Understanding Functions and Principles of Public Services

UNDERSTANDING FUNCTIONS AND PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC SERVICES Public service is the embodiment and explanation of the duties and functions of government employees in the context of carrying out general government and development tasks. Government employees are placed to carry out functions alongside state servants, as well as public servants. Therefore, to realize these duties and functions, they are described in the provision of services to the community by service units. The implementation referred to both includes activities to regulate, develop and encourage as well as fulfill the needs or interests of all aspects of community activities, especially community participation in the implementation of development. Based on its definition, public service is a service activity carried out by public service providers as an effort to fulfill public needs and implement the provisions of laws and regulations (Mahmudi, 2010: 223). Public services are activities carried out by a person or group of people with material factors through certain systems, procedures and methods in order to fulfill the interests of other people in accordance with their rights (Moenir, 2002: 26-27). According to Harbani Pasolong (2007: 128) Public service is every activity carried out by the government for a number of people who have every activity that is profitable in a group or unit, and offers satisfaction even though the results are not tied to a physical product. Meanwhile, Sinambela in the book "Public Service Reform" (2014: 5) states that "Public service is the fulfillment of the desires and needs of the community by state administrators. The state was founded by the public (society) of course with the aim of improving the welfare of the community. In essence, the state in In this case, the government (bureaucrats) must be able to meet the needs of the community. "Needs in this case are not individual needs but various needs that are actually expected by society, for example the need for health, education and so on." In addition to the definition above, IAN in Widodo (2001:271) states that public service is defined as all forms of public service activities carried out by Government Agencies at the Center and in the Regions within BUMN, BUMD in the form of goods and services, both in the context of efforts to fulfill community needs, as well as in the context of implementing the provisions of Legislative Regulations. Based on the definition above, it can be seen that the essence of public service is providing excellent service to the community which is a manifestation of the obligations of government employees as public servants. Another important thing related to public services is the existence of regional autonomy as one of the dimensions of services which is increasingly decentralized at the regional level. This is in line with the main function of local government as stated by John Stewart and Michael Clarke (in Skelcher, 1992:3), namely: a) The public service function consists of: • Environmental services (environmental services), • Personal service (personal service). b) Development implementation function (development function), and c) Protection function (protective function). To carry out these functions, regional government employees must be able to follow up or explain the implementation of services to the community in accordance with the functions of each service unit. Apart from function, Skelcher (1992:4) also put forward principles in serving the community, namely: a) Standard, namely the existence of explicit clarity regarding the level of service including employees in serving the community; b) Openness, namely explaining how community services are implemented, how much they cost, and whether a service is in accordance with specified standards; c) Information, namely comprehensive and easy to understand information about a service; d) Choice, namely providing consultation and choices to the community as long as necessary; e) Non discrimination, namely services are provided without distinction of race and gender; f) Accessibility, service delivery must be able to please customers or provide satisfaction to customers; g) Redress, there is a good publication system and easy procedures for submitting complaints. Success in implementing the principles of quality public services is very dependent on the public service processes carried out. The public service process involves two parties, namely the bureaucracy (servants) and the community (those served). Therefore, to see the quality of public services in question, two main aspects need to be considered and studied, namely: aspects of the organization's internal processes (services); as well as external aspects of the organization, namely the benefits felt by the customer community. This is in line with what Skelcher (1992:10) stated, dividing customers in public services into two parts, namely internal and external customers. And service attention is often focused on external customers, namely the community as stakeholders.