At the head of the banjar is the kelihan dinas, who represents the banjar to the sub-district and district-level branches of government. Anything to do with (civil) administrative matters of state - such as obtaining the various documents needed for job applications, school enrolments, passport applications, identity cards, ‘good behavior’ cards, birth certificates, school certificates and family registers - is the domain of the kelihan dinas. The term of the kelihan dinas is vague, and in many cases the post in held indefinitely by one person.

The post of the kelihan adat, the ‘traditional’ banjar head, is officially parallel - neither above nor below - to that of the kelihan dinas. The kelihan adat is responsible for all matters of a ‘traditional’ nature, such as weddings, temple ceremonies, and what and what may not be done according to tradition. The term of a kelihan adat is usually five years, but it depends on the banjar in question whether a kelihan adat may serve two terms or not. “The kelihan dinas can sometimes double as the kelihan adat,” says Bukit Jangkrik's kelihan dinas, I Made Supraptha. "It depends on the will of the banjar members."

The banjar also includes several community groups, such as the PKK (Pembinaan Kesejahteraan Keluarga: Maintenance of Family Welfare) and the STT (Sekehe Teruna-Teruni: youth group). In the name of ‘women’s development’, the New Order government established PKK all over Indonesia, and it was in the seventies that the institution became integrated into Bali’s banjars. Its main activities are sewing and cooking classes. Whilst it falls under the auspices of the banjar, the PKK is not strictly a traditional Balinese community organization. It is a development institution molded in the New Order style.

Like the PKK, the STT is also often made responsible for implementing development programs - in this case ones that relate to youth. The majority of STTs, however, are most active at Galungan, the Hindu festive day which falls every six months, when they convene bazaars to raise funds for community coffers.

In addition, each banjar has at least one subak, which is responsible for regulating agricultural matters such as irrigation and harvesting. The head of the subak is called a pekaseh, whose responsiblity is to regulate the flow of irrigation water, and ensure every paddy gets and equal share.

It is obligatory for each banjar to have an awig-awig, or a constitution. Based on traditional law, as opposed to state law, the awig-awig regulates the activities of the banjar and its members. Awig-awig vary according to banjar, but according to Made Alon, Panti Gede's kelihan banjar: “There are many similarities in the awig-awig of banjars in close proximity with one another.”