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The Constitutional Court’s IT Team simulating an online session on Monday (6/4/2020) in the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Ifa.

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—Since March 17, 2020, the Constitutional Court (MK) adopted the work-for-home (WFH) policy to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Office activities remain as usual with the help of communication technology and applications, said Head of the Center for Information and Communication Technology Budi Achmad Djohari via telephone on Monday (6/4/2020).

Budi said that in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Court’s IT team formed a COVID-19 task force following Decree of the Secretary General of the Constitutional Court No. 97 of 2020 concerning the COVID-19 Management Task Force at the Constitutional Court. To support the constitutional justices, the Court’s IT Team had prepared facilities for online justice deliberation meeting (RPH).

“Through virtual private network (VPN), the constitutional justices can hold a meeting and discuss through videoconference without having to come to the office, with a separate networking system,” he explained.

To support court sessions, which will be scheduled later, the IT team had prepared communication technology and applications that comply with the procedural law in the Constitutional Court. Following the Constitutional Court Regulation (PMK) No. 18 of 2009, remote sessions may be held during normal or urgent situations. Thus, during the COVID-19 mitigation period, Court sessions will be held online following physical distancing policy for the constitutional justices. The Court has ensured that three courtrooms will be available: the plenary courtroom for five justices, and two panel courtrooms for the remaining justices. The Court has received the license to use the Jabber application so that the three courtrooms will be connected and the justices will be able to hold court sessions as usual.

To Stay Connected

The IT team has also opened access to documents for the staff members through a server, so that they can work as usual. Using the Dynamic Archival Information System (SIKD), the Court has also opened access for staff members to report their work from home. 

“The constitutional justices [has mandated] the secretary general and officials [to allow] work from home. Officials can give directions that can be directly executed in tiers. Basically, the office activities in the Constitutional Court are not hindered although [everything] is done from home,” Budi said.

To ensure and maintain that the technology in the Constitutional Court runs optimally, the twenty-member IT team uses several strategies. Hardware checking is done in shifts by two staff members—one on networking infrastructure and one on information system. Meanwhile, the software is checked and monitored remotely.

“Of course, this [operation] prioritizes and takes into account the health and safety of the staff during the COVID-19 mitigation period. If during a shift any of the staff is sick, another healthy staff member can take their place so that the team remains operational with good teamwork and communication,” he explained.

The Government advised the people to stay at home and apply social distancing. The Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry issued the Circular Letter Number 19 of 2020 concerning Adjustment of the Work System of State Civil Apparatuses in Preventing COVID-19 in Government Agencies. The circular serves as a guideline for government agencies in carrying out official duties following WFH policy for state civil apparatuses (ASN) as an effort to prevent and minimize the spread of COVID-19. (Sri Pujianti/NRA)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti

Translation uploaded on 04/09/2020

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