g competencies? DISCUSSION 1 The Democratic Assessment
Jamika
Learning process occurs only
between Working
Group and LPM officials. Other than that, matters that
are discussed largely in the form of administrative and
technical matters so the process
of knowledge
sharing is not optimal. There
is no
deliberation process in decision-making
process because it conducted through a
closed meeting by the LPM officials and the
Working Group. This process is based on
data collected from community leaders.
Since there
is no
deliberation process,
there was no debate in the forum which able to
produce an essential learning
for the
participants.
Lebak Siliwangi
Pokja members
rarely include non-members in
discussion forums, while the kelurahan level deliberation
mostly discuss the matters considered important by
RW leaders. Representatives
of every RT and RW
already have mutual respect and trust so
that the deliberation at the kelurahan level
LPM
with RW
leaders is considered satisfying
by the
participants The
debates at
kelurahan level provided a mutual understanding
between RW leaders so that they can agree on
the
priorities for
development
Table 7. Indicator of democratic assessment : Adaptiveness
ADAPTIVENESS Are
there clear
rules for
the network
process prior
to the
deliberative process?
Is the
network capable of handling
conflicts?
Is the network’s work secured sustainability and continuity
in
terms of
e.g competencies?
Cipamokolan
There are no clear rules in deliberative
process. Network
formed because of access to resources.
Conflicts remain
latent, the interests of the marginal people
can’t be
accommodated. There is no attempt to
resolve this conflict, because the conflict
has not manifested yet.
Network formed to possess direct competence of actor’s
program, especially for working group and LPM officials.
Jamika
Network occur in groups of people
who have a channel to the program.
Exclusive network can be
latent conflict.
Such as suspicion and apathy of the parties
who were not involved in the network.
Network formed to possess direct competence of actor’s
program, especially for working group and board LPM. This
netowork involving institutions at the kelurahan level that has
the capacity in seven program areas. In addition, this network
also
invite competent
individuals who are not involved in the institution to take into it
Lebak Siliwangi
The network process prior
to the
deliberative process are mainly focused
on the arguments of RT RW leaders
only,
still cannot
reach citizens
outside the RT RW leader’s circle.
The deliberation of RW
leaders had
successfully managed conflicts among RW,
but most RW leaders still cannot handle the
conflicts with their subordinate
RT leaders.
P2KB indirectly
provides incentive for the citizens to
create the long-term kelurahan development plan document.
Through this
plan, the
sustainability continuity can be achieved.
II.3
Critical Issues of Democracy Practice Access Program P2KB approach based community empowerment and active community
participation in development at the local area. Parsons, et.al. 1994 under Suharto, 2005 stated that empowerment is a process by which people become strong enough to
participate in, sharing control of the country, and the influence of events and institutions that affect their lives. Thus, participation is a strategy, process, and purpose of a
community empowerment in various forms, such as programs P2KB. Therefore, the access to be able to participate in planning process is the main purpose of empowerment
program.
Based on studies in the three villages, the new public participation at the level of the organization at kelurahan officially mandated to three actor, they are LPM, member
of the working group, and chairman of RW. Diana Conyers in Nurdin, 2000: 16 see that
there are two factors that determine a persons wish to participate, that the results obtained from their participation and any special interests or benefits that may be obtained
in accordance with their needs. These common interests will arise if people know clearly the benefits of the program so they could put themselves in a part of the program.
Referring to Hikmat 2006, genuine participation in Kelurahan Jamika, Cipamokolan, and Lebaksiliwangi are actually hard to realized due to low ability and willingness of the
community in the socio-political processes that occur in the environment. In general, people in both kelurahan are relatively low educated. They lack of understanding of the
problems they face which in turn have an impact to the low of willingness and ability to solve those problems. That kind of community, according to Hikmat 2006, are less
familiar with democracy procedures or processes in solving the problem. Referring to Arnstein 1969, resistance of powerholders to redistribute the power can become an
obstacle to community participation. This is what happen in both areas of study that has led to the phenomena of elite captured where power only distributed in some circles: LPM,
Pokja, and local leaders. These situation
—low ability of communities in the sociopolitical process and the ressistance of powerholders to share the power
—inhibit the community participation in all stage of the program.
Hikmat 2006 noted that thing to remember is the tendency of government’s role that is too dominant at all levels of the organizational structure to the local level, which in
turn will have an impact of mismatch between development programs and community needs. This occurs in both kelurahan, where government organization’s role at the
kelurahan-level named LPM, dominate the overall interests of the community. In the end, benefits of the program in both kelurahan have not reached the community at the bottom
level and do not meet the actual needs of the community itself. It caused by two factors. First, the closure of access to information by a group of people who intend to prevent the
distribution of power and benefits of the program to the public which called ellite captured phenomena. Second, the lack of knowledge and understanding of community
empowerment or community driven development at the level of the Pokja and LPM. The lack of knowledge at the level of LPM and Pokja caused their inability to function as a
community organization to encourage community participation in the program. Program P2KB ini sudah berhasil mengakumulasi partisipasi dalam tahap perencanaan program
dan pengambilan keputusan pada level kelompok dan pengurus kelurahan, namun belum berhasil mendorong partisipasi masyarakat pada level komunitas di bawahnya. Arnstein
1969 states the strategies to encourage public participation in the collaborative processes are equity, mutual goal setting, resource allocation, program operation, and
the delivery of benefits to society. Thus, access to information is an important aspect to encourage public participation.
