Implementation of the Non-Cash Food Assistance Program (BPNT) in Takalar Regency

Poverty alleviation is one of the efforts to improve the welfare of society. The resulting impact can affect life and the fulfillment of basic needs of society such as food needs. This study aims to analyze the implementation of the non-cash food assistance program in Takalar Regency. The method used in this research is qualitative-explorative to examine the implementation of the non-cash food assistance program as a national initiative to fight poverty. Data was collected from interviews, field observations and existing literature, then Nvivo 12 Pro was used to analyze the results. The location in this study is in Takalar Regency. The research results show that the implementation of the non-cash food assistance program has gone well, such as access to information. However, the findings in this study that were considered less than optimal were related to executor accountability, timeliness, suitability for needs, not on target, and target group coverage.


INTRODUCTION
One of the national development targets is to reduce poverty (Huda & Yuliati, 2022;Manaf & Ibrahim, 2017). Poverty is one of the problems in the country, so it must be eliminated or reduced (Molyneux, 2008;Singh et al., 2022). Poverty in Indonesia is still a major problem for the government which is rooted in society. As a member of the United Nations, Indonesia is committed to ending poverty (Ishartono et al., 2016). One form of the problem of poverty is the non-fulfillment of basic needs and is affected by the impact of covid 19. (Pollard & Booth, 2019;Putera et al., 2022). However, Indonesia is still struggling to maintain its positive economic growth (Bahri, 2020). At the time of Covid 19, the poverty rate in Indonesia touched 10.19% in September 2020. This made the number of poor people in Indonesia increase by 2.76 million people when compared to the previous same period (Fauzia, 2021).
Through the issuance of Presidential Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia Number 15 of 2010, addressing the Acceleration of Poverty Reduction, the government has taken measures to combat poverty. The Non-Cash Food Support (BPNT) initiative, which intends to change the type of support to non-cash by using electronic cards that are handed directly to beneficiary families, is the government's strategy for eradicating poverty. In the Republic of Indonesia's Regulation of the Minister of Social Affairs No. 11 of 2018 on the Distribution of Non-Cash Food Aid. Non-cash food aid itself is more designed to help the poor establish a social protection (food empowerment) system. The introduction of non-cash food aid in Indonesia is anticipated to hasten the accomplishment of development objectives.
Takalar Regency is one of the areas that has implemented government programs to overcome poverty, including non-cash food assistance programs. The number of beneficiaries of non-cash food assistance (BPNT) is 31,321 families receiving food social assistance in Takalar Regency, out of a total number of 647,865 families receiving food assistance in South Sulawesi Province. The number of recipients of non-cash food assistance (BPNT) in Takalar is the fifth highest number of 24 districts/cities in South Sulawesi. In 2021 the poverty rate in Takalar Regency will reach 24.6 thousand people or around 8.25 percent. However, in 2022 the poverty rate will increase slightly to 24.75 thousand people and will remain at 8.25 percent. (sulsel.bps.go.id, 2023) In the Takalar Regency non-cash basic food assistance program, there are frequent delays, missed targets, and price hikes for beneficiaries. Insufficient implementation of the non-cash food assistance program in Takalar Regency will exacerbate the existing social divide. The Ministry of Social Affairs also revealed that one of the sources of state losses came from corrupt non-cash food assistance policies. Therefore, cooperation between implementing organizations and implementing actors must exist and be improved to implement the policy (S. E. Siagian et al., 2018;Widianingsih & Morrell, 2007). Supervision related to the implementation of non-cash food assistance is very important to evaluate related to the distribution of existing assistance. However, this is in accordance with observations made that the lack of coordination and communication carried out by the local government.
Based on previous research from search results in the Scopus database using VosViewer in conducting a visualization analysis of the linkages between the studies carried out. The mapping of previous research results can be seen in Figure 1 below. Based on Figure 1 above, related to the keywords "food aid program", "poverty alleviation", "country" shows that there are 4 clusters in the visualization. The first cluster (a) shows that in this cluster the research issues that are the main concern are economic factors, demographic factors, childhood mortality, developed country, developing country, employment, family planning, health, low income population, latin america, population dynamics , social care, united nations, public assistance and social security. In the second cluster (b) further shows issues related to Covid-19, educational status, food assistance, food availability, food banks, household, human immunodeficiency, hunger, lowest income group, middle aged, nutrition, public health, urban population and public policy. Whereas in the third cluster (c), it shows results related to cash transfer issues, child nutrition, dietary supplements, government, health policy, health education, nutrition policy, preschool children, and low income countries. Finally, the fourth cluster (d) shows that the issues are related to poverty, Asia, Africa, child health, food, fruit, health care, India, poverty alleviation, and vegetables. In each existing cluster, it can be seen that many research developments discuss poverty, the role of government, issues of food needs, food assistance programs for the poor, infants and nutrition fulfillment.
Based on the outcomes of this visualization, researchers will investigate how the non-cash food assistance program in Takalar Regency is implemented. It should be noted that programs in poverty alleviation greatly impact the sustainability of people's lives. Because the existence of an assistance program in dealing with poverty is able to help people from poverty traps (Radosavljevic et al., 2021). However, if the poverty alleviation program is not implemented properly, it will have a less than optimal impact on achieving its goals.

