Collaborative Governance Regime Driving Digital, Tourism, and Export Transformation in Rural Sidomulyo

Abstract

Collaborative rural governance in Indonesia has increasingly attracted scholarly scrutiny due to growing interdependence between government institutions, community organizations, private actors, and academic partners. The study analyses how multi-actor interactions in Sidomulyo Village produce institutional synergy across three strategic initiatives: digital governance, community-based tourism, and export-oriented agribusiness. A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed through semi-structured interviews, direct field observation, and documentary analysis. Analytical rigor was enhanced through triangulation and thematic coding aligned with the Collaborative Governance Regime framework. Findings reveal that governance effectiveness evolves from relational mechanisms, epistemic collaboration, and shared motivation rather than hierarchical directives. Digital platforms expand administrative transparency and knowledge transfer; tourism strengthens cultural identity and collective entrepreneurship; agribusiness exportation demonstrates value-chain competitiveness supported by scientific expertise. Academic institutions operate as epistemic actors, contributing not only technical inputs but also methodological leadership, institutional learning, and certification pathways. Informal norms, cultural cohesion, and mutual accountability function as coordinating instruments, reducing transaction costs and sustaining cross-sectoral cooperation. Empirical insights affirm that collaborative governance in micro contexts requires both cognitive capital and relational legitimacy to achieve durability. The study contributes theoretically by extending the Collaborative Governance Regime beyond urban and sectoral applications toward a knowledge-infused regime model tailored to rural environments. Practical implications emerge for policymakers seeking transformative strategies that integrate digital inclusiveness, creative tourism, and export viability in rural development.