HomeNewsroomStories from the FieldCivil Society Improves Government Accountability and Public Services Delivery in Tasikmalaya

Civil Society Improves Government Accountability and Public Services Delivery in Tasikmalaya

May 20, 2022

For more than fifty years, the government-funded community health centers (Puskesmas) and its networks are the main source of primary health care for many Indonesians at the sub-district level. However, Tasikmalaya District of West Java has only 39 Puskesmas to serve its 1,7 million citizens – the equivalent of one health center for 44,066 people. As a result, there is inadequate health services to the community. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Tasikmalaya have played little or no role in solving issues in the health sector. The lack of credibility among CSOs have caused the local government’s deep distrust towards civil society.
Civil Society Improved Government Accountability and Public Services Delivery in Tasikmalaya District

Civil Society Improved Government Accountability and Public Services Delivery in Tasikmalaya District

Pergerakan Relawan Kemanusiaan dan Lingkungan Indonesia (PRKI), is USAID MADANI’s local CSOs partner and key actor that advocates for reform in public service delivery in Tasikmalaya District. Having received grants and series of training on organizational and technical capacity in the areas such as advocacy, community organizing, strategic communication, and on collaborative governance, PRKI emerges as one of the more capable, responsive, and respected CSOs in the district.

With support from USAID, PRKI established AKSARA, a multistakeholder forum at district level, to advocate for social accountability. The forum, consisting of representatives CSOs, local government and private sector, meets regularly to discuss development challenges at the district and formulate the actions. In November 2021, PRKI and the CSO coalition launched a complaint survey to 400 users to assess quality of services at the Puskesmas and presented recommendations to the District Health Office (DHO) and advocated for service improvement. A variety of individuals – PRKI’s chairman, the Deputy Regent, the chair of the local parliament, and the head of the DHO, among others – played key roles to improve the relationship between CSOs and the local government in Tasikmalaya.

Civil Society Improved Government Accountability and Public Services Delivery in Tasikmalaya District


Civil Society Improved Government Accountability and Public Services Delivery in Tasikmalaya District

As a result of this advocacy, the DHO agreed to launch the Service Improvement Charter, a joint commitment to improve public services. This charter exemplifies the importance of government and civil society collaboration to serve the citizenry. The survey also represented a milestone in Tasikmalaya, as it was the first time that the DHO worked with local CSOs to assess the service quality of frontline Puskesmas.

Moving forward, PRKI and AKSARA will monitor the implementation of the charter in Puskesmas, while also scaling it to others in the region. In addition, PRKI will continue to actively oversee and monitor the delivery of public services for women and vulnerable groups and provide humanitarian assistance and develop social enterprises for youth. USAID will continue to support sub-national CSOs and multistakeholder collaboration, which represent a uniting force for all stakeholders, and ensure that partners are prepared for long-term success.

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