METHOD
This study will employ qualitative methodologies. The qualitative method was chosen as a means of analyzing, comprehending, investigating, and explaining the implementation of the noncash food assistance program in Takalar Regency, not only theoretically, but also with empirical data. This study uses Purwanto's theory (2015) namely access to information, target group coverage, right on target, timeliness, accountability, conformity with needs. After the data is obtained, the data is then analyzed and interpreted as developed, with the stages of data reduction, data presentation, and data verification to obtain conclusions in the form of findings for further research (Miles Matthew et al., 2014). Then the data will be analyzed using Nvivo 12 Pro, which can be seen in Figure 2. In Figure 2, the data analysis techniques encompass the first three phases of data collection: data import, data processing, and data classification. The second stage is the analysis of the interview results, which includes coding, data analysis, and the creation of a project map. The third stage, observation, consists of data coding, data analysis, project map creation, and data visualization (Woolf & Silver, 2018). Nvivo 12 Pro is a technology used to analyze data on the implementation of non-cash food assistance programs. The data was processed based on observations, documentation, and interviews with informants including the district government, heads of social welfare sections in villages, assistant social welfare workers, heads of the Takalar District Office, and program beneficiaries.

Information Access
Program Outreach Access to information is used to determine whether a program or service is readily accessible to the intended audience. Access to information can provide information to a program's or policy's intended audience. Those in charge of making decisions recognize that information is not only a byproduct of government work but also a crucial factor in determining the success of a program in order to assist the community (Suhendar, 2020). The following describes the distribution of indoctrination and education related to the BPNT program in Takalar Regency. The Takalar Regency Village Social and Community Empowerment Service provides access to information on the BPNT program to the local government, TKSK, and the community through socialization and education stages. Then, the Office of Social Affairs and Village Community Empowerment and Bank Mandiri coordinated with respect to BNBA data. Program implementers, consisting of the Social Service, TKSK, and village officials, disseminate information about the BPNT program to the community through outreach efforts. The information provided to the community in general is the utilization of the assistance provided, regulations, and technical implementation. The lack of commodity price transparency provided by e-warong agents contributes to the public's lack of access to information.

Target Group Coverage
The reach of the target group is the proportion of the target group that has received program assistance. This is based on the number of impoverished individuals who have received government assistance (Gassner et al., 2019). The objective is to ensure that all eligible individuals can receive assistance. The following is the aggregate data for the recapitulation of the Integrated Social Welfare Data for Takalar Regency in 2022 which is a reference for program implementers to distribute aid Concerning the coverage of the target population in the implementation of the BPNT program, the primary issue is that there are still impoverished individuals who are not included in the DTKS. In addition, community population data have not been completely synchronized with Department of Population and Civil Registry population data. Make the impoverished ineligible for government assistance.

