A Phenomenography Perspective on Digital Transformation in Public Service: Conceptions of Jogyakarta Smart Service (JSS)

The study aims to explore the actors conceptions of the digitalization of public services
through their experiences, perceptions, and understanding, which are not widely
disclosed in research. These actors include the government as a service provider and
users, as well as business actors and academicians. In principle, the sustainability of the
digitalization of public services will be primarily determined by the participation and
support of its users or citizens. The study used Phenomenography and interviewed eight
informants, including three government officials, a citizen, an academic, and three
business people, in Yogyakarta. The city introduced the JSS (Jogya Smart Service) onedoor
digital platform for public services in 2018. Data collection was conducted with
interviews. The study revealed that actors had varying conceptions about the
digitalization of public services. These differences were related to media use, advantages
and challenges, and stakeholder engagement. Each perception had sub-perceptions, with
public information digitalization having the most. The number of variations in the subconceptions
indicates that each informant has a diverse perception and positive
experiences related to implementing JSS. The outcome space demonstrated that
digitalizing public services entails three understandings: new skills required,
technological implications, co-production, and shared values.