LOCAL GOVERNMENT’S POLICY TRAP (The Case Of Pangkalpinang City In Indonesia)

By

Yuli Tirtariandi El Anshori & Enceng

Faculty of Social and Political Science  Open University of Indonesia

e-mail :  yulitirta@ut.ac.id

Abstract

Making a popular public policy is a challenge for public organization. Moreover, if the policy is formulated without involving the various elements of society. Nevertheless, a public policy remains a policy which is essentially the result of synergy compromise, or even competition between different ideas, theories, ideologies, and interests that represent a country's political system. In making up the policy implementation phase, there can be a trap implementation of the policy. This trap is created when the government fails to communicate and socialize policy to the recipient of policy (the stakeholders) well. Communication failure can cause failure of policy implementation. A policy is highly dependent on the presence of coordination and communication between policy maker and the recipient of policy. One of the key variables that influence the successful implementation of the policy is the policy target group response and the occurrence of changes in society. A lack of socialization and communication can make a target group of policy has negative responses.  Negative response and the absence of changes in public attitudes are two effects that happens as a result of implementation trap of policy.   This paper presents a result of research in the field of urban planning policy ie policy One-Way Traffic (the case of  Pangkalpinang City  in Indonesia). Qualitative approach was used in this study. This research found that lack of communication and socialization make the government caught in the trap of policy implementation. The policy caused a lot of rejection or a negative response. Then the impact of changes in public attitudes have not been as expected.

Keywords:  policy trap, public organization, public policy

Abstract

Making a popular public policy is a challenge for public organization. Moreover, if the policy is formulated without involving the various elements of society. Nevertheless, a public policy remains a policy which is essentially the result of synergy compromise, or even competition between different ideas, theories, ideologies, and interests that represent a country's political system. In making up the policy implementation phase, there can be a trap implementation of the policy. This trap is created when the government fails to communicate and socialize policy to the recipient of policy (the stakeholders) well. Communication failure can cause failure of policy implementation. A policy is highly dependent on the presence of coordination and communication between policy maker and the recipient of policy. One of the key variables that influence the successful implementation of the policy is the policy target group response and the occurrence of changes in society. A lack of socialization and communication can make a target group of policy has negative responses.  Negative response and the absence of changes in public attitudes are two effects that happens as a result of implementation trap of policy.   This paper presents a result of research in the field of urban planning policy ie policy One-Way Traffic (the case of  Pangkalpinang City  in Indonesia). Qualitative approach was used in this study. This research found that lack of communication and socialization make the government caught in the trap of policy implementation. The policy caused a lot of rejection or a negative response. Then the impact of changes in public attitudes have not been as expected.

Keywords:  policy trap, public organization, public policy