Village Fund Implementation Gap: Cluster Analysis of Inter-Regency Allocation in South Sulawesi
Kesenjangan Implementasi Kebijakan Dana Desa: Analisis Klaster Alokasi Antarkabupaten di Sulawesi Selatan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36982/jpp.v11i4.7708Keywords:
Allocation Responsiveness, Cluster Analysis, Implementation Gap, Policy Implementation, Village FundAbstract
Purpose: This study analyzes the implementation gap in Village Fund policy by examining whether inter-district allocation patterns in South Sulawesi reflect differences in development needs.
Methodology: It employs a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design covering 21 districts, using 2025 Village Fund allocation data and Statistics Indonesia indicators. Ward.D2 hierarchical clustering was evaluated using silhouette and Calinski–Harabasz indices and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Allocation responsiveness was tested using Spearman correlation and coefficients of variation, then explained through policy document analysis.
Findings: Inter-district variation in development needs exceeds that of the main allocation components. Three exploratory clusters, despite relatively weak separation, differ significantly in Village Fund per village and basic allocation, but not in poverty, safe drinking water, or sanitation access. All nine Spearman correlations between allocation and needs are not significant.
Practical Implication: Findings call for formula composition simulations before regulatory revision, alignment of village-level poverty data with the allocation unit, broader affirmative criteria based on basic-service deficits, and annual allocation-responsiveness mapping by subnational governments, especially under the 2026 fiscal changes.
Originality/value: It shifts attention from Village Fund impacts to testing allocation design responsiveness, and interprets implementation gaps as a possible mismatch between resource distribution design and regional need heterogeneity at aggregate district level.
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