Local Government Collaborative Innovation Policy

Abstract

The lack of stakeholder collaboration is considered one of the main triggers for unsustainable regional innovation. This phenomenon often occurs in archipelago countries due to limited access to information in the region. In this context, the current discourse between public administration scholars and policy practitioners emphasizes the importance of collaboration in policy innovation. This study aims to examine local government innovation policies in Indonesia, an archipelago country in Southeast Asia, with a focus on the policy formulation process which involves collaboration to produce innovative policies. This study uses a
mixed methods research approach based on a sequential explanatory design consisting of two main stages. The first stage uses a quantitative method, followed by the second stage which uses a qualitative approach. The research data consisted of a combination of primary and secondary data obtained from questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. This data was analysed descriptively using NVivo software and supplemented with statistical analysis results. The results of this study confirm the existence of a pattern of dependence between collaborative actors, in which regional heads have a dominant role in the formulation of innovative policies. However, business actors, academics, and community leaders are rarely involved, indicating that they are highly dependent on regional leadership initiatives. As a result, the resulting innovation policies tend to be unsustainable. Therefore, this research suggests that collaboration forums become the main reference in building and creating sustainable regional innovations. This forum is expected to facilitate common aspirations and innovative arguments, as well as encourage the creation of broader innovative policies. In conclusion, the lack of stakeholder collaboration is one of the main obstacles to creating sustainable policy innovations in the regions. To overcome this challenge, collaboration forums are important to facilitate collaboration and active
participation of various stakeholders. With stronger collaboration, it is hoped that sustainable innovative policies will be created, addressing regional problems, and improving people’s quality of life.