Local Welfare Governance in the Global South: A Post-Positivist Analysis of Indonesia's Digital Social Protection Policy

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the implementation process of the West Sumbawa Maju (KSB Maju) Card Policy, uncover the power mechanisms operating within the policy, and examine its implications for community welfare. This study uses a post-positivistic paradigm with a quasi-qualitative approach, which allows researchers to not be entirely tied to subjective constructions alone, but still acknowledge the complexity of social realities on the ground. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation studies of key actors in the implementation of Regent Regulation Number 13 of 2025. The results of the study indicate that the implementation process of the KSB Maju Card took place on an ongoing basis based on periodization program, start from stage preparation, stage ratification, The launch phase, distribution phase, execution phase, and evaluation phase. The power mechanism in this policy operates through four mechanisms: legitimacy, digital control, financial, and network mechanisms. The welfare implications are ambivalent: on the one hand, this program improves access to basic services for some communities, but on the other hand, it creates new dependencies and strengthens asymmetrical power structures between the bureaucracy, elites, and citizens. This study recommends the need for substantive public participation mechanisms and transparency in resource allocation in the implementation of future card-based policies.