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the database by applying a cross check with corresponding
information, such as, names, dates of birth, addresses, phone
numbers, or photographs. In doing so, the very best interest of
consultants, also other professionals under this program can be
preserved.
This inventory will be accessible - nationally and
internationally - through INKINDO’s regional offices (DPD)
located in all twenty-seven provincial capital cities and the
association’s website on the Internet. It will essentially
comprise of two major groups of information regarding the
companies listed and the experts involved in the projects carried
out. Just over 1,400 field of expertise as guided by the World
Bank (although they may not all be available in Indonesia),
including detailed information regarding their numbers, their
distribution, their whereabouts and their specific line of work,
will also be accessible.
Assuming that each INKINDO member has undertaken ten
consulting projects involving ten experts in each project, it is
anticipated that there will be some 350,000 A4 sized pages of
information for the whole 3,500 members. On top of that, there
will be some 35,000 Indonesians experts documented in the
database - planned to be completed in the middle of this year.
In carrying out this project, INKINDO has successfully
developed a computer program that will enable each member to
input the data in-house in such a format that the National
Governing Council (DPP) in Jakarta can easily merge it at
national level. This program is coded with reference to standard
formats provided by the World Bank namely DACON (Data on
Consultants) and DICON (Data for Individual Consultants).
The aforementioned formats will - in the future - guarantee that
the information gathered is agreeable with international
standards.
The development of professionalism for quality assurance
Contrary to public assumption, consulting is a profession
demanding high professional standards, including feasibility
studies, engineering design, detailed design, project
management, project supervision, quality control, human brain
and technical skills. It is the nature of its business that prevents
a consulting company from being necessarily a big company in
terms of the size of its office, or the number of people that are
employed in it. Even a reputable world class consulting
company, for example, may only employ tens of professionals.
However, the consulting service by itself should always be
placed as the forefront of any project. Therefore, despite the fact
that the profession will only take up a small portion of the
inventory, its presence is plainly of much importance.
The availability of the INKINDO human resources database
ensures compatibility and efficiency, as it will put all INKINDO
members, as well as other professionals, nation-wide, on equal
ground for free and fair competition. Their profiles, including
all personal (e.g. phone number or e-mail address) as well as
technical/professional information will be available and
accessible through the database. Meaning, it will simplify the
process of correspondence, negotiation and even the
constituting of a contract if necessary, between professionals
and their prospective clients, employers or partners.
Certification Programs for Indonesian Experts
International accreditation and recognition for Indonesian
professionals can only be obtained through transparent and
secure certification programs. Thus certification for
professionals is something that should be accepted by
Indonesian experts in the free trade era, in order to withstand
the incoming international competition. In Indonesia,
certification programs only work well in the areas of medicine
(physicians and pharmacists), finance (accountants), whereas, in
other areas, especially, engineering, this is not the case.
For the last few years, the Association of Indonesian Engineers
(PII) has initiated certification programs for professional
engineers (civil, mechanical, electrical, geodesy, etc.) via peer-
to-peer assessment. However, this method has given reason to
suggest that it will only be successful if it is followed by the
development of a comprehensive database for Indonesian
engineers and the strengthening of other infrastructures like the
Board of Examiners and a transparent and reliable examination
system. In time, PDLI-INKINDO will invite all that hold
interest in the professionalism development of Indonesian
experts to work hand-in-hand and use this database.
Preparing certification programs for Indonesian consulting
firms specializing in construction services, have become the
grounds for the present collaboration between INKINDO and
the Ministry of Public Works. An arrangement between
INKINDO and BAPPENAS has also been formed for a wider
range of professionals to be included in the certification
programs. In addition, laws to legitimize the role these
programs are also in the process of making.
A TRAINING FOR TRAINERS
In order to be able to utilize the PDLI-INKINDO’s new
database program effectively and efficiently, it is realized that
the presence of qualified trainers in abundance is crucial.
Accordingly, in November and December last year, training
courses for this very purpose have been rendered by INKINDO
in all twenty-seven provinces, categorized into six training
groups. Although, in the beginning, DPP-INKINDO was
pessimistic of the reaction of INKINDO’s members outside
Jakarta towards this program, the increasing enthusiasm that has
been showed has completely erased all doubts. PDLI-INKINDO
therefore believes that this program represents the aspiration of
INKINDO members in all of Indonesia.
Management Strategy for the Development of National
Human Resources
Although INKINDO’s inventory program was originally
designed to comply with the internal needs of INKINDO