Oleh: Ardhi Maulana Fajrin*
Opportunities in Sight
The government has allocated one billion rupiah for villages. Village citizen can use the funds to develop local product that will potentially take in strategic market. However, to realize it village needs build cooperation with other parties.
In Village law article number 91 written that “Village can conduct cooperation with another Village and or cooperate with third parties”. In implementing the cooperation, the village formed organization/cooperation agency between villages that have been regulated in the Head of Village Joint Regulation.[1] Forming of an institution will build the cooperation more structured and managed because there is an official responsible party.
Networking for Village Development
It’s not time for work alone. To optimize potential and reduce the gap, additional inputs become one of effective and efficient way. Village plan has a broad scope, involving a wide range of parties, and it composed of initiatives, interventions and actions of local communities[2]. In order to reduce the negative impacts to other villages, it needs to involve the surrounding villages in each strategic development.
Cooperation is defined as any form of adaptation that has evolved, in part or in whole with the aim to enhance the success of social actor[3]. From the definition above, we can learn some lessons that cooperation is needed to enhance the success between the parties. Therefore, as much as possible the village should apply thinking mutual benefit in cooperation. Another important point is the cooperation of all parties should be able to lower the ego to achieve the expected results.
The Mechanism of Cooperation
Village is allowed to build cooperation with other villages or with other third parties. The scopes of cooperation between villages include: Village development joint venture, social activities and security fields. While the forms of cooperation with third parties include: the acceleration and improvement of Village governance, the implementation of Village development, Village community development, and Village community empowerment.
Discussion about Village cooperation during Sub-district consultative arranged in Village law in article 54 of the Sub-district consultative. Sub-district consultative is a forum to discuss strategic matters in governance. But basically, the discussion of the mechanism with the third party in the Village cooperation chapter is still not quiet detail. Thus, the village is expected to be cautious in collaborating with third parties.
Be Careful With Fraudsters
Village cooperation is one way to ease the burden of village development. With the limitation of capital in the village, choice to build cooperation with other parties becomes one of main alternative. The key of village development is accountability in each segment, actor and development sector. But, Village should be careful in choosing partners. Do not let village become loss because of fault in choosing partner. If the village formed a partnership with a third party that has not been clearly set out in legislation the village compared to other forms of cooperation between villages.
Stay on The Route
Village development that regulated in village law article number 78 has the aim to improve the welfare of the village citizen and the quality of life and also reduce poverty through the fulfillment of basic needs, infrastructure development for the village, the development of local economic potential, as well as the use of natural resources and environmentally sustainable manner. So, it is clear that development has aim to makes the whole of village citizen welfare and not for individuals or certain groups. Therefore, cooperation should be managed in accountable, democratic and comprehensive.
The flexibility of authority or legal gaps that owned by village does not mean monopoly, manipulation or other bad terms. Cooperation as regulated in Village law built more focused collaboration to achieve public welfare. Village that has now been given the mandate to manage the territory must focus on the goal for the sake of usefulness.
*The Author is Architectural and Planning Engineering student, Gadjah Mada University who finished internship in PATTIRO.
