Heaptalk, Jakarta — To facilitate human resource capacity building in the regions, Apkasi, in collaboration with Traction Energy Asia and Koalisi Ekonomi Membumi (KEM), launched an e-learning platform for regional development planning. The event took place in Jakarta on Tuesday (01/21).
In his welcoming remarks, Sarman Simanjorang, Executive Director of Apkasi, emphasized that regional development planning cannot be separated from national development plans. These plans are recorded in the national long-term development plan documents and serve as a reference for regions in planning their development. The Vision of Golden Indonesia 2045 includes the national development goals to create a sovereign, advanced, and sustainable archipelago nation.
“This means that with the term ‘sustainable,’ the formulation, objectives, goals, and strategies of regional development policies are oriented towards sustainable development. However, regional governments face significant challenges in drafting and refining various planning documents that serve as the basis for sustainable regional development,” said Sarman.
Furthermore, Sarman added that the challenges faced include limited human resources competent in drafting regional development plans, sustainable development issues, and the lack of capacity-building programs. Apkasi, as an association of district governments throughout Indonesia, together with Traction Energy Asia and KEM, is driven to answer the challenges faced by regional governments, particularly regency governments as Apkasi members.
Concretely, Apkasi, together with Traction and KEM, launched an online learning platform or e-learning on Sustainable Regional Development Planning aimed at creating opportunities and access for increasing civil servants’ capacity in regional governments to draft planning documents and enrich sustainable development issues in the regions. “This launch will be followed by a series of technical guidance activities on the initial draft of regional development plans and the Regional Sustainable Commodity Development Strategy,” he added.
Most of the Regional Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPD) documents for 2005-2025 will end in 2025. This moment is an opportunity to include sustainable disaster-responsive issues in the RPJPD 2025-2045, considering that the National Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPN) 2025-2045 has included sustainable development elements through the Vision of Golden Indonesia 2045.
Bob Sagala, Director of Regional Development Planning, Evaluation, and Information (PEIPD) at the Directorate General of Regional Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, who appeared as the keynote speaker, emphasized that in the context of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, regional development is part of national development. At the same time, regional development is also part of regional governance.
“Regional governments are indeed responsible for the welfare of their residents through development in their respective regions. This shows the importance of regional development in Indonesia, and we at the Directorate General of Regional Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, should facilitate regional governments throughout Indonesia so that regional development can run effectively and efficiently,” Bob concluded.
