Perception and response of the beneficiary towards community development project :: A Case study of Kerinci Seblat National Park

HARTANA, Alip Tantun, Ir. Sudaryono, M.Eng.,Ph.D

2005 | Tesis | Magister Perencanaan Kota dan Daerah

It had been conducted a research in Senamat Ulu Village about perception and response of the beneficiary towards community development project that applied deductive qualitative research on the livelihood theory. According to the research conducted, the forests, both inside and outside of the park play very big roles to determine the livelihoods. The forests are not only providing income but also food. People Senamat Ulu has strong dependency of to the forest; they have many different uses for the forest: different products and different uses which spread the risk of failure. When latex price is low, or when the productivity of latex is low in the rainy season, there are other forest resources that somehow, if not totally, can cover for this loss. Moreover, additional income and food of the people are also derived from the forest, by which people grow seasonal and rubber plantation as their main income. Alternative chosen in KSNP – ICDP project in Senamat Ulu can be divided into two parts; firstly providing facilities and infrastructures that comprise construction of bridge, canal irrigation, public toilet and clean water (MCK), providing electricity generator and hand tractor, and secondly economic productive activities that comprise hybrid rubber plantation, fish ponds, duck husbandry, and additional financial capital for small shops. Providing facilities and infrastructures had benefited the beneficiaries, but the failure of economic productive program leads the beneficiaries vulnerable. The single economic alternative that has to replace natural capital becomes even more risky. People became dependent on a loan offered by the government, for which they gave their land as guarantee. The increasing of financial capital dependency leads to the increasing of vulnerability context by which beneficiaries have bigger debts. Only hybrid rubber plantation has good expectation. People of Senamat Ulu are not resilience to the shocks and vulnerability, especially to the failure of rubber market and the long rainy season. In order to filter the shock and vulnerability they cop strategy by diversifying economic activities. The use all capitals they have, whether produce goods, cash, and services. They also are involving, women, family members, and relatives to accomplish their livelihoods. Process designing and implementation of the program were bottom up process and participative, because people perceived that they had decided the program by them selves, all beneficiaries involved in the decision making processes, and all beneficiaries have equal right to the designing and implementation of the program, such as access to information of the project, financial report, monitoring and evaluation, etc. However, women were not encouraged to participate, although they now have to deal with the failure of some of the projects.

Kata Kunci : Program Pengembangan Masyarakat,Persepsi Masyarakat,Sumberdaya Hutan