Dari Pelayanan Manual ke Digital Responsif: Pemanfaatan WhatsApp Business dalam Transformasi Pelayanan Publik Desa di Kecamatan Ngamprah

Abstract

Village-level public service delivery continues to encounter significant challenges, particularly due to limited digital literacy among village officials and the prevalence of manual service practices, which contribute to low responsiveness and inefficiency. This situation is also observed in Ngamprah District, West Bandung Regency, even though local communities are already familiar with and actively use digital devices. The Community Service Program (Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat/PkM) was designed to enhance village officials' capacity to use accessible communication technology by providing training on WhatsApp Business as a medium for public service delivery. The program adopted a participatory, training-based approach, implemented in four stages: participant reaction, learning process, behavioral change, and reflection. The activity was conducted over one day and involved 30 participants, including village officials and district-level staff. The results demonstrate improvements in participants’ understanding and skills in using key WhatsApp Business features, including service profile creation, automated messages, service catalogues, and conversation management. Additionally, participants exhibited positive changes in attitudes and work behaviors, becoming more adaptive to the digitalization of public services. The program was effective as an initial step toward digitalizing village public services, offering a low-cost, easily adoptable solution that aligns with the social context of both village officials and the community. These findings indicate that leveraging simple, familiar technology can be a strategic approach to gradually and sustainably improving the quality of village public services.