The UGM Information and Documentation Management Officer (PPID UGM) held a webinar on public information services for villages, collaborating with village officials from various regions in Indonesia, where UGM students participated in the Community Service Program (KKN-PPM).
The event, which took place online on Tuesday (Aug. 13), aimed to inform the procedures for resolving public information disputes at the village level.
UGM Secretary and Chief PPID, Dr. Andi Sandi Antonius Tabusassa Tonralipu, emphasized the importance of public information transparency and encouraged the village officials present to understand the significance of these information services.
“The community needs guidance to access information about their village. Therefore, please discuss ways to improve information services in your respective villages through this forum,” Dr. Tonralipu urged.
The Director of Community Service, Dr. Rustamaji, expressed his hope that the webinar would assist regions in addressing issues related to public information services in villages.
Siti Ajijah, an expert at the Central Information Office of the Republic of Indonesia (KIP RI), spoke in the webinar and commended the village officials from various regions in Indonesia for their enthusiasm and participation in the discussion. She also praised UGM for setting a benchmark in providing information services.
“From the start, UGM has pioneered information transparency in village management. We recommend that any university wanting to handle information services should consider UGM as a model,” she stated.
In her presentation, Siti Ajijah highlighted the importance of PPID’s presence and role in villages. She noted that information transparency would help village communities better understand their conditions and issues.
“PPID can serve as an information conduit for the community,” she said.
Siti Ajijah then provided guidelines for villages without a PPID on how to open public information services. According to her, several steps must be taken to begin implementing village transparency, including the creation of regulations and policies regarding village information management.
“Once the regulations are in place, the village can establish a process for requesting information to ensure that the public is not confused or misled when seeking information,” she explained.
It is noted that the webinar participants included government officials from villages that host UGM’s KKN program, which encompasses 261 units across 35 provinces, 124 regencies/cities, and 229 districts in Indonesia.
Author: Lazuardi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson