ASSESSMENT OF EMPOWERMENT THROUGH PARTICIPATION A Case Study of the Neighbourhood Development Program in Pasuruan Regency, East Java

Participation and empowerment, since at least two decades, becoming a �panacea� to alleviate poverty in world�s development design. Many instruments have been developed as a project, mostly in developing countries. This research went forward from the basic concept of the PNPM program, or in the past well known as Urban Poverty Program (UPP), in Indonesia. This program set a main goal to empower people through participatory process. Recently, the PNPM program is well known as the largest participation program in the world to gain empowerment and based on Indonesia government statement, it is quite success. An interesting question than arise from the author that is participation always lead to empowerment? Using the an advanced program from PNPM called Penataan Lingkungan Permukiman Berbasis Komunitas (PLP-BK) or known as Neighbourhood Development Program (NDP) as a case study, this research trying to seek up in how far the participation has been achieving its goal of empowering community. As we knew that participation and empowerment are two broad concepts with many different schools of thought, in this research we made a limitation in terms of theories that we use as well as time limitation to do the research. To implement this research, first we have to measure level of participation in Puspo village regarding NDP. Using combination model to explain level of participation, instead of the ladder model that is commonly used, is expected to give more detail result in level of participation. Secondly, we try to measure in how far empowerment as expected in the policy been achieved in the implementation of the program. To measure empowerment within community, we utilize the feminist framework of power. The research studies a pilot project of NDP in Puspo village, East Java province in Indonesia who has start the program back in 2008. The program targeted for all villagers in Puspo village to set up a masterplan for their own village. In line with PNPM policy, it is still highlighting gender issue and the poor. This type of program is using community-driven development (CDD) strategy as an approach to gain participation. From around 5300 total population in Puspo village, 80 respondents were chosen based on purposive sampling. Data analysis was done through a quantitative method and employed descriptive statistic using the SPSS computer program. There are several interesting findings found in this research. Associated with level of participation, the combination model proved there is a difference result between gender and socio-economic perspective. Again, it proves the difficulty using the ladder model by Arnstein, since the nature of community is complex and heterogeneous. Regarding empowerment, some facts shows that participation is not the only way to obtain empowerment. Forms of power within people are also dynamic and interrelated between one and others. At the end, we concluded that people in Puspo village is already in line with the framework of the NDP, although women and the poor is still the vulnerable groups that might exclude. A lesson learned from this case study revealed that participation does not always lead to an empowerment. It takes a supporting environment that can encourage people's aspirations and capabilities so that empowerment can occur