Bridging The Authorizing–Operating Gap: Thematic Reform, Ocat, And Local Poverty Reduction in Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia’s Thematic Bureaucratic Reform redirects administrative change toward measurable outcomes on national priorities, yet translating this authorizing environment into everyday operating capacity remains uneven. This study assesses the extent to which thematic reform strengthens local government organizational capacity for poverty reduction in an Indonesian regency (Polewali Mandar) and identifies mechanisms to close the authorizing–operating gap. Using a qualitative single case design and an adapted Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool (OCAT), we triangulate interviews, coordination-forum observations, and policy documents to profile six capacity dimensions. The aggregate pattern shows stronger structural–procedural capacity than behavioral–collaborative capacity: Governance and Leadership scores 3.33 and Organizational Management 3.00, while Values and Organizational Culture scores 2.33 and External Relations 1.80, indicating limited internalization of collaborative work norms and thin multi-stakeholder partnerships. The paper contributes by, first, empirically demonstrating the authorizing–operating gap in thematic reform through a structured OCAT profile; second, adapting OCAT to a bureaucratic context to distinguish structural capacity from collaborative capacity that matters for whole-of-government implementation; and third, proposing concrete organizational mechanisms to translate forum decisions into auditable frontline routines, namely permanent thematic squads, collaboration-weighted performance incentives, and flexible thematic micro-budgets. These findings guide policymakers and practitioners seeking reform designs that reliably connect architecture to execution, enabling co-produced poverty services and more consistent outcome gains.