DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: FROM TRADITIONAL BUREAUCRACY TO SMART GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC VALUE CREATION

Abstract

This academic article aims to study “Public Administration in the Digital Transformation Era: From Traditional Bureaucracy to Smart Government and the Creation of Public Value.” The study found that modern public administration towards smart government (Smart Governance) involves reforming the paradigm and mechanisms of the public sector to be flexible, agile, and data-driven in order to create true public value through five key components: Firstly, a paradigm shift is necessary to change the role of the state from a controller and authority-granting entity to a facilitator, emphasizing new approaches to public affairs management through collaborative networks instead of centralized power. This creates an ecosystem that allows all sectors to participate in solving complex public problems. Secondly, the mechanisms driving smart government include: 1. Agility in adapting work processes to keep pace with change; 2. Data-driven decision-making, using data as the core of policy and public service formulation for accuracy and proactive responsiveness; and 3. Cross-agency data integration, breaking down siloed work to seamlessly connect data between the government, private sector, and citizens. Thirdly, the heart of creating public value is not merely fulfilling legal obligations, but creating outcomes that meet the real needs of the people in the post-normal era, through collaborative processes that open opportunities for various sectors. Fourth, collaboratively defining problems and producing public innovations; and fourth, developing human capital and future skills, focusing on strengthening dynamic digital skills that go beyond the use of technological tools, encompassing data analytics, network management, and dynamic competencies ready to adapt to change, coupled with a paradigm shift among personnel to encourage them to experiment, learn, and adapt their thinking. Finally, the expected outcomes are: 1. strategic resilience, encompassing regulatory flexibility and the ability to detect and respond to problems in real-time; and 2. trust, achieved through building a transparent, accountable, and trustworthy government in the long term.