Public Deliberation
Fundamental phase of participation in this program are made through discussions at the level of RT, RW up to the city level. Deliberation process in this program is used to
accommodate the aspirations, determine priority needs and to decide which program will be proposed to the municipal level. Participation in the process of deliberation in the three
kelurahan are indirect participation, which occurs when actors have participation rights to legitimate their position Dusseldrop in Prawesti, 2006. Working groups in three
kelurahan are not elected by the people but by the LPM, RW and community leaders.
LPM is an institution which encourage working group of actors involved in the planning and decision making. The decisions supposed to represent the communitys
decision. But the fact is the decision was made by only several actors. It caused suspicion and apathy of the parties who were not involved in the network. Therefore, the awareness
to participate in program becomes low because people do not have access to the program.
Interests of society can not be represented in the working group. Furthermore, the selection mechanism of working group is not derived from the peoples aspirations P2KB
still dominated by interests of some groups. Kelurahan Jamika selection process is determined by the board working group LPM, particularly chairman LPM, Kelurahan
Cipamokolan already involve RW and several community leaders, but the process is not going well because of the role of the LPM still relatively dominate by several actors
Nurhayati, 2012. Meanwhile, studies of Bijaksana 2012 suggests that the Kelurahan Lebaksiliwangi is more democratic in involving the heads of RW. LPM no longer dominate
this process but done in consultation with the chairman of RW. So even in the process of decision making and priority setting requirements always involves RW, RW is through
forums. The process of deliberation is a process in which the parties are conducting transactions and compromises the interests to result in a good decision for all parties.
Compromise the interests in the Kelurahan Jamika occured between LPM and working group, in the Kelurahan Cipamokolan occurred between pegurus LPM, working group,
and some community leaders, while in the Kelurahan Lebaksiliwangi occurred between RW by RW forums. However, the three style democracy produces something similar,
which is a compromise decision yet fully accepted by society. There are many people who feel their interests have not been accommodated in the compromise.
The process of compromise in generating debate and deliberation bargaining among actors. The process is capable of producing knowledge through learning between
actors. However, the limitations of the actors in the absence of knowledge and experience as well as a facilitator in the district is not able to lead the process of generating knowledge
or learning the optimal. Improved knowledge of construction management at the local level can be seen at the level of government organizations at the village, but it is not
significant. This increase was still at the level of willingness to participate has not been on stage with the ability to participate in knowledge-base and understanding of the socio-
political system is good. Because of this deliberation is a process of compromise between the actors involved, the characteristics of reciprocity and tolerance prevail among them.
Adaptiveness
In the context of planning in the public domain there are many actors involved. Actors are differentiated based on level of power. Therefore, in the planning process,
including community empowerment programs such as P2KB, network process becomes very important. As explained earlier, decision-making through deliberation is essentially
a compromise between actors in it. Network will determine from who actors involved and how they role the program.
There are no clear rules regarding network processes in the deliberative process. Network formed by itself because of the access to resources in the program. In Kelurahan
Jamika where LPM have built a network through an election working group called Pokja and selected other actors involved, LPM play dominant role in the overall process of
program. Meanwhile, Kelurahan Cipamokolan have a good network among institutions at the kelurahan level such as LPM, PKK, and the local government so that the member of
these institutions take on the role. As in Kelurahan Jamika through forum RW where RW and RT leaders also already have a good network, they became main actors in the
program. This is as what Stoker 1994 noted in his theory of the urban regyme that characteristics of the plural in the public planning that caused political power plays a major
role in the decision-making process. The community capacity to manage the programs is not merely reflected in the community
institution such as LPM, but also the interaction between LPM, other institution at the kelurahan level, and the people. Hague 2000 argues that planning does not belong to
planners only but also collectively belong to the stakeholders involved and affected by planning. The study by Nurhayati 2012 in Jamika and Cipamokolan reveals distrust from
citizens to LPM and Pokja on account of the lack of transparency shown by LPM. The process to gain consensus becomes a lot more difficult and it might possibly generate a
new problem within the society. On the other hand, Bijaksana 2012 found that a strong network between RW leaders leads to public rejection to the decission that been taken
because it does not meet the needs of the community. Thus, the consensus that must be achieved is not only between actors that have legitimacy to represent the public
aspirations, but also the community itself.
Conflicts that arise from the different styles of democracy in these three kelurahan can not be handled by existing network. Conflicts relating to the public atgrassroot levels still
latent conflict that threatens the success of the program objectives. In some cases, formed network also ignores the competencies required, but emphasizes competence in
the actors that exist in these network. this happened in the Kelurahan Cipamokolan where most of the activities following the competence of the LPM officials, Pokja, and actors
who directly involved in the deliberation process. Study by Nurhayati 2012 showed that benefit of these activities enjoyed only by those actors, not answered the need of society
at large.