Implementation of Social Assistance Policy for Poverty Reduction in Sleman Regency Special Region of Yogyakarta

Abstract

Declining poverty in Sleman Regency must be assessed alongside the quality of social assistance implementation, particularly as beneficiary databases and program rules change. This study analyzes the implementation of social assistance policy, identifies problems at the interfaces between service stages, and proposes improvements that can be monitored. It uses a qualitative document-based case study supported by a descriptive analysis of poverty indicators. The primary empirical corpus comprises nine sources from 2023-2026, supplemented by historical sources and scholarly literature. Thematic analysis applies the Van Meter and Van Horn model and the concept of administrative burden. BPS data show that the poverty rate fell from 7.46% in March 2024 to 6.71% in March 2025; the poverty gap index declined from 1.21 to 0.76, and the poverty severity index from 0.27 to 0.14. Local documents describe the role of PKH facilitators, data updates through kalurahan deliberation forums, and the development of digital services. The available evidence is insufficient to determine how quickly data corrections are resolved, whether all benefit deliveries reach the intended recipients, or whether welfare gains persist after graduation. Changes in aggregate poverty indicators also cannot be causally attributed to social assistance. The study concludes that implementation improvements should focus on tracing proposals through to decisions, providing accessible grievance channels, and tailoring assistance to beneficiaries' circumstances. Its contribution lies in connecting institutional analysis with beneficiaries' service pathways during the transition to DTSEN. The recommendations include recording proposal processing times, reconciling benefit delivery, and monitoring households after graduation while distinguishing administrative changes from genuine improvements in welfare.