Keywords
digital public services
digital divide
inclusive governance
new public service
How to Cite
Abstract
This study examines bureaucratic responsiveness and communication in digitally based population administration services, and identifies how digitalisation simultaneously improves technical efficiency and generates new forms of exclusion. A descriptive-interpretive qualitative study was conducted at the Kemendukbangga/BKKBN Provincial Office of Bengkulu. Data were obtained from semi-structured interviews with sixteen informants (eight officials and eight service users), non-participant observation, and document analysis. Analysis used open, axial, and contrastive coding supported by qualitative analysis software. Three themes emerged. Bureaucratic responsiveness is constructed primarily around procedural speed and data accuracy rather than citizen-centred inclusivity. Digital systems accelerate data collection and cross-regional service but give rise to systemic vulnerabilities including server outages and inter-agency synchronisation failures. A responsiveness paradox appears in which digitisation enhances efficiency for digitally literate users while creating new exclusion for elderly, rural and low-literacy populations. Field facilitators and community cadres serve as critical intermediaries bridging the digital divide. A single provincial office limits generalisation, and the user sample cannot represent all excluded groups. The study offers pathways towards equitable digital public services through facilitator-based outreach. It extends the responsiveness framework by revealing the structural limits of hybrid bureaucratic transition.
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