Date of Graduation
12-2011
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy (PhD)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Public Policy
Advisor/Mentor
Kerr, Brinck III
Committee Member
Voth, Donald
Second Committee Member
Hunt, Valerie H.
Keywords
Social sciences; Community participation; Indonesia; Post-tsunami; Redevelopment
Abstract
The purpose of this dissertation research is to examine the process of community participation and community members' perceptions of and preferences for the participatory approaches in Aceh post-tsunami redevelopment. The research questions are: (1) How has the process of community participation been implemented in the redevelopment of Aceh Province after the tsunami disaster? (2) What are community members' perceptions of community participation in the redevelopment efforts after the Aceh tsunami? (3) What are community members' preferences for the community participation approaches in the redevelopment efforts after the Aceh tsunami?
I employed qualitative and quantitative methods in this study. The four case study villages were selected based on categories of level of develepment and tsunami-affected: Lam Teungoh, Lam Hasan, Lambung, and Merduati. Interviews were conducted with the representatives of government officials, key aid organizations/agencies, and residents involved in the relief efforts of the four case study villages. As many as 200 residents were selected randomly, where each case study village was represented by 50 residents.
In terms of the implementation of community participation, the research findings show that the occurence of "ad hoc" participation (participatory activities mainly mobilized by community members) was related to community members' urgent needs right after the tsunami as well as their creativity and networking. With regard to aid organization/agency-promoted participation (participation mobilized by NGOs, international agencies, and the Indonesian Government), the findings indicates this kind of participation was associated with the willingness and capacity of aid organizations/agencies, nature of recovery projects, readiness of residents to participate, adequate time in exercising participation, and community facilitators' approaches.
With respect to perceptions of community participation in Aceh post-tsunami redevelopment, most respondents agreed that community participation in the relief efforts has benefited communities, in terms of meeting needs, capacity building, reducing traumatic feelings, and giving hope for a better future for communities. Meanwhile, factor analysis indicates that the biggest constraints of participation were the demand for quick decisions and actions, issue complexity caused by the tsunami, and the impact of Aceh's military conflict and Soeharto's authoritarian regime on citizens' awareness and capability of getting involved in the participatory process.
With regard to preferences for community participation approaches, most respondents agreed with provision of education and training as to participatory approaches for stakeholders and the formulation of specific guidelines for participation. The majority of respondents were also in favor of the implementation of both direct and representative participation in decision making. In terms of level of community participation in the government and NGO's recovery projects, more than half of respondents chose the "partnership" category of Arnstein's level of participation.
Citation
Ichsan, I. (2011). Community Participation in Post-tsunami Redevelopment in ACEH: The Process and Community Members' Perceptions and Preferences. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/190
