Page 1 of 12
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at https://pen2print.org/index.php/jsmap/
ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 04 Issue 09
September 2018
Available online: https://pen2print.org/index.php/jsmap/ P a g e | 128
The Influence Of Government Officers’ Characteristics
And Competency On Their Performances As Development
Planners In Medan Municipality
1Muhammad Fazwar Wahid,
2Sirojuzilam, 3Tarmizi
1Department of Regional and Rural Development Planning, University of Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
2Department of Economic Development, Faculty of Economics and Business,
University of Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
3Department of Economic Development, Faculty of Economics and Business,
University of Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
Abstract
The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of government officers’ characteristics and
competencies on their performances in carrying out planning and development function in each of the
working units. There are 222 government officers with planning tasks and functions distributed in 58
regional government units in Medan Municipality. They had various characteristics and
competencies. The research took 69 people as the respondents. This is an explanatory survey which
data were analyzed by using multiple linear regression method. The result of the research
demonstrated that the competencies of Goverment Officer had significant influence on their
performances in development planning function compared to their characteristics. The results of the
regression analysis showed that competencies such as identifying problems, formulating alternative
policy, analyzing alternatives, and selecting alternatives and implementation plan demonstrated a
significant influence on performance. The high performance in planning (process and work outcome)
of Goverment Officer with planning task and function in Medan Municipality is expected to result in
output such as planning document that will bring outcome of development planning which is useful
and profitable. Benefit and influence, in turn, will lead Medan to be “the Future City that is
Multicultural, Competitive, Humane, Prosperous, and Religious” so that the vision of the Head of the
City for 2016-2021 can be realized.
Keywords: Development, Planning, Government Employees, Characteristics, Competency,
Performance.
Introduction
Far before the independence of the Republic of Indonesia, the Dutch East Indies government
has managed to organize the complicated bureaucracy inherited by Vereenigde Oostindische
Compagnie (VOC). Modern bureaucracy concept was firstly introduced by Herman Willem Daendels
who was inspired by the country of Napoleon Bonaparte in Europe. Dutch East Indies was even
praised by many countries in the end of 19th century as the most effective bureaucracy of the colonies;
thus, it was named beambtenstaat (administrative state).
The development of national and international strategic environment today requires a
revolution and national development to achieve good governance. State apparatus are demander to
Page 2 of 12
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at https://pen2print.org/index.php/jsmap/
ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 04 Issue 09
September 2018
Available online: https://pen2print.org/index.php/jsmap/ P a g e | 129
perform their duties well to serve the society. As one of the stakeholders, Goverment Officer
(government employees) are obliged to perform their duty professionally and are responsibly as state
and civil servants.
Article 12 of Law No. 5/2014 on State Civil Apparatus stating that Goverment Officer play the
role as planner, executor, and supervisor of government performance and national development
through policy implementation and public service that is professional and free from political
intervention and practices of corruption, collusion and nepotism. As the planner, Goverment Officer
plays the role as think-tank, decision analyst, policy coordinator and planning administrative.
Development is an effort or a set of efforts of planned growth and change made consciously by
a country and government towards modernity in terms of country improvement (Siagian, 1993).
Balance in economical, social and ecological resources exploitation in development process can be
achieved through good development plan. Consequently, Goverment Officer is a major component of
the development machine.
Harmonization between central and regional government will be difficult to achieve without
adequate support from personnel/apparatus either in quantity or quality that is required to do
government matters that are included into regional government scope. To establish good autonomy
regional government, Pemda (regional government) must have strong and adequate carrier
bureaucracy in quantity and competence aspect.
As one of autonomy region with status of a municipality, Medan is quite important and
sstrategic nationally or regionally. It, even as the capital to Sumatera Utara Province, is has been
frequently used as a barometer in the implementation of development and regional government.
Figure 1. Administrative Map of Medan
Diversity in the characteristics of resources owned by Medan requires a specific development
plan whose benefits can be useful for the citizens. The decentralistic development pattern allows
every region to actualize their capacity to develop local economic sector, particularly economic
sectors which have big potential to support successful regional development.
