Digital Transformation of Educational Administrative Services in an Archipelagic Region: A Case Study of the Buru Regency Education Branch Office

Abstract

Digital transformation can reduce administrative distance in archipelagic regions, but digital channels do not automatically produce integrated public services. This study analyzes the transformation of educational administrative services at the Buru Regency Education Branch Office, Maluku Province, Indonesia. A qualitative documentary case-study design was applied to publicly verifiable institutional documents and digital-service evidence available through August 2026. The analysis used five dimensions: governance and leadership, service-process transformation, digital infrastructure, human-resource competence and work culture, and system/data integration, interpreted through public-value and administrative-burden perspectives. The results show that the Branch Office has established a digital presence through its institutional website, electronic communication, education-data administration, and participation in digital infrastructure mapping. Provincial and national platforms, including Lawamena Satu Data Maluku, further expand the enabling ecosystem. However, evidence of end-to-end transactions, service tracking, interoperable workflows, standardized response times, and locally documented platform use remains limited. The study concludes that the next transformation stage requires service-process standardization, one-door service orchestration, data governance, distributed digital competence, traceability, security, and assisted channels for schools facing connectivity constraints.