Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Reformasi birokrasi di Indonesia menempatkan sistem merit sebagai fondasi normatif dalam pengelolaan Aparatur Sipil Negara (ASN) guna mewujudkan birokrasi yang profesional, berintegritas, dan berbasis kinerja. Dalam sektor pendidikan, penerapan sistem merit memiliki signifikansi strategis karena kepala sekolah berperan sebagai aktor kunci dalam menentukan kualitas tata kelola sekolah dan mutu pembelajaran. Meskipun kerangka regulasi terkait sistem merit telah dilembagakan secara komprehensif, praktik pengangkatan kepala sekolah di tingkat pemerintah daerah masih menunjukkan kesenjangan antara norma kebijakan dan implementasi empiris, terutama dalam konteks kewenangan dan diskresi kepala daerah. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis secara kritis penerapan sistem merit dalam proses pengangkatan kepala sekolah di Kabupaten Bener Meriah dengan menelaah kesesuaian antara regulasi, prosedur formal, dan praktik pelaksanaan di lapangan, serta mengkaji faktor-faktor struktural, kelembagaan, dan politik yang memengaruhi objektivitas penerapan prinsip meritokrasi. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan desain studi kasus, melalui analisis dokumen kebijakan, wawancara mendalam dengan pemangku kepentingan kunci, serta penelusuran praktik pengangkatan kepala sekolah pada konteks pemerintahan daerah. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penerapan sistem merit dalam pengangkatan kepala sekolah di Kabupaten Bener Meriah masih bersifat prosedural dan administratif, belum sepenuhnya mencerminkan meritokrasi secara substantif. Mekanisme seleksi belum dilaksanakan secara terbuka dan kompetitif, pemanfaatan asesmen kompetensi dan data kinerja ASN belum terintegrasi secara sistematis, serta diskresi kepala daerah-termasuk penjabat kepala daerah-masih berpengaruh signifikan dalam penentuan jabatan. Temuan ini mengindikasikan bahwa sistem merit beroperasi dalam ruang tarik-menarik antara rasionalitas administratif dan kepentingan politik lokal. Secara teoretis, penelitian ini memberikan kontribusi pada pengembangan kajian administrasi publik dan reformasi birokrasi dengan menegaskan bahwa keberhasilan sistem merit tidak dapat dipahami semata-mata sebagai kepatuhan regulatif, melainkan sebagai fenomena institusional yang dipengaruhi oleh konfigurasi kekuasaan, kapasitas kelembagaan, dan budaya birokrasi. Penelitian ini juga memperkaya pemahaman tentang politisasi birokrasi dalam sektor pendidikan sebagai arena strategis kebijakan publik. Secara praktis, penelitian ini merekomendasikan penguatan regulasi operasional, penerapan mekanisme seleksi terbuka berbasis kompetensi dan kinerja, penguatan peran pengawasan independen, serta integrasi sistem penilaian kinerja sebagai prasyarat bagi terwujudnya pengangkatan kepala sekolah yang objektif, transparan, dan akuntabel

Bureaucratic reform in Indonesia positions the merit system as a normative foundation for the management of the State Civil Apparatus (ASN) in order to realize a professional, integrity-driven, and performance-based bureaucracy. In the education sector, the implementation of the merit system is strategically significant because school principals serve as key actors in determining the quality of school governance and learning outcomes. Although the regulatory framework governing the merit system has been comprehensively institutionalized, the practice of appointing school principals at the local government level continues to reveal a gap between policy norms and empirical implementation, particularly in relation to the authority and discretion of regional heads. This study aims to critically analyze the implementation of the merit system in the process of appointing school principals in Bener Meriah Regency by examining the alignment between regulations, formal procedures, and practices in the field, as well as by exploring the structural, institutional, and political factors that influence the objectivity of meritocratic principles. This research employs a qualitative approach with a case study design, utilizing policy document analysis, in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, and an examination of school principal appointment practices within the local government context. The findings indicate that the implementation of the merit system in the appointment of school principals in Bener Meriah Regency remains largely procedural and administrative and does not yet fully reflect substantive meritocracy. Selection mechanisms have not been conducted in an open and competitive manner, the use of competency assessments and ASN performance data has not been systematically integrated, and the discretion of regional heads—including acting regional heads—continues to exert significant influence over appointment decisions. These findings suggest that the merit system operates within a dynamic tension between administrative rationality and local political interests. Theoretically, this study contributes to the development of public administration and bureaucratic reform scholarship by emphasizing that the success of the merit system cannot be understood solely as regulatory compliance, but rather as an institutional phenomenon shaped by configurations of power, institutional capacity, and bureaucratic culture. This study also enriches the understanding of bureaucratic politicization in the education sector as a strategic arena of public policy. Practically, this study recommends strengthening operational regulations, implementing open selection mechanisms based on competence and performance, reinforcing independent oversight, and integrating performance appraisal systems as prerequisites for achieving objective, transparent, and accountable school principal appointments.