South West Papua is one of four New Provinces included in the New Autonomous Region in the Republic of Indonesia. The Ministry of Home Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia is one of the Ministries responsible for implementing regional policies in this new area. Therefore, through the Domestic Policy Strategy Agency, the Ministry initiated the implementation of assistance to South West Papua Province. Assistance is carried out with the aim of strengthening and finalizing new policies made by regional governments in new provinces. The task of this assistance is similar to monitoring and evaluation when policies have been implemented, but the assistance carried out now is when local governments initiate regional policy making. Predictions of the impacts, their benefits for the Indigenous Papuan community, and also problems that may arise will be reviewed through the assistance process.
The special autonomy implemented in Papua, including South West Papua Province, must be truly implemented because it has been reviewed that granting this special right is the most appropriate form of improving the welfare of Indigenous Papuans. Therefore, regional governments as implementers of special autonomy have responsibilities in accordance with the values ​​contained in the special rights granted. Effective, efficient and right on target are three things that the regional government of Southwest Papua Province should do in making policies, preparing budgets and then implementing them.
Accelerating development is indeed one of the goals of implementing special autonomy. However, development contained in regional government policies should be in accordance with the conditions of Indigenous Papuans. Solutions offered to accelerate development also need to be ensured that they can improve community welfare. For this reason, the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia feels the need to provide assistance regarding strengthening the policy strategy of the regional government of South West Papua Province.
There are indices that need to be achieved in regional policies based on the applicable special autonomy, namely the Regional Financial Management Index, Regional Head Leadership Index, and Regional Government Governance Index. These three indices will lead to an increase in index that is in accordance with the special autonomy that applies in Southwest Papua Province, namely the Regional Innovation Index. The keywords of the policy strategy which is directly assisted by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia are about how innovation is implemented in policy strategies aimed at improving people’s welfare.
South West Papua has actually become a model of the policy strategy designed by the regional government in the New Autonomous Region with special autonomy in effect. Among other things, Paitua’s policy is to provide old age security to Indigenous Papuans in the form of cash assistance that can be used as a pension fund for civil servants in the Republic of Indonesia. Apart from that, assistance provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia also sees opportunities for innovation in utilizing the rich resources in the form of culture unique to South West Papua. Assistance will continue until the time the regional government of South West Papua Province is deemed to be independent and capable enough to be able to improve community welfare through various policy strategies that are adapted to the applicable special autonomy.
