Skip to main content
Original Research Article Open Access SINTA 2 Accredited

Cross-Sector Coordination in Accelerating Stunting Reduction

A Case Study of Policy Implementation in Pahandut District, Palangkaraya City

Authors

  • Yustikarina Agustiani * Corresponding author
  • Suryadi
  • Tjahjanulin Domai
DOI
10.21787/jbp.17.2025-2694
Published & Pages
31 December 2025
Manuscript History
Received28 Aug 2025 Accepted23 Nov 2025 Published31 Dec 2025
License
CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
Read PDF 1.5 MB Cite

679 Views 609 Downloads

Abstract

Stunting is a multidimensional issue whose management depends on cross-sectoral coordination. However, in Indonesia's regional bureaucracy, which is still influenced by patrimonialism, formal coordination is often ineffective, creating tensions between hierarchical policy design and the reality of decentralized implementation. This research uses a qualitative case study design in Pahandut District, Palangka Raya City. The location selection was based not only on the prevalence of stunting (20.8%) but also on its urban-rural hybrid characteristics, which offer an ideal setting for testing Winter's implementation model. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with nine key informants, participant observation, and document analysis, and were then analyzed thematically using triangulation. The stunting policy implementation was determined more by the agency of field actors and informal networks (e.g., WhatsApp groups) than by formal structures. Family Assistance Teams (TPK) acted as street-level bureaucrats, using discretionary resources such as local language use and context-based education to address system limitations. However, they faced minimal incentives and data fragmentation. The findings enrich Winter's model by introducing the concept of "informal governance resilience," the ability of a policy system to survive through informal mechanisms when formal governance fails. Recommendations include institutionalizing informal practices, providing appropriate incentives for TPK, and designing policies that are responsive to local structural barriers.

Keywords:

Read the Full Text

The full text of this article is available as PDF. Version of record published in Vol. 17 No. 3 (2025).