The economic growth of Medan for the last few years (5.74%) have always exceeds national
economic growth (4.79%). The integration of regional and ASEAN economic communities which
have been made since the end of 2015 has turned Medan a strategic gate for PMDN (Domestic
Investment) and PMA (Foreign Investment). These investors’ fund shall be harmonized with the right
use of Budget by Pemko Medan (Medan Municipality) through development planning which
implements the principle of “money follow program”. The use of APBD (Regional Expenditure and
Revenue Budget) in 2017 which was IDR 5.4 trillion should have solved the complex problems of the
city development which will have implications on effective and efficient development plan.
Planning is the first organic function of management and administration. Without a plan, there
will not be any ground to do certain activities to achieve a goal. Based on the state administration law,
a plan is a decision that is a positive law and a part in government implementation paradigm of
Page 3 of 12
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at https://pen2print.org/index.php/jsmap/
ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 04 Issue 09
September 2018
Available online: https://pen2print.org/index.php/jsmap/ P a g e | 130
government actions (bestuurshandelingen), namely, all actions taken by state apparatus in performing
their duties.
The position and role of Goverment Officer in every state organization is very vital because
Goverment Officer is the main support of the government in realizing national development
(Musanef, 1996). All development activities do not only put human as the object of development, but
also as the thinker, planner, and executor of the development.
The existence of Goverment Officer is also very vital with their main duties and functions of
planning in Pemko Medan. The play a central role as the program/activity planner in each regional
working unit every budget year. The plan that they have made shall be guidelines to Medan Public
Plan, Strategic Plan (Renstra), and Work Plan (Renja) of the working unit in order to realize planning
synergy. The diverse characteristics and competencies due to different knowledge, skill, and attitude,
Goverment Officer encounter obstacles to organize the working unit program/activity plan.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Characteristics of Goverment Officer
The KBBI (High Dictionary of Indonesian Language) limits the definition of characteristic;
namely, particular properties in accordance with particular character. Nanda (2013) defines
characteristic as the values that develop regularly so that the behavior becomes consistence and easily
observed. Similar opinion is stated by Saunders (1977) who defines characteristic as a number of real
and various attributes that are observable in an individual.
Whether competence and performance is high or low is always related to the characteristic of
an individual’s human resources (SDM). Therefore, individual characteristics of Goverment Officer
ground their performace in carrying out their duties and functions. Lionberger and Gwin (1982) state
that personal characteristic refers to age, education background, and experience. On the other hand,
the characteristics of Goverment Officer that are often used in management are: (1) Qualification of
Education; (2) Work Experience; (3) Position Level; and (4) Position.
Competence of Goverment Officer with Duty and Function of Planner
Literally, the word competence means skill, capability, and authority (Sutrisno, 2011).
Etymologically, competence is defined as dimension of one’s expertise or superiority who has
knowledge, skills, and attitude required to perform his duties professionally, effectively, and
efficiently.
Government Regulation No. 101/2000 on Education and Training of Government Employees’
Position describes that competence is the capability or characteristics possessed by Goverment Officer
such as knowledge, skill, and attitude required to perform their duties.
In order to realize planning activities that areempowerful and beneficial, The Decree of
Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment No.16/KEP/M.PAN/3/2001 on Planner’s Functional
Position and Creditsets the competencies required by Goverment Officer whose role is as a planner;
they are, capability to: (1) identify problems; (2) to formulate alternative planning policy; (3) study
alternatives; and (4) determine alternatives and execution plan.
Performance of Goverment Officer with Duties and Functions of a Planner
According to Robbins (2007), literally, the word performance means the output of an activity. It
is the level of one’s success holistically during a certain period of time in carrying out his duties
compared to various possibilities such as work output standard, target, or goal that have been firtsly
determined and mutually agreed (Rivai, 2008). Mangkunegara (1995) emphasizes that whether one’s
performance is good or not cannot only be observed from the quantity level that one produces in
working, but also from the quality aspect in accordance with his responsibility.
Performance does not only refer to final output, but also to a broader meaning, including how
the process of works run. (Wibowo, 2008). The mearurement of performance are divided into two
kinds, namey (1) result oriented; and (2) process oriented (Ratminto and Winarsih, 2005).
