Negotiating Impossibilities in Community-driven Development in Indonesia

Abstract

This article examines four normative expectations of community-driven development (CDD) programs and their concomitant criticisms from the perspective of community-based volunteers (CBVs). These volunteers compromise on the ideals of CDD to achieve results. Their compromises often become the focus of criticism. In devolving limited control over development resources to the local level, CDD also devolves the responsibility for failure. Based on a case study of a CDD program in Medan, Indonesia, this article argues that the way CBVs negotiate the impossibilities of CDD in urban contexts should become the starting point for a more realistic approach to making CDD succeed.

Incentive-based Social Welfare Administration in Indonesia: Implications for sustainable development in women’s and children’s protection

“…However, apathy, poor acknowledgement of the needs of the poorest of people, and participation in a social mindset in Indonesia that institutions are good for impoverished children or resigning to administrative status quo in favour of earning incentive payments, all dominate current social work administrative practices. Many authors write about how regional administrators of government welfare initiatives have little interest in the welfare of ordinary people (Hatherell and Welsh, 2017; Jakimow, 2018; Kartasasmita, 2014; Setiyono, 2015; Tidey, 2018). Resigning to former inhumane practices is in direct conflict with social work values.…”