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Participatory village development planning is often treated as a technical-administrative routine. In practice, however, planning is inseparable from political dynamics that shape who participates, whose interests prevail, and how scarce resources are allocated. This community empowerment program (PKM) in Kedung Udi Village, Trawas District, Mojokerto Regency, East Java, aimed to strengthen village governance by enhancing the capacity of village officials and community representatives to design and facilitate participatory planning while explicitly addressing the political dimension of planning. The main intervention was a workshop conducted on 22 August 2025, preceded by coordination and situational observation. Workshop modules emphasized: (1) planning as a political decision; (2) navigating dual arenas: formal (Musdes/Musrenbang and RPJMDes, RKPDes, APBDes) and informal (elite networks and gatekeeping); (3) multi-level contestation and policy alignment; and (4) practical tools, including power–interest mapping, programmatic agreements, program tagging for alignment with district planning documents, and transparency/anti elite capture mechanisms. The program resulted in improved participant literacy regarding power relations in planning and produced a follow-up action plan oriented toward institutional advocacy, continuous social control, and routine capacity reinforcement through a university and village partnership.

This article examines the operational management model of villages in Garut Regency, West Java, by emphasizing four key dimensions: governance, digital innovation, community participation, and the optimization of local resources. The study explores how the integration of participatory governance, technological innovation, and local potential can strengthen the effectiveness of village development and build an adaptive, sustainable governance system in the era of digital transformation. Using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach, the research analyzes scientific publications and policy documents sourced from international databases such as Scopus and Web of Science, as well as national references including the 2025–2030 Garut Regency Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) and reports from the Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration. From an initial pool of 126 publications, 32 primary sources were examined through thematic coding to identify patterns, relationships, and key insights related to village governance, multi-actor collaboration, and public service digitalization. The findings reveal that good governance enhances transparency and accountability, digital innovation improves efficiency and data-driven decision-making, community participation strengthens social legitimacy, and the optimization of local resources supports sustainable economic value creation. These elements form the “Integrative Operational Management Model for Garut Villages,” which emphasizes adaptive collaboration and data-based management. The study also proposes practical strategies related to digital capacity-building, participatory planning, and applied research.

This study examines the strategic role of Koperasi Desa Merah Putih (Red and White Village Cooperative) in accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Indonesia, using qualitative document analysis as the primary method. Key institutional documents—namely the Articles of Association/Bylaws (AD/ART) and the Village Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMDes)—were analyzed to identify cooperative values, integration into local development planning, and contributions to specific SDG indicators. Findings reveal that the cooperative’s core principles—voluntary membership, inclusivity, democratic governance, and equitable profit sharing—align strongly with SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). The RPJMDes analysis indicates formal recognition of the cooperative as a driver of economic empowerment, gender equity, and sustainable community development, with potential scalability to other villages and rural areas in Indonesia. Further analysis demonstrates how the cooperative actively promotes women’s participation in leadership roles, supports income-generating activities for marginalized groups, and encourages the localization of economic value chains. These practices foster not only economic inclusion but also enhance community resilience and social cohesion. However, several challenges were identified. These include inconsistent documentation quality, lack of standardized performance metrics, and limited results-based evaluation frameworks that hinder a thorough impact assessment. Additionally, there remains a gap in digitalization, which affects data transparency and accessibility. The study’s novelty lies in its document-based approach, offering a replicable model for assessing SDG readiness in similar rural institutions. Unlike interview-based studies, this method reduces subjective bias and highlights the importance of formal governance structures.

The mentoring activity for preparing regional development planning documents at Bapperida Bangkalan Regency is part of a community service program aimed at improving the effectiveness of public administration. During the program, students were directly involved in collecting and processing data, analyzing program performance indicators, and assisting in drafting and evaluating planning documents such as the RKPD, RPJMD, and RPD. This activity also supported the budgeting process, program consistency assessment, and public service performance measurement through the Community Satisfaction Survey (SKM). The results of the mentoring program show that collaboration between academia and local government can improve work efficiency, the quality of planning documents, and the capacity of civil servants in developing data-driven policies. This activity not only benefited the institution but also served as a real-world learning experience for students in understanding public administration practices at the regional level.

Village development is the main focus of Indonesia's national policy, especially after the enactment of Law Number 6 of 2014 concerning Villages. In its implementation, the role of the Ministry of Villages (Kemendesa) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) is very important, however, disharmony of authority often occurs which hampers the effectiveness of these policies. This research aims to analyze the disharmonization of authority between the two ministries and formulate a harmonization solution from a legal perspective to increase more efficient and sustainable village development. The method used is a normative approach with comparative juridical analysis of existing regulations, which include related laws and policies. The research results show that there are overlapping regulations and roles between the Ministry of Villages and the Ministry of Home Affairs in aspects of preparing the RPJMDes, managing village funds, as well as coaching and supervising village heads. This research suggests the need for clear legal reconstruction and better coordinating mechanisms between the two ministries to avoid conflicts of authority that could hinder the achievement of village development goals. In conclusion, harmonization of authority normatively, institutionally and technically is very necessary to increase the effectiveness of village development and provide better legal certainty.

Village development is an important pillar in national development, where community participation is a key factor in achieving success. The Village Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMDes) serves as a strategic document that guides development policies and programs at the village level, with community involvement crucial to ensure that their needs and expectations are met. This study identified three important aspects of community participation: as a tool to obtain information, to increase trust in development programs, and as a democratic right. Despite challenges in involving the community, such as a lack of understanding of planning mechanisms and time constraints, the hope for increasing participation remains. Qualitative research methods were used to explore the most effective methods in increasing community involvement. The results showed that active community participation in the preparation of the RPJMDes in Tembung Village can increase transparency, accountability, and relevance of development programs, thus creating inclusive and sustainable development. Cooperation between residents and the village government is the key to achieving optimal development results that are felt by all levels of society.