Surabaya — The management of the Urban Village Fund in Benowo Urban Village, Surabaya City, has produced positive results through direct community involvement in planning, budget management, project implementation, and monitoring. The finding comes from Aditya, V. Rudy Handoko, and Bambang Kusbandrijo of the Master’s Program in Public Administration, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya. By examining the implementation of the Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach in Urban Village Fund governance, the study found that physical development expenditures examined for 2025 achieved 100 percent realization.
The CDD approach positions residents not merely as beneficiaries of development, but as active participants in identifying needs, designing programs, managing resources, carrying out projects, and monitoring results. This approach is particularly relevant to Urban Village Fund governance because local governments are expected to ensure that public budgets respond directly to community needs.
In Surabaya, community-based development is supported through the Type IV Self-Management mechanism. This mechanism allows development projects to be carried out directly by community groups. Its implementation is based on Surabaya Mayor Regulation No. 28 of 2023. In Benowo Urban Village, the mechanism has been applied to several infrastructure projects involving community groups at the neighborhood level.
The researchers used a descriptive qualitative approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with people involved in development management in Benowo, observations, and supporting documents such as budget absorption reports, urban village work plans, and accountability reports. The informants included representatives from the urban village administration, community empowerment institutions, neighborhood associations, community groups, and youth organizations.
The findings show that five major CDD principles developed by Kilby were comprehensively implemented in Benowo. The first principle is a focus on community needs. Development priorities are gathered through neighborhood forums at the RT and RW levels, while the needs of vulnerable groups are also considered through informal dialogue spaces such as Family Welfare Empowerment activities. This process allows development programs to emerge from local community needs rather than being determined solely from above.
The second principle involves participatory planning. Community proposals are discussed through the Urban Village Development Planning Deliberation, known as Musbangkel, and recorded through the e-Musbangkel and e-Devplan systems. Digital records make proposals easier to trace and strengthen administrative transparency. Community groups also participate in reviewing budget plans and material prices before projects begin.
Community control over resources is reflected in the authority given to local Community Groups, or Pokmas. The study found that the 2025 budget allocation for urban village facilities and infrastructure reached Rp2.13 billion, with both budget absorption and physical realization reaching 100 percent. Several projects, including U-Ditch drainage channels and paving roads, were implemented through the Type IV Self-Management mechanism.
One notable innovation was the use of cashless transactions for material purchases and logistical payments. The system makes financial flows easier to track while reducing opportunities for unauthorized deductions or misuse of funds. The local government also applies standard price ceilings for materials, while budget disbursement is carried out in stages using a 50 percent, 30 percent, and 20 percent scheme.
Community participation also generated economic benefits. The Type IV Self-Management mechanism prioritizes local low-income workers in development projects. As a result, infrastructure development does more than produce roads and drainage facilities; it also creates employment opportunities and stimulates economic circulation within the surrounding community. Workers’ wages can flow back into nearby food stalls and small businesses.
Infrastructure monitoring is also conducted collectively. Residents can directly report problems when they identify quality issues at construction sites. The Community Empowerment Institution, or LPMK, also conducts field inspections and can require corrections when materials fail to meet technical standards. Community groups use digital documentation and technical information to help resolve disagreements over construction quality.
Despite the strong results, the study identified several challenges. Some residents who work as commuters have limited time to participate in community activities and maintain public facilities. Generational differences also create challenges, particularly in adopting digital banking transactions. The most significant obstacle is accountability administration because community groups still have to manage large numbers of paper-based payment receipts, requiring considerable time and effort.
According to Aditya, V. Rudy Handoko, and Bambang Kusbandrijo, the success of Urban Village Fund governance in Benowo was supported by the alignment between programs and community needs, bureaucratic assistance, regulatory support, strong social capital, and the digital capabilities of younger residents. Together, these factors give communities greater space to manage development while strengthening their responsibility for public funds.
The study recommends that the Surabaya City Government accelerate the digitalization of accountability administration through an E-SPJ system. A platform based on QR codes or digital scanning of payment evidence could reduce dependence on paper documents and ease the administrative burden on community groups. The researchers also recommend strengthening the role of young people in community groups so that digital skills can help address intergenerational gaps.
The findings demonstrate that successful community-based development depends not only on the size of the budget, but also on how much trust and authority communities receive throughout the development process. The experience of Benowo Urban Village shows that when community aspirations, budget management, project implementation, monitoring, and bureaucratic support work together, the Urban Village Fund can become an effective instrument for both community empowerment and infrastructure development that responds to local needs.
Author Profiles
Aditya — Master’s Program in Public Administration, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya.
V. Rudy Handoko — Master’s Program in Public Administration, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya.
Bambang Kusbandrijo — Master’s Program in Public Administration, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya.
Research Source
Title: Community-Driven Development (CDD) in the Governance of the Urban Village Fund in Benowo Urban Village, Surabaya City
Journal: East Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (EAJMR), Vol. 5, No. 7, 2026, pp. 3077–3088.
DOI: 10.55927/eajmr.v5i7.218
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v5i7.218
Journal Link: https://journaleajmr.my.id/index.php/eajmr
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