Modern diplomacy is undergoing significant changes due to digitalization, globalization, new diplomatic actors, and increasing public involvement. These developments require the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) to improve its human resource management, including recruitment, training, and career development. However, existing bureaucratic reforms have not fully addressed the chall…
Changes in the diplomatic work environment and frequent overseas assignments create various challenges for Indonesian foreign service officers and their families, including career difficulties for spouses, children's adaptation, social isolation, loss of identity, and financial instability. These challenges may affect employee productivity, retention, and recruitment within the Ministry of Fore…
This paper examines the need for Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to redesign the management system for locally recruited staff at Indonesian missions abroad. The increasing number of cases filed by local staff is a concern because disputes between missions and their employees are time-consuming, adversarial, and costly. The analysis suggests that regulations and practices may conflate…
This paper examines the need to design a Flexible Working Arrangement policy in Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) post-COVID-19 pandemic. During the unprecedented time of COVID-19, thousands of employees were forced to work from home using digital technology and platforms, and MoFA embraced the new normal by implementing Working from Home (WfH) arrangements using existing technolog…
This paper examines the importance of mainstreaming mental health awareness and providing mental health support at work as paramount for maintaining long-term organizational health within Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu). While mental health at work has been a topic in academic literature since the 1990s, the COVID-19 pandemic has renewed attention as people worldwide have been a…
Protocol privileges, courtesies, and reciprocity play an important role in supporting the outcomes of high-level state visits. However, the absence of a consolidated record of previous practices limits institutional memory and effective protocol preparation. Establishing a protocol courtesy database can systematically document privileges, courtesies, and reciprocal arrangements to support proto…
The importance of diplomats' mental health in supporting Indonesia's diplomatic performance is examined in this study. The high-pressure working conditions diplomats face, such as relocation, cultural adjustment and high-stakes negotiations, increase their mental health risks. The study highlights shortcomings in mental health screening and counselling services at the Ministry of Foreign Affair…
The overseas assignments of diplomats in the Indonesian Missions in Sub-Saharan Africa remain one of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' human resource issues. The lack of interest among diplomats to be deployed to the region has resulted in lengthy vacancies, which has a negative impact on the performance of the affected missions. The situation is ironic, given that the Indonesian government has …
This paper discusses about the roles of finance officers at the Indonesian Missions abroad. In accordance with the existing regulations of state budget management, Indonesian Missions bear at least 4 (four) roles of finance officers as KPA, PPK, Bendahara Pengeluaran, and Bendahara Penerimaan. These roles of finance officers often create a burden to assigned officials as they have no expertise …
This paper proposes policy options for initiating a Corporate University for MoFA RI, employing a moonshot policy approach, SWOT and USG analysis, and trend forecasting. Prioritizing the ASN Corpu Structure, Learning Strategy, and System Integration is deemed crucial for MoFA RI's development. Three policy options are presented: restructuring MoFA RI's organization structure, reforming le…