Open PDF

References

25 references
  1. Akseer, N., Tasic, H., Nnachebe Onah, M., Wigle, J., Rajakumar, R., Sanchez-Hernandez, D., Akuoku, J., Black, R. E., Horta, B. L., Nwuneli, N., Shine, R., Wazny, K., Japra, N., Shekar, M., & Hoddinott, J. (2022). Economic Costs of Childhood Stunting to the Private Sector in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. eClinicalMedicine, 45, 101320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101320
  2. Arieffiani, D., & Ekowanti, M. R. L. (2024). Evaluating Local Government Policy Innovations: A Case Study of Surabaya’s Efforts in Combating Stunting and Enhancing Public Health Services Quality. Jurnal Bina Praja, 16(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.21787/jbp.16.2024.1-20
  3. Benjamin-Chung, J., Mertens, A., Colford, J. M., Hubbard, A. E., van der Laan, M. J., Coyle, J., Sofrygin, O., Cai, W., Nguyen, A., Pokpongkiat, N. N., Djajadi, S., Seth, A., Jilek, W., Jung, E., Chung, E. O., Rosete, S., Hejazi, N., Malenica, I., Li, H., … Consortium, T. K. C. G. (2023). Early-Childhood Linear Growth Faltering in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Nature, 621(7979), 550–557. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06418-5
  4. Crookston, B. T., Dearden, K. A., Alder, S. C., Porucznik, C. A., Stanford, J. B., Merrill, R. M., Dickerson, T. T., & Penny, M. E. (2011). Impact of Early and Concurrent Stunting on Cognition. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 7(4), 397–409. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8709.2010.00255.x
  5. Danaei, G., Andrews, K. G., Sudfeld, C. R., Fink, G., McCoy, D. C., Peet, E., Sania, A., Smith Fawzi, M. C., Ezzati, M., & Fawzi, W. W. (2016). Risk Factors for Childhood Stunting in 137 Developing Countries: A Comparative Risk Assessment Analysis at Global, Regional, and Country Levels. PLOS Medicine, 13(11), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002164
  6. de Onis, M., & Branca, F. (2016). Childhood Stunting: A Global Perspective. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 12(S1), 12–26. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12231
  7. Endrinikapoulos, A., Afifah, D. N., Mexitalia, M., Andoyo, R., Hatimah, I., & Nuryanto, N. (2023). Study of the Importance of Protein Needs for Catch-Up Growth in Indonesian Stunted Children: A Narrative Review. SAGE Open Medicine, 11. https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121231165562
  8. Erlyn, P., Hidayat, B., Fatoni, A., & Saksono, H. (2021). Nutritional Interventions by Local Governments as an Effort to Accelerate Stunting Reduction. Jurnal Bina Praja, 13(3), 543–553. https://doi.org/10.21787/jbp.13.2021.543-553
  9. Essa, W. Y., Nurfindarti, E., & Ruhyana, N. F. (2021). Strategies for Handling Stunting in Bandung City. Jurnal Bina Praja, 13(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.21787/jbp.13.2021.15-28
  10. Herawati, D. M. D., & Sunjaya, D. K. (2022). Implementation Outcomes of National Convergence Action Policy to Accelerate Stunting Prevention and Reduction at the Local Level in Indonesia: A Qualitative Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(20), 13591. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013591
  11. Hermawati, A., Ramlawati, R., Husin, H., Nurwati, N., & Martaleni, M. (2021). Real Description Regarding the Management of Human Resource and Tourism Marketing at Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises of Tourism Sector in East Java. Jurnal Aplikasi Manajemen, 19(1), 112–129. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.jam.2021.019.01.11
  12. Kolomboy, F., Adhyanti, Nurmiaty, Arsyad, G., Aminuddin, Faisal, T. I., Ramadhan, K., & Jun, C. H. W. (2025). Cross-Sectoral Collaboration in Stunting Prevention: Implementation in Donggala Regency, Central Sulawesi. Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy, 5(1), 191–199. https://doi.org/10.56338/jphp.v6i1.6277
  13. Lautt, E. P., & Rahayu, A. Y. S. (2024). Integration of Regional Policies and Collaborative Governance in Acceleration of Stunting Reduction: Case Study of Bekasi City. Jurnal Bina Praja, 16(3), 589–597. https://doi.org/10.21787/jbp.16.2024.589-597
  14. Lipsky, M. (1980). Street-Level Bureaucracy: Dilemmas of the Individual in Public Services. Russell Sage Foundation. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7758/9781610447713
  15. Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). An Expanded Sourcebook Qualitative Data Analysis (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
  16. Pratchett, L. (1999). New Technologies and the Modernization of Local Government: an Analysis of Biases and Constraints. Public Administration, 77(4), 731–751. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9299.00177
  17. Restrepo-Méndez, M. C., Barros, A. J., Black, R. E., & Victora, C. G. (2015). Time Trends in Socio-Economic Inequalities in Stunting Prevalence: Analyses of Repeated National Surveys. Public Health Nutrition, 18(12), 2097–2104. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980014002924
  18. Tage, P. K. S., & Febriyanti, E. (2024). Barrier from the Side of Stunting Management Policy in Rural Areas of Indonesia: A Qualitative Study. Jurnal Info Kesehatan, 22(4), 891–905. https://doi.org/10.31965/infokes.Vol22.Iss4.1522
  19. Takele, B. A., Gezie, L. D., & Alamneh, T. S. (2022). Pooled Prevalence of Stunting and Associated Factors Among Children Aged 6–59 Months in Sub-Saharan Africa Countries: A Bayesian Multilevel Approach. PLOS One, 17(10), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0275889
  20. Taufiqurokhman, T. (2023). Equality Strategy for Reducing Stunting Prevalence Rate: Case Study of DKI Jakarta Province. Jurnal Bina Praja, 15(3), 495–506. https://doi.org/10.21787/jbp.15.2023.495-506
  21. Vaivada, T., Akseer, N., Akseer, S., Somaskandan, A., Stefopulos, M., & Bhutta, Z. A. (2020). Stunting in Childhood: An Overview of Global Burden, Trends, Determinants, and Drivers of Decline. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 112, 777S-791S. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa159
  22. Winter, S. C. (1990). Integrating Implementation Research. In D. J. Palumbo & D. J. Calista (Eds.), Implementation and the Policy Process. Greenwood Press.
  23. Winter, S. C. (2012). Implementation Perspectives: Status and Reconsideration. In B. G. Peters & J. Pierre (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Public Administration (pp. 265–278). SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446200506.n17
  24. Yogopriyatno, J., & Sartika, S. (2024). Determination of Stunting Handling Policy on Enggano Island as One of The Outer Islands. Proceeding of The International Conference of Inovation, Science, Technology, Education, Children, and Health, 4(2), 32–46. https://doi.org/10.62951/icistech.v4i2.72
  25. Yusnita, M., Kurniawan, I., & Hakim, A. (2024). Public Policy Analysis in Stunting Reduction: A Review of National Programs and Strategies. Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Sains, 5(05), 1182–1188. https://doi.org/10.59141/jiss.v5i05.1109

Copyright & Open Access License

Copyright (c) 2025 Author(s). This article is licensed under CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0.

Most read articles by the same author(s)