Ruwaida Ruwaida, Aiyub Aiyub, Muryali Muryali, Cut Sukmawati, Ferizaldi Ferizaldi

Recruitment of Civil Servants Following The State of Emergency at The Sawang Subdisdrict Office, North Aceh Regency

Introduction

Recruitment of civil servants following the state of emergency at the sawang subdisdrict office, north aceh regency. Examines civil servant recruitment post-emergency at Sawang, North Aceh. Reveals a swift, closed process driven by stability needs, impacting professionalism and transparency.

Abstract

This study aims to determine the recruitment process of civil servants and its impact on professionalism and transparency at the Sawang Sub-District Office in North Aceh Regency. The method used in this study is descriptive qualitative, with data collection techniques including interviews, observation, and documentation. The data obtained was then analyzed through data reduction, data presentation, and data verification. The results of the study show that the recruitment of civil servants after the military emergency at the Sawang Subdistrict Office was simple, quick, and tended to be closed because it was more influenced by the need to maintain socio-political stability, reconciliation, and the continuity of government in a post-conflict situation than by the strict application of merit principles, so that the process did not involve open selection or competency tests. This situation has impacted the professionalism of the State Civil Apparatus, which is not yet optimal, as well as low levels of transparency, because the recruitment process is based more on social and situational considerations during the transition period. When compared to the principle of meritocracy, this recruitment practice is not entirely appropriate because it does not place qualifications, competence, potential, performance, and integrity as the main criteria, even though it can be understood as an adaptive policy by local governments to maintain peace and ensure that public services continue to run.

Review

The study addresses a highly pertinent issue concerning civil servant recruitment in post-conflict regions, specifically at the Sawang Sub-District Office in North Aceh Regency following a state of emergency. Utilizing a descriptive qualitative approach involving interviews, observation, and documentation, the research meticulously investigates the recruitment process and its subsequent impact on the professionalism and transparency of the local bureaucracy. The core finding reveals a recruitment methodology characterized by simplicity, speed, and a closed nature, primarily driven by the immediate imperatives of socio-political stability, reconciliation, and the continuity of government services in a fragile post-conflict environment, rather than strict adherence to meritocratic principles. The findings offer a valuable, nuanced perspective on the challenges of public administration during transitional periods. The research effectively highlights the inherent tension between the urgent need for stability and peacebuilding, and the long-term goal of establishing a professional and transparent civil service based on competence and qualifications. By demonstrating that recruitment bypassed open selection and competency tests, leading to suboptimal professionalism and low transparency, the study critically evaluates the practical implications of such adaptive policies. While acknowledging these practices can be understood as pragmatic responses to maintain peace and ensure service delivery, the paper's comparison to the principle of meritocracy underscores the significant compromise made in terms of ideal governance, thereby contributing an important case study to the literature on post-conflict state-building and public sector reform. While the study effectively outlines the immediate impacts and underlying rationale for the observed recruitment practices, future research could fruitfully explore the long-term consequences of these decisions on the institutional capacity and public trust in the Sawang Sub-District Office. Further investigation might also delve into potential strategies for gradually integrating meritocratic principles into a system initially designed for crisis management, perhaps by examining the evolution of recruitment policies over time in similar contexts. Such follow-up studies could provide actionable insights for policymakers grappling with similar dilemmas in other post-conflict or transitional settings. Overall, this paper provides a timely and insightful analysis of a complex administrative challenge, making a significant contribution to understanding public sector management in highly sensitive political environments.

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