Context Evaluation Of Social Welfare Policy Implementation: A Case Study Of Social Empowerment Programs In North Kalimantan Province

Abstract

This study examines the context evaluation of social empowerment policy implementation in North Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, utilizing Stufflebeam's CIPP evaluation framework to assess the alignment between policy design and contextual realities. Through qualitative case study methodology involving 22 key stakeholders across governmental, community, and beneficiary levels, the research investigates four critical dimensions of context evaluation: needs assessment, program objectives, environmental conditions, and target population characteristics. The findings reveal significant misalignments between policy formulation and implementation contexts, with evidence of inadequate needs assessment processes that fail to capture actual community requirements and preferences. Program objectives demonstrate unrealistic resource allocation patterns, with only one of six planned social empowerment programs achieving full implementation due to budget constraints and institutional capacity limitations. Environmental analysis identifies constraining political dynamics and cultural preferences for direct assistance over capacity-building interventions, while potentially supportive religious and traditional leadership structures remain systematically underutilized. Target population assessment reveals persistent challenges in reaching vulnerable groups, particularly undocumented populations, and demonstrates fundamental mismatches between program design assumptions and beneficiary engagement patterns. The study concludes that effective social empowerment policy implementation requires comprehensive contextual adaptation incorporating community-based needs assessment, realistic objective setting aligned with institutional capacity, systematic engagement with cultural and religious leadership structures, and differentiated service delivery approaches that account for diverse population characteristics. These findings contribute to the growing literature on social welfare policy evaluation in developing countries and provide practical insights for improving policy implementation effectiveness in newly established administrative regions facing complex socioeconomic challenges.