The Role of Participatory Village Maps in Strengthening Public Participation Practice

Abstract

This study investigated the role of participatory village maps in strengthening the Musrenbang, an annual multi-stakeholder public consultation forum to discuss development issues and plans in Indonesia. We evaluated the Musrenbang in five villages in Deli Serdang District after conducting participatory mapping workshops to produce village maps to inform the Musrenbang process. Our results show that communication between Musrenbang participants improved because the maps provided a clear definition of the village administrative area, geospatial data as resources for participation, transparency, and a dynamic deliberative process. Collaboration was also evident as the maps enabled participants to exchange knowledge, experience social learning, and have greater influence on the decision-making process. Despite the benefits, some issues impeded the optimal use of the village maps to support the participatory process in the Musrenbang. The maps could not completely overcome the power disparities between Musrenbang participants. Certain actors still dominated the implementation of the Musrenbang, making the deliberative process inaccessible to and less inclusive of some local stakeholders. Several improvements are urgently needed to optimise the use of participatory village maps and enhance Musrenbang implementation.

Measuring Villagers’ Perceptions of Changes in the Landscape Values of Traditional Villages

“…The study also aims to address the limitations of smaller scales in PPGIS research and to transcend administrative boundaries. Since most research is based on towns or urban districts due to the smaller scale of a village, there is a dearth of research at the village level, and most PPGIS require identifying specific information about the scope and boundaries of the village area, restricted within certain administrative boundaries [100,101]. This research, starting from the small scale of villages and taking the perspective of villagers' lives, marks points of landscape value not limited to the village landscape but also the surrounding area.…”

“…The cultural heritage and historical richness of the countryside often provide villagers with spiritual support and a sense of belonging. Protecting and inheriting rural traditional culture can not only satisfy residents' emotional needs but also inject unique charm and attraction into rural development [101].…”

Exploring Landscape Values and Willingness to Pay for Perceived Ecosystem Services: The Case of Malampaya Sound, a Socio-Ecological Production Landscape and Seascape

“…Based on participatory approaches, national marine protected areas, for instance, can be contextualized for local communities and the environment [23]. An ecosystem service map itself cannot completely overcome the power disparities between participants, and thus methods using maps need to be further developed [24]. In this study, we elevated the importance of triangulation in holistic planning and PA management (as highlighted in Lukman et al, [25], Hockings et al [26], and IPBES [7] and utilized an integrative conceptual framework to contribute to the mainstreaming of ESs into policies and practices.…”

Taking the advantage of Participatory Geographic Information System (P-GIS) in validating Semeru disaster prone area map in Oro-Oro Ombo, Lumajang

“…Through this method, researchers find key informants starting from residents, institutions, and village officials. Then, they recommended other informants who they think fit the research criteria [18]− [20]. The notes and interview transcripts were then interpreted and analysed to infer some meaningful information for the KRB map [19].…”