Implementasi Kebijakan Otonomi Khusus dalam Optimalisasi Sektor Pendidikan

Abstract

The Special Autonomy Policy (Otsus) represents a form of asymmetric decentralization designed to accelerate development and improve public welfare in Papua, with education identified as one of its main priority sectors. Despite the substantial fiscal support and authority granted under the Otsus framework, policy implementation at the local level has not yet produced optimal outcomes in terms of improving the quality and equity of educational services. This study aims to analyze the implementation of the Special Autonomy policy in optimizing the education sector in Merauke Regency.

This study employs a qualitative approach using a case study design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, field observations, and documentation review, and analyzed using an interactive data analysis model. The analysis is grounded in public policy implementation theory, particularly the Edwards III model, which emphasizes communication, resources, implementers’ disposition, and bureaucratic structure.

The findings indicate that the implementation of the Special Autonomy policy in the education sector of Merauke Regency has been carried out through various programs, including infrastructure development, scholarship provision, and educational operational support. However, implementation remains suboptimal due to limited human resource capacity, weak communication and inter-organizational coordination, low outcome-oriented program execution, and ineffective monitoring and evaluation systems. The study highlights that the primary challenge in implementing the Otsus policy in the education sector lies not merely in budget availability, but in implementation capacity and policy governance at the local level.

This study recommends strengthening local government institutional capacity, improving cross-sectoral communication and coordination, and developing outcome-based monitoring and evaluation systems to enhance the effectiveness of the Special Autonomy policy in the education sector.