Administrative Requirements in ASN Placement: Between Formal Compliance and the Merit Principle in Gorontalo Regency

Abstract

The placement of State Civil Apparatus (ASN) personnel involves not only the availability of staff to fill a position but also the fulfillment of various requirements attached to that role. In practice, meeting administrative requirements often serves as the initial stage determining whether an ASN member can be assigned to a specific position. However, fulfilling administrative requirements does not necessarily guarantee that the placement process fully reflects the merit principle. This study examines administrative requirements in ASN placement within the Gorontalo Regency Government, utilizing administrative requirement indicators proposed by Siswanto. A qualitative approach was employed to understand how administrative requirements are applied and utilized during the ASN placement process. Data were gathered through interviews, observation, and document analysis, and subsequently processed through stages of data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that administrative requirements have become an integral part of the ASN placement mechanism, particularly regarding the verification of document completeness, employment status, qualifications, rank, and position-specific requirements. Nevertheless, their application remains primarily a matter of complying with formal regulations. The use of administrative data to assess the alignment between ASN personnel and the characteristics and needs of a position requires further strengthening. These conditions demonstrate that applying the merit principle to ASN placement requires more than merely ensuring administrative completeness; it necessitates a more objective and substantive application of these requirements as the basis for placement decisions.