottom-up approach. There is no link with the central, or even provincial, planning processes. At this stage, the EOD is likely to be not only committed to proposing the priority programs, as guided by local government policy via the RENSTRA, but also to central government policy objectives, especially with regard to developmental programs. The BAPPEDA typically finds itself in the middle, as a result of the change in regulations, moving from the RENSTRA to the financial allocation distribution basis. The Head of BAPPEDA, Tangerang District, stated that he is still trying to learn how to establish the best formula for allocating finances for each sector, including education485:
“In determining the ceiling indicator for each Local Education Office, we still struggling with the suitable formula to be applied; we need to scientifically review this, so as to be able to give an example to the education sector as to what percentage they might receive… We are still trying analyse how much should go to human resource development, how much to employment, agriculture, industry etc., and what percentage of funding for these areas should come from the APBD (Local Government Budget)”486.
By contrast, most of the EOD heads principally focus on the RENSTRA system, which is based on the priority programs determined by their local leaders (mayor or regent). The planning proposed to the BAPPEDA for evaluation is based on the decisions resulting from the ‘musrengbang’ (meeting established by local governments and attended by most of the
local community, including the DPRD and the EOD, to decide the local priority programs in a district or city). As discussed earlier, the programs of the EOD are focused on the development of primary education, whereas in the case of VSE, the EOD merely follows central government policy. The Bekasi City EOD Head observed: “All of the developmental programs still come from the central office (DVSE) and none of it is created locally. Some of it matches with the local policy and some of it doesn’t. The EOD, as the local government’s education office, has to re-arrange local program priorities to suit central government policy.
484 PROPENAS stands for Program Pembangunan Nasional or National Development Programs, established centrally, based on Law 25/2000.
485
Head of the BAPPEDA Tangerang District, interviewed 5 March 2005 486 Head of the BAPPEDA Tangerang District, interviewed 5 March 2005
For example, policy originating from the central office might be to run an automotive course, which might be inconsistent with local policy …”487
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It is likely that the requirement to review the VSE planning programs is the only stimulus for even establishing a relationship at all. Relationships between these bodies, when it comes to developing VSE programs, are still in the beginning phase and are stimulated by their institutional functions. Officials interviewed for this research, whether from the BAPPEDA or the EOD, appear to be not very familiar with the VSE programs and to be still confused with the new RENSTRA and PROPENAS planning processes. The objective of cooperation between the BAPPEDA and the EOD is to get the VSE program plans to the stage where they are ready to be discussed in the DPRD and, hopefully, receive official approval. Thus, the initiative of the EOD to maintain a good working relationship with the BAPPEDA is important, not only to obtain guidance and assistance in establishing planning, but also to persuade the BAPPEDA officials to increase future budget allocations for VSE development.