Persistent Innovation in Digital Government: Comparative Study of Ngofa Sedano and TERAS in Tidore Islands City

Abstract

Digital innovation in local governments often stalls after launch, making sustainability more critical than production. This study analyzes two digital innovations in Tidore Islands City Government using the persistent innovation framework's four dimensions: cultural change, innovative leadership, capacity building, and institutional embedding. Using a qualitative comparative case study with interviews, observation, and document review, analyzed through Miles, Huberman, and Saldana's model, findings reveal contrasting outcomes. Ngofa Sedano at the Procurement Unit survived because all four dimensions integrated effectively: cultural shift embedded in daily routines, active leadership commitment, independent capacity building, and routine budget allocation. TERAS at the Communication Office stagnated despite formal decrees and procedures, lacking maintenance funding, continuous leadership support, and adequate capacity development. These findings demonstrate that digital innovation sustainability depends not on technological sophistication or regulatory completeness alone, but on how deeply innovations embed in work culture, leadership commitment, human resource capacity, and institutional structures simultaneously. Financial institutionalization proved crucial innovations without permanent budget allocation remain vulnerable to leadership changes and fiscal pressures. This research contributes to persistent innovation understanding in island local governance contexts.