Evaluation of Increasing Employment and Business Opportunities for Rural Communities in Pinrang District, South Sulawesi Province

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of the Cash Labor Intensive Programme (PKT) and Business Capital Assistance through the Village Fund in encouraging increased employment and business opportunities in Pinrang District, South Sulawesi. Although the allocation of the Village Fund nationally increased significantly from Rp20.8 trillion to Rp72 trillion (2020) and Pinrang Regency received Rp68.9 billion, regional economic growth experienced a downward trend from 8.51% in 2012 to only 4.52% in 2022. This mismatch between budget increases and economic performance shows that the amount of funds does not automatically produce optimal development impacts. Using William N. Dunn’s policy evaluation approach, this study found that the programme has provided immediate benefits such as temporary job creation and capital support. However, long-term effectiveness has not been achieved due to lack of assistance, coordination constraints, and weak community involvement. The evaluation also revealed that the assistance has not been sufficient (adequacy), has not been equitable (equity), and has not been entirely targeted (accuracy). Therefore, improvements are suggested in various aspects, including doing local data-based planning, increasing the capacity of implementers and assistants, improving the beneficiary verification system, integrating training and business assistance, and developing partnerships and an impact-based evaluation system. This research reinforces the importance of participatory governance and strengthening village institutional capacity to realize sustainable economic development. Additionally, it provides a theoretical contribution through the integration of Dunn’s evaluation approach in the context of village-based policies.