Pendampingan Optimalisasi Pemanfaatan Sistem Informasi Desa Dalam Mendukung Pelayanan Administrasi Masyarakat Di Kabupaten Jember

Abstract

The utilization of Village Information Systems (VIS) in Jember Regency has not yet been fully optimized to support equitable and effective administrative services for local communities. Differences in infrastructure readiness, village officials’ competencies, institutional capacity, and digital literacy have resulted in varying levels of digital service utilization across villages. This community service program was conducted in the partner villages of Sidomukti Village, Mayang District; Sidomulyo Village, Silo District; and Karang Semanding Village, Balung District, Jember Regency, with the aim of optimizing VIS utilization through participatory assistance, identifying implementation challenges, and strengthening the capacity of village officials and community members in delivering digital-based administrative services. The program employed a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach through the stages of needs identification, collaborative planning, mentoring, practical implementation of VIS, evaluation, and follow-up activities. Supporting data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations of administrative service processes, and document analysis, and were analyzed interactively through data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing, supported by source and method triangulation. The results of the mentoring activities indicate that the partner villages have utilized VIS for correspondence services, population data management, and village information dissemination; however, the use of self-service features by community members remains limited. The mentoring activities improved operators’ understanding of VIS management, clarified digital administrative service procedures, and encouraged more consistent utilization of digital services. Remaining challenges include limited technical competencies, insufficient system maintenance budgets, and uneven levels of digital literacy among community members. These activities demonstrate that optimizing VIS requires continuous mentoring that integrates infrastructure development, strengthening village officials’ capacities, improving institutional governance, and enhancing community digital literacy.