The study examined how beneficiaries assessed the effectiveness of social assistance distribution and whether better implementation was connected to greater satisfaction with government services. The researchers surveyed 51 respondents from 105 beneficiary households in Alausalo Village. Overall, both the effectiveness of social assistance distribution and public satisfaction were rated very good.
Why Social Assistance Delivery Matters
Social assistance is an important public policy instrument for supporting vulnerable households and helping them meet basic needs. However, simply distributing assistance does not necessarily mean that a program has been implemented effectively.
The researchers assessed effectiveness through five dimensions: understanding of the program, appropriate targeting, timeliness, achievement of program objectives, and tangible change experienced by beneficiaries. These dimensions reflect whether people understand the assistance program, whether support reaches eligible households, whether it arrives according to schedule, whether it fulfills its intended purpose, and whether recipients experience meaningful benefits.
Public satisfaction was assessed through four additional dimensions: service procedures, service requirements, service speed, and service fairness. This approach recognizes that beneficiaries judge not only the assistance they receive but also their experience when interacting with government officials and administrative procedures.
At the village level, these factors can have a direct influence on people's perceptions of government. Beneficiaries communicate with village officials, receive information about distribution, and take part in registration and verification processes. Problems at any stage can affect their overall assessment of the service.
Survey Finds Very Good Overall Performance
The researchers used a quantitative survey involving 51 randomly selected respondents from the 105 beneficiary households in Alausalo Village. Data were collected through questionnaires, observation, and documentation.
The questionnaire used a five-point scale. Twelve questions measured the effectiveness of social assistance distribution, while 10 questions measured public satisfaction. The researchers then analyzed the responses using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, coefficient of determination, and simple linear regression. Statistical processing was conducted using SPSS version 32.0.
The effectiveness variable recorded an average score of 50.51, while public satisfaction recorded an average score of 42.90. Both scores fell into the study's very good category.
The results indicate that beneficiaries generally viewed the distribution process positively. They also reported a favorable experience with the government services surrounding the distribution of assistance.
Beneficiaries Say Assistance Makes a Real Difference
One of the strongest findings concerned the tangible benefits experienced by recipients. The highest individual effectiveness score was 238, reflecting beneficiaries' perception that the assistance had greatly helped them.
Positive assessments were also recorded for program understanding, appropriate targeting, achievement of objectives, and tangible change. These findings suggest that beneficiaries generally understood the program and believed that assistance was reaching households considered eligible.
However, the researchers identified information about distribution schedules as a relative weakness. The lowest effectiveness score was 194, associated with beneficiaries' understanding of information about when assistance would be distributed.
This distinction is important. A social assistance program may provide meaningful benefits while still creating inconvenience if recipients do not receive clear information about when and where services will be available.
Fairness Emerges as a Strength
Public satisfaction was also rated very good, with a total score of 2,188 out of a maximum possible 2,550. The strongest individual satisfaction score was 227, related to perceptions of fairness in service delivery.
The finding suggests that beneficiaries generally perceived equal treatment during the assistance process. Fairness is particularly important in social assistance programs because public resources are limited and unclear procedures can create perceptions of exclusion or unequal treatment.
The lowest satisfaction score, 207, concerned the suitability of registration and verification schedules. This indicates that administrative timing remains an area where the service could be improved.
Effectiveness Explains 36.5% of Satisfaction Variation
The strongest statistical result was the positive relationship between distribution effectiveness and public satisfaction.
The Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.604, with a significance level below 0.001. This means that higher effectiveness was associated with higher satisfaction among beneficiaries.
The coefficient of determination, or R², was 0.365, meaning that effectiveness statistically explained 36.5% of the variation in public satisfaction. The remaining 63.5% was related to factors outside the model.
Simple linear regression produced a coefficient of 0.584, with p < 0.001. The researchers therefore found a positive and statistically significant effect of social assistance distribution effectiveness on public satisfaction.
The result does not mean that distribution effectiveness is the only factor shaping satisfaction. The researchers note that other elements, including service quality, transparency, communication, accessibility, complaint handling, facilities, and beneficiary characteristics, may also influence how citizens evaluate government services.
Implications for Village-Level Public Services
For local governments, the findings point to several practical improvements.
First, beneficiary data should be updated regularly to improve targeting accuracy. Second, distribution schedules should be communicated earlier and more consistently. Third, information about administrative requirements and procedures should be simplified so that beneficiaries can easily understand what they need to do.
Maintaining equal treatment is also essential. The researchers recommend strengthening feedback mechanisms so beneficiaries can communicate problems and identify weaknesses in the distribution process.
The research therefore presents social assistance distribution as more than a process of transferring benefits. It is also a public service experience involving information, timing, administrative procedures, targeting, fairness, and the actual benefits experienced by recipients.
As Hadi, Faraby, Alam, and Fadillah of Puangrimaggalatung University demonstrate through their village-level analysis, improving the effectiveness of social assistance distribution can contribute to a more positive experience for beneficiaries. Their findings also show that preserving fairness while improving communication and scheduling could further strengthen public satisfaction.
Author Profiles
Yudi Rafial Hadi is affiliated with the Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, Puangrimaggalatung University, and serves as the corresponding author.
Ichsan Kasnul Faraby is affiliated with the Graduate Program in Public Administration, Puangrimaggalatung University.
Jaya Alam and Husna Fadillah are affiliated with the Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, Puangrimaggalatung University.
The article identifies the authors' field through their affiliations in public administration. Their work focuses on issues related to public administration, social assistance distribution, public services, and community satisfaction.
The published article does not provide academic degrees for the four authors, so no degrees are added here to avoid introducing unsupported information.
Research Source
Article Title: The Effectiveness of Social Assistance Distribution Effectiveness on The Level of Public Satisfaction in Alausalo Village, Gilireng District, Wajo Regency
Authors: Yudi Rafial Hadi, Ichsan Kasnul Faraby, Jaya Alam, Husna Fadillah
Journal: International Journal of Sustainable Applied Sciences (IJSAS)
Publication: Volume 4, Issue 8, 2026, pages 835–846
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijsas.v4i8.39
Official Journal URL: https://ijsasjournal.my.id/index.php/ijsas
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