Right on target
It is essential to ensure that the provided program is in accordance with the objective. Because program implementation is not always consistent with the stated objectives. So that, during the implementation of a program, some people are ineligible for government assistance. Consequently, a program with clearly defined goals must make diligent preparations. Obviously, the programs that are then present in the community are the result of government formulations to address the occurrence of problems. Therefore, one of the subsequent government programs, such as the BPNT program, had to be a solution for the truly needy and impoverished in order for them to qualify for the program.
Consequently, one aspect of being on target in the implementation of the non-cash food assistance program in Takalar Regency is that there are still recipients who are deemed to be off target. Because there are still beneficiaries who are categorized as able but continue to receive assistance from DTKS data. On the other side, there are still impoverished individuals who do not receive aid. This is one of the factors that contribute to the suboptimal nature of government programs. Therefore, an effort must be made to update field data and evaluation so that the program can be implemented according to its intended goals. Existing cases of destitution will be less effectively dealt with if this issue is not addressed.

Punctuality
Obviously, there is a distribution period when implementing a program, such as the distribution of essential food assistance. This is intended to determine whether the services provided during the implementation of a program are executed on time or are delayed. Thus, delays in program implementation may result in the failure to attain development objectives (Gómez Martín et al., 2020).
In accordance with the guidelines for the administration of the non-cash food assistance program (BPNT), the government provides monthly non-cash social assistance to KPM. So that households who are unable and vulnerable to social risks may use this assistance. The purpose of distributing the BPNT program to the community every month is to help the community meet their nutritional requirements every month and prevent malnutrition by providing adequate nutrition during the first 1000 days of life. In order for KPM to ascertain the purchase time, type, quantity, and quality of food at the e-warong agent.
In Takalar Regency, the distribution of the non-cash food assistance program was delayed by two to three months. People complain about this, but nothing is done to alter the distribution time. If this continues, it will have a negative impact on program objectives because it will reduce the expected impact. Therefore, it is anticipated that the government will reevaluate the problem of timely distribution of services in the field.

Accountability
Accountability, specifically determining how the role of the implementer in disseminating policy output to the target group can be accounted for. If there is a reduction in the rights of the target group, or if there are other types of irregularities committed by the implementer, this must be accounted for. The following are the outcomes of the analysis of implementers of the non-cash food assistance program in Takalar Regency using the Nvivo 12 Pro visualization.

Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Administrasi Publik: Jurnal Pemikiran dan Penelitian Administrasi Publik
Volume 13 Number 1, January-June 2023. Page 359-370 Figure 4 depicts the program implementers involved in implementing the non-cash food assistance program in Takalar Regency. Thus, it can be said that the government and the private sector (E-Warong agents) work together to operate the program (E. S. Siagian, 2017). Government and private sector participation has a significant impact on the implementation of a program (Sondang Siagian et al., 2019). The associated roles of program implementers are depicted in the figure below. Based on the results of Figure 5's visualization, it can be deduced that each implementing actor has distinct responsibilities. Starting from the Office of Social Affairs and Village Community Empowerment, which has a role in ensuring the implementation of the program by supervising and conducting program socialization processes related to regulations and technical implementation. In the course of their duties, they frequently facilitate the hopes and complaints of people with program-related issues. The presence of TKSK and the District Government is then responsible for socialization, program supervision, coordination with local governments, as well as counseling and guiding E-Warong agents and beneficiaries.
Bank Mandiri is also responsible for opening accounts and distributing them to each beneficiary. Communities recorded in the DTKS are the result of administrators in their respective villages inputting and proposing names through a survey phase to ensure that recipients are eligible to receive assistance. In addition, e-warong will serve as a location for disbursing and spending non-cash community assistance. As a result, E-Warong agents must ensure that the products they sell contain adequate amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins. Obstacles to the accountability of program implementers obtained include the lack of supervision of program implementers, so that markup practices still occur on products.

