Administrative Autonomy and Digital Platform Dependency In Indonesian Central–Local Government Relations

Abstract

Digital government transformation in Indonesia has expanded the use of shared platforms, standardized administrative procedures, and cross-agency data exchange. These developments raise an important question for decentralization: how much administrative autonomy do local governments retain when the platforms supporting their work are designed or governed at the national level? This article synthesizes scholarship on decentralization, multilevel governance, and digital government to examine the distinction between technical platform dependency and substantive administrative authority. Using an integrative literature review, it proposes four analytical dimensions: system control, data control, procedural control, and decision-making control. The synthesis suggests that dependence on nationally standardized technology does not necessarily eliminate local autonomy. Local governments may retain substantive decision-making authority despite limited technical control; conversely, technical flexibility does not guarantee administrative discretion. A four-type conceptual typology is developed to distinguish substantive digital autonomy, integrated administrative autonomy, technically flexible but substantively constrained autonomy, and administrative-digital dependency. The framework offers a basis for future empirical assessment of central–local relations in Indonesian digital governance. The findings are conceptual and do not establish the actual autonomy of any particular local government.