A Critical Analysis of the Challenges of Collaborative Governance in Climate Change Adaptation Policies in Bandar Lampung City, Indonesia

Abstract

It is not uncommon that collaborative governance is now generating new attention in Indonesia as a method of governing. This is because of the terrible historical experience of governance during the New Order era, including the state’s dominant role, the government’s unwillingness to engage actors outside the state, and a centralized and top-down development pattern. Collaborative governance, specifically the recommendation to involve multiple stakeholders (government, private sector, and society) in government management and public policy, addresses these issues. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to provide a critical review of the ongoing collaborative governance process and to determine whether various challenges associated with collaborative governance are influencing the success of climate change adaptation policies in increasing adaptive capacity in Bandar Lampung City. This study was conducted in Bandar Lampung City on the Indonesian island of Sumatra using a qualitative approach and involved informants who were both apparatus and members of the Bandar Lampung City Climate Change Resilience Coordination Team. Interviews and document analysis were used to collect data, which were then analyzed using a content analysis procedure. The findings indicate that this city has achieved a number of milestones in its efforts to improve the adaptive capacity of government institutions and society. However, the collaborative governance approach, which is hailed as the optimal method for implementing long-term public policies, is not always smooth, demonstrating that collaborative governance remains vulnerable to failure due to cultural, institutional, and political factors. The article concludes with suggestions for future research.