Compatibility with Needs
Compatibility with needs is intended to determine whether or not the output of the policy or program received by the target group meets their requirements. So that the assistance provided corresponds with the requirements of the community. So that the implementers of the program do not unilaterally provide program output that is only seen from one aspect. However, it must observe and make observations regarding what requirements the target group community actually requires.  Table 2, there are only a few categories of commodities supplied by agents for beneficiaries to purchase. In implementing the BPNT program in the community, it has in fact met the fundamental requirements in accordance with the Ministry of Social Affairs' directives. However, not everyone has the same needs, so it is deemed necessary for suppliers to provide more goods to agents. So that recipients can select the product that best meets their needs.
Because by examining the program's compatibility with the community's requirements, it may be determined that it is suitable. According to the program's guidelines, all aspects of carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins have been met by the commodities supplied by agents ewarong. As for other obstacles identified in this study, it was found that package system practices did occur in program distribution, even though they were not in accordance with the standard implementation instructions. This occurs due to the fact that agents may find it simpler to disseminate products if they are aligned with the guidelines. However, this actually restricts the community's ability to choose the necessities their families require.
Based on the theory used in this study and the results of field research conducted, it is related to the implementation of the non-cash food assistance program in Takalar Regency using the information access indicator approach that has been going well because the stages carried out were socialization and education of the local government as well as society. Communication is carried out through meetings and coordination carried out by program implementers. Then the target group coverage in the implementation of the BPNT program is considered to be still not optimal because there are underprivileged people who are still not recorded in the DTKS to get assistance. This will reduce the substance of the objectives of the BPNT program, so that there is a need for an evaluation regarding this problem. Furthermore, right on target, in the implementation of the BPNT program in Takalar Regency, it was found that there were beneficiaries who were already classified as capable and were no longer eligible to become part of the program's beneficiaries. As for the aspect of punctuality in the implementation of the BPNT program in Takalar Regency, it shows that there are still delays in program distribution. The delay in the distribution will result in less than optimal aspects of the objectives of the BPNT program in Takalar Regency. Regarding the accountability aspect of the BPNT program implementer in Takalar Regency, each program implementer has their respective duties and functions to maximize the BPNT program. In implementing the BPNT program in Takalar Regency it is run by the government and the private sector. Meanwhile, the aspect of compatibility with needs in the implementation of the BPNT program was categorized as in accordance with the implementation instructions and guidelines that in the implementation of the program, beneficiaries must use grant funds to meet the needs of carbohydrates, protein and vitamins.
The findings in the research conducted by researchers are that the implementation of the BPNT program in Takalar Regency uses the concept of the Public Private Partnership approach. This is evidenced by the fact that there are elements of the government and private parties who are involved and play an important role in implementing the BPNT program. Apart from that, another finding in this study was that there were frequent delays in distribution which resulted in less than optimal implementation of the BPNT program in Takalar Regency.

CONCLUSION
Implementing the non-cash food assistance program (BPNT) in Takalar Regency is a priority for disadvantaged communities in order to reduce poverty and malnutrition. The implementation of the program has been proceeding smoothly, but there are still areas that require improvement so that the program can provide benefits and the program's objectives can be met with effective results. Based on the results of the research and discussion it can be concluded that: 1) Access to information in the implementation of the BPNT program in Takalar Regency is provided by the Social Service, outreach and counseling to the Village Facilitators of each village and community regarding BPNT program policies at the socialization and education stages. 2) The target population relates to the fact that there are still individuals who are classified as impoverished but do not receive BPNT assistance because they are not listed in the DTKS. 3) Right on Target, During the implementation of the BPNT program in the Takalar District, it was discovered that some beneficiaries who were deemed wealthy and had passed away were still receiving BPNT aid. 4) Punctuality. In accordance with the BPNT program implementation guidelines, this distribution is given monthly to KPM BPNT. However, it was discovered during the implementation of the BPNT program that the distribution was frequently delayed by two to three months. 5) Several government and private sectors are involved in the implementation of the BPNT program, which is accountable. However, it is still deficient in terms of surveillance. 6) Compatibility with Needs. Food products provided for purchase by the public comply with the implementation guidelines, namely meeting carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins. However, in practice it was found that the community was not free to choose what they wanted to buy at the agent because the goods provided had already been determined by the 3 food commodities provided, such as rice, eggs and apples.
The recommendations for future research based on this study's findings pertain to the relationship between the government and the private sector in the implementation of non-cash food assistance programs. The public-private partnership approach is considered one of the ideal concepts in implementing government programs to maximize sustainable development. Then,