Keys to Success for the Ministry of Finance’s Transformation Ambassador
Currently, various organizations are observing how Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu RI) drives workplace transformation through its Transformation Ambassador (Duta Transformasi). This transformation, which has been carefully planned, is intended to become the foundation for systemic positive change. All these impact-driven initiatives stem from Kemenkeu RI’s desire to foster progressive and sustainable improvement.
Using Maxima’s Impact Framework approach, organizational transformation can be conducted through a process that reaches the desired impact. As previously discussed, this framework consists of four phases: Intentional Impact, Accountable Impact, Scalable Impact, and Systemic Impact. By examining the case study of the Transformation Ambassador program, an impact initiative by Kemenkeu RI, we will delve deeper into how the first phase—Intentional Impact—serves as a solid foundation for organizational transformation.
Figure 1. Maxima Impact Framework Diagram, Maxima Impact Consulting, 2024.
The foundation of Kemenkeu RI’s impact initiative began with its desire to strengthen institutional capacity through progressive and sustainable improvements aligned with the 2014-2025 Institutional Transformation Blueprint. The program introduced to realize this ambition is the Bureaucratic Reform and Institutional Transformation (RBTK) program, from which a special team was formed—the Transformation Ambassadors, serving as the Change Agent & Lighthouse Team.
In general, the Transformation Ambassadors are expected to be role models in implementing a mindset that focuses on improving business processes and enhancing services for clients. The specific roles and functions of the Transformation Ambassadors are as follows:
Figure 2. Role Diagram of the Transformation Ambassadors of Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance, 2022.
To oversee the successful implementation of this initiative, Kemenkeu RI established the CTO (Central Transformation Office) to manage transformation and bureaucratic reform activities and provide support for the work programs carried out by the Transformation Ambassadors. This demonstrates the beginning of positive change by forming the right coalition for each initiative and involving various stakeholders.
Functionally, the CTO analyzes the impact and benefits of changes resulting from initiatives led by the Transformation Ambassadors. In summary, the CTO organizes the Transformation Ambassador Team program into three pillars:
The Three Pillars of the Transformation Ambassadors
- Increasing the capacity of Kemenkeu RI employees or the community
- Collaboration between Kemenkeu RI units and other institutions
- Enhancing the effectiveness of business processes
Examining the impact of the Transformation Ambassador program through Maxima’s Impact Framework, this initiative falls within the phase of Intentional Impact. This is evidenced by Kemenkeu RI’s deliberate steps through the Transformation Ambassador program to foster a sense of urgency and set a vision for change, marked by the creation of the 2014-2025 Institutional Transformation Blueprint, which embodies a spirit of progressive and sustainable improvement.
See also: Short Business Lifespan Without Organizational Transformation Initiation – Why?
As an impact consulting firm, Maxima assesses that the Transformation Ambassador program initiative has assisted Kemenkeu RI in guiding Transformation Ambassadors to carry out their change initiatives. Maxima plays a role in advancing Kemenkeu RI’s transformation from the intentional impact stage to accountable impact.
Maxima also equips the transformation ambassadors so that the initiatives they implement become more measurable and outcome-oriented rather than output-focused. This aligns with findings from the Boston Consulting Group, which noted that companies gain significantly greater benefits when they adopt outcome-oriented governance systems that align activities with strategy while allowing teams the freedom to develop their strategies to achieve objectives (BCG, 2020).
The inaugural Kemenkeu RI Transformation Ambassador Program, held from March to September 2022, significantly impacted Kemenkeu RI stakeholders, including internal (70.48%) and external stakeholders such as MSMEs (23.79%), local governments (1.94%), and other beneficiaries (2.43%).
Figure 3. Documentation from Maxima
The program successfully accelerated change in the workplace, enhancing the effectiveness of core tasks and functions, as well as employee skills and knowledge. It also helped employees find meaning and purpose in their work, especially in activities involving external stakeholders.
Furthermore, the program encouraged the development of more initiatives for information and knowledge exchange among employees, which improves coordination and collaboration across units within Kemenkeu RI.
This aligns with the message of Thomas A. Horan (2020) in “The Arc of Purposeful Leadership.” Connecting a team to a clear organizational purpose is a core strategy for achieving high performance among empowered stakeholders. This purpose also unites teams and motivates them to persist and consistently pursue effective collaborative efforts with various individuals. Horan further explains that the purpose should not only be clear but also meaningful, with a system in place to track and appreciate each progress.
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