Sistem merit merupakan salah satu bagian penting dari agenda reformasi birokrasi untuk membangun birokrasi yang professional dan berintegritas. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menyusun strategi optimalisasi implementasi sistem merit dalam pengelolaan Aparatur Sipil Negara (ASN) di Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan (KLHK). Metode penelitian ini adalah penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan deskriptif yang berfokus pada pencarian fakta aktual, selanjutnya data dianalisis dengan model Edward III dan matriks analisis model SOAR. Hasil penelitian ini menggambarkan bahwa ada tiga aspek penerapan sistem merit yang belum mencapai nilai optimal (100%), yaitu aspek pengembangan karier (82%), aspek promosi dan mutasi (75%), dan aspek manajemen kinerja (90%). Hal ini disebabkan beberapa hambatan, antara lain, 1) road map sistem merit KLHK belum tersusun secara lengkap dan regulasi pengaturan pola karier belum ditetapkan oleh pejabat yang berwenang, 2) pemetaan profil seluruh ASN KLHK belum terselesaikan sepenuhnya (belum terbangun talent pool KLHK), 3) manajemen talenta ASN KLHK belum dapat dilaksanakan sesuai amanat Permen LHK Nomor 7 Tahun 2021, 4) pengembangan kompetensi ASN KLHK belum sepenuhnya berdasarkan pada hasil pengukuran kompetensi dan penilaian kinerja, 5) struktur birokrasi KLHK yang kompleks dengan jumlah pegawai di atas 15.000 pegawai memengaruhi pelaksanaan penilaian kinerja dan pengukuran kompetensi pegawai, 6) regulasi terkait promosi dan mutasi belum disusun dan ditetapkan, termasuk NSPK dan SOP penerapan sistem merit secara rinci, 7) penyebaran informasi implementasi sistem merit belum optimal dilakukan oleh pemangku kepentingan, serta belum sepenuhnya memanfaatkan teknologi informasi berupa e-government dalam Sistem Pemerintahan Berbasis Elektronik (SPBE) yang saat ini dikelola Pusat Data dan Informasi KLHK (kelemahan faktor komunikasi, dan 8) parsialitas pengeloaan data kepegawaian menghambat percepatan penyelesaian pemetaan talenta atau profil ASN KLHK, sehingga menjadi kendala penerapan sistem manajemen talenta di KLHK. Ada beberapa strategi dalam upaya optimalisasi implementasi kebijakan sistem merit dalam pengelolaan ASN KLHK, yaitu 1) penyusunan road map sistem merit KLHK, 2) pengembangan karier ASN KLHK berbasis kompetensi dan kinerja, 3) penerapan sistem manajemen talenta ASN KLHK, 4) pengembangan kompetensi ASN KLHK, 5) penerapan sistem manajemen kinerja ASN, 6) penyusunan dan penetapan sistem promosi dan mutasi, 7) pengoptimalan penggunaan Personal Assesment Center KLHK, 8) penerapan transformasi digital. Dengan menerapkan strategi tersebut, pencapaian nilai penerapan sistem merit KLHK diharapkan akan optimal. Merit system is one of the part important from the bureaucratic reform agenda for build professional and integrity bureaucracy. The purpose of this study is to develop a strategy for optimizing the implementation of the merit system in ASN management at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. This research method is qualitative research with a descriptive approach that focuses on finding actual facts, then the data is analyzed using the Edward III model and the SOAR model analysis matrix. The results of this study illustrate that there are three aspects of the implementation of the merit system that have not reached optimal values (100%), namely career development aspects (82%), promotion and mutation aspects (75%), and performance management aspects (90%). This is due to several obstacles, including, 1) the road map of the KLHK merit system has not been completely prepared and the regulations governing career patterns have not been determined by the authorized official, 2) the mapping of the profiles of all KLHK ASN has not been fully completed, 3) KLHK ASN talent management has not been implemented according to the mandate of PermenLHK Number 7 of 2021, 4) the development of KLHK ASN competencies has not been fully based on the results of competency measurements and performance assessments, 5) the complex bureaucratic structure of KLHK with the number of employees above 15,000 employees affect the implementation of performance assessments and employee competency measurements, 6) regulations related to promotions and transfers have not been prepared and determined, including the NSPK and SOP for the implementation of the merit system in detail, 7) the dissemination of information on the implementation of the merit system has not been optimally carried out by stakeholders, and has not fully utilized Information Technology in the form of e-Government in the Electronic-Based Government System (SPBE) which is currently managed by the KLHK Data and Information Center (Weaknesses in communication factors, and 8) partiality in personnel data management hinders the acceleration of the completion of talent mapping or KLHK ASN profiles, thus becoming an obstacle to the implementation of the talent management system at KLHK. There are several strategies in an effort to optimize the implementation of the merit system policy in the management of ASN LHK, as follows, 1) preparation of the road map of the KLHK merit system, 2) career development of KLHK ASN based on competency and performance, 3) implementation of the KLHK ASN talent management system, 4) development of KLHK ASN competencies, 5) implementation of the ASN performance management system, 6) preparation and determination of the promotion and mutation system, 7) optimization of the use of the KLHK Personal Assessment Center, 8) implementation of digital transformation. By implementing these strategies, it is possible to achieve the optimal value of the implementation of the KLHK merit system.