International Journal of Social Welfare and Public Policy

Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Family Hope Program (PKH) in Promoting Social Welfare and Poverty Reduction: A Qualitative Case Study from Rural Indonesia

Hidayat Gaming — 2026-06-15

This study evaluates the impact of the Family Hope Program (Program Keluarga Harapan/PKH) on improving social welfare in Jambu Malea Village, Tapango District, Polewali Mandar Regency, Indonesia. As Indonesia's flagship conditional cash transfer program, PKH aims to reduce poverty by enhancing access to education, healthcare, and social protection for vulnerable households. Despite its nationwide implementation, variations in local contexts necessitate an in-depth understanding of the program's effectiveness at the community level. This research employed a qualitative research design to explore the experiences and perceptions of stakeholders involved in PKH implementation. Data were collected through observations, semi-structured interviews, documentation, literature review, and online data searches. A total of 22 purposively selected informants participated in the study, including village officials, PKH facilitators, beneficiary households, Village Consultative Body members, community leaders, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and media personnel. Data were analyzed using the interactive qualitative analysis model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, involving data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing, while trustworthiness was ensured through triangulation and member checking. The findings indicate that PKH has contributed positively to reducing the economic burden of beneficiary households, improving children's school attendance, increasing access to healthcare services, and strengthening social inclusion within the community. The program also promotes greater awareness of education and health among beneficiary families, although several implementation challenges remain, including beneficiary data accuracy, uneven distribution of assistance, and continued dependence on government support. Overall, PKH demonstrates a significant contribution to improving community welfare; however, strengthening institutional coordination, beneficiary empowerment, and monitoring mechanisms is essential to ensure the program's long-term sustainability and effectiveness in reducing poverty.

The Integration of Social Policy and Sustainable Development in Improving Community Welfare in Thailand

Somchai Prasertkul — 2026-04-10

This study aims to analyze the integration of social policy and sustainable development in improving community welfare in Thailand. The study used a qualitative approach with a case study design to gain a deeper understanding of the implementation of social policies integrated with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda. Data collection was conducted through in-depth interviews, documentation studies, and limited observations. The research informants included academics, government officials, non-governmental organizations, and community beneficiaries of social programs. Data analysis was conducted using thematic analysis through data reduction, theme categorization, interpretation, and conclusion drawing. The results show that the integration of social policy and sustainable development in Thailand has significantly contributed to improving community welfare by expanding social protection, improving access to health and education, and strengthening inclusive development. The implementation of the SDGs has encouraged the Thai government to link economic, social, and human development policies within a more integrated development framework oriented toward community welfare. This success is supported by political commitment, institutional capacity, and relatively strong cross-sectoral coordination. However, this study also identified several challenges, such as regional inequality, a high number of informal workers, and limited institutional coordination that impact the effectiveness of policy implementation. This study concludes that welfare development in Thailand requires strengthening the integration of social policies, expanding more inclusive social protection, and collaborative and sustainable development governance so that the benefits of development can be felt equitably by all levels of society.

Analysis of Social Security Policy Implementation in Improving Access to Public Health Services in Palopo City

Saipul — 2026-07-17

This study aims to analyze the implementation of social security policies in improving access to public health services in Palopo. This research is motivated by the importance of social health security policies in providing protection and easy access to health services for the public through the BPJS Kesehatan program. However, various obstacles remain in its implementation, such as limited health facilities, a shortage of health workers, and poor public understanding of BPJS Kesehatan service procedures. This study used a qualitative research method with a descriptive approach. Data collection techniques included observation, interviews, and documentation. Research informants included BPJS Kesehatan officials, the Health Office, health workers, and community users of BPJS Kesehatan services. Data analysis used the interactive analysis model by Matthew B. Miles and A. Michael Huberman, which includes data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results indicate that the implementation of social health security policies in Palopo City has been quite successful in improving access to public health services. This is demonstrated through aspects of communication, resources, disposition, and bureaucratic structure, which generally support the implementation of health services. However, several obstacles remain, such as limited healthcare personnel, perceived complexity in administrative procedures, and a lack of public understanding of the BPJS Kesehatan service system. Therefore, improvements in service quality, streamlined bureaucratic procedures, and more intensive outreach are needed to ensure more effective and optimal implementation of the social health insurance policy.

Local Government Capacity in Climate Change Policy Implementation: A Literature Review

Liam Miguel Santos — 2026-08-10

Climate change policy implementation increasingly depends on the capacity of local governments to translate national and regional policy commitments into context-specific actions. However, the implementation of climate policies at the local level remains constrained by institutional, financial, technical, political, and organizational challenges. This study aims to examine the dimensions of local government capacity that influence climate change policy implementation and to identify the major barriers, capacity-building strategies, and research gaps reported in the existing literature. This study employs a qualitative literature review approach by systematically synthesizing relevant academic literature concerning local government capacity and climate governance. The findings indicate that local government capacity is multidimensional, encompassing institutional and administrative capacity, human resource and technical capacity, financial capacity, political and leadership capacity, coordination and collaborative capacity, information and knowledge capacity, and monitoring and learning capacity. The review further identifies limited financial resources, inadequate technical expertise, institutional fragmentation, weak intergovernmental coordination, limited access to localized climate information, political uncertainty, and weak monitoring systems as major barriers to effective implementation. The findings also demonstrate that capacity-building interventions are most effective when they integrate institutional strengthening, human resource development, climate-responsive financing, collaborative governance, knowledge management, and adaptive learning. The study concludes that strengthening local government capacity requires a systemic and context-sensitive approach rather than isolated interventions. Future research should develop multidimensional capacity frameworks and examine the relationship between local government capacity and measurable climate policy outcomes, particularly in developing-country contexts.