Digital Leaders Spotlight: Sapawarga, West Java Indonesia

A finalist in the 2023 WSIS Digital Service Design Special Prize, the Sapawarga, developed by the Jabar Digital Service, is a one-stop online hub for public services that provides integrated services and credible information to the people of West Java. Building on a range of open source tools, Sapawarga uses citizen centric design principles to continue to iterate to ensure that it meets users’ needs.

Highlights:

• Streamlines user experience through Single-Sign-On (SSO)
• Uses an iterative approach with user-centric design to further develop services

Challenge:

In the populus province of West Java, public services need to be accessible across urban and rural areas. To simplify peoples’ interactions with government services, and to make them easier to access, a single application was needed. Previous attempts at digitization of services often lack sufficient user input and testing.

Solution:

Sapawarga was designed to be sustainable and accessible for the next generation of public services technology. Starting with product discovery, the team used a design thinking method, and user experience researched gathered qualitative and quantitative data to understand users’ needs, pain points, and problems. After ideation and developing a prototype, the team conducted usability testing in collaboration

Key components of digital service

• Identity: Using Single-Sign-On (SSO) connected to other public service applications, users’ identities are linked with their National Identity Card (NIK) number. As all Indonesian citizens have an NIK, additional identification documents are not needed
• Information Mediator: Each client has a specific API gateway which acts as a gatekeeper, ensuring that each client only has access to the specific endpoints that the need. ata distribution and exchange within the internal cluster are facilitated using APIs to communicate across services. This allows for asynchronous communication through the use of event-driven and pub-sub techniques.
• Registration: The registration process involves recording a user’s information in a registry and providing them with a credential as proof of registration in exchange for providing information. Users will then need to complete a verification process by following a link sent to their email upon completion of registration. The registration process in Sapawarga is divided into two categories: citizens and community leaders. This allows users to choose the role that best suits their needs and allows them to access the appropriate services and information. Additionally, by requiring a verification process, the information provided is accurate, thus promoting accountability and trust in the platform.
• Consent Management: Consent management in Sapawarga allows users to control their data and the information they disclose. To access certain features, users are prompted to consent for the platform to use their data.
• Workflow: The workflow ICT building block in Sapawarga helps automate and manage the flow of information and activities across various services. This ensures that tasks and processes are performed in an efficient and organized manner. The building block also enables the platform to track the progress of these tasks and procedures and make adjustments as needed.
• Analytics: Data is collected to ensure that the service is addressing user needs, and includes links to Business Intelligence software, data visualization tools, data mining and machine learning, and cloud-based analytics.
• Open Source: The service uses a variety of open source tools, including:
  • PostgreSQL for database management
  • MongoDB for document database management
  • Redis for store data structure in-memory
  • NSQ for real-time distributed messaging
  • Kong for API Gateway
  • Nginx for web service
  • Git for version control and code collaboration
  • Golang for building backend services
  • Dart and Flutter for building mobile applications
  • Javascript and VueJS for building a website
  • Linux for the operating system
  • Docker for containerization
  • Kubernetes for automating the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications
  • Keycloak for provides a single sign-on, identity and access management system

To learn more about building blocks, visit the GovStack Specifications

SDGs and WSIS Action Lines addressed: