The Role of Regional Planning Documents in Establishing a Sustainable District
To implement a district (kabupaten) to be qualified as a Sustainable District (Kabupaten Lestari), is through the creation of a well-structured Regional Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPD). The document consists of the vision, mission, policy directions, and key development goals of the region. It will last for up to the next 20 years. The preparation of the RPJPD also aligns with the National Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPN), which is drafted by the National Development Planning Agency (Bapenas).
Regarding the regional elections (Pilkada) in 2024, every candidate who’s fighting to become the District Mayor must formulate their vision, mission, and work plans based on the RPJPD document. This is crucial for the public in choosing candidates whose vision, mission, and programs align with the regional development plan.
The RPJPD preparation process began in 2023. It follows the timeline of the current RPJPD document, which will end in 2025. There are four aspects to examine in the RPJPD preparation which are technocratic, participatory, political, and top-down or bottom-up approaches.
The last aspect then aligned with the development planning from the village level up to the national level. During this process, a forum initiated by Regional Government Organizations (OPD) and cross-OPD entities is conducted. This Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) prioritizes the involvement of various parties in determining policy-making or drafting the development planning of the district. LTKL is one of the MSF that assists in the top-down or bottom-up aspects of the RPJPD preparation process.
One of the sub-forums of LTKL is Generasi Lestari (Genles). In drafting the RPJPD for several member districts, Genles members have encouraged young people to gather and compile their aspirations. This process has been running since June 2023.
They discussed what they envision for the future of their district, brainstormed together, and produced a document that serves as a recommendation for Bappeda in drafting the district’s RPJPD. (hyperlink to the Siak Memilih collaboration article).
Long before that in 2020, this innovation was actually run by Genles, during the previous regional elections of 2020. In Sintang, they created the aspiration document after compiling it from the young people through Sintang Festival. Keypoints of the aspiration document were then included in the regional development planning document.
Those keypoints of young people’s aspirations are not influenced by political momentum. They are expected to be freer in contributing, as it does not depend on the political vision and mission of specific candidates. For example in Musi Banyuasin, they held a contest to determine what Musi Banyuasin would look like in 2045. Since the RPJPD is intended for a long-term period of 20 years, it tends to be more neutral with very macro targets. However, every five years during elections, the elected mayor must not deviate from the guidelines set in the RPJPD.
LTKL as a multi-stakeholder forum also helps make RPJPD preparation in the district. Besides the innovations generated by Genles through a youth forum, the partners who collaborated with LTKL are also taking action to build a supportive ecosystem.
LTKL is pivotal in achieving green commitment. Along with our partner, we steer more sustainable, participatory, and inclusive development. Partners collaborate in implementing programs that support sustainable development.
Sustainable development certainly influences the content of the RPJPD document. There are five goals that need to be included in the RPJPD document which are increasing GDP income, reducing poverty rates, fostering leadership that can enhance the scientific capacity of existing human resources, and supporting the achievement of net-zero emissions.
One example is in the activities conducted by LTKL with KEM and APKASI. At the end of 2023, a joint commitment was established with 79 districts to include sustainability commitments in regional planning documents. Then, monthly consultation processes were held with parties supporting the preparation of regional planning documents.
At the beginning of 2024, LTKL, together with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Bapenas, succeeded in creating guidelines for forming planning documents. It enables districts to achieve sustainable district status.
