Smart Village Governance Training to Strengthen Village Governance Capacity: A Community Engagement Program in Citeureup Village

Abstract

This community engagement program aimed to strengthen the capacity of village officials and community stakeholders in understanding and applying the Smart Village Governance concept to improve village governance and public service delivery in Citeureup Village, Citeureup District, Bogor Regency. The program was conducted using a participatory training and mentoring approach involving initial observation, focused discussion, training delivery, practical exercises, and activity evaluation. The training materials focused on the integration of digital technology with good governance principles, including transparency, accountability, participation, responsiveness, efficiency, data management, and digital public services. Participants were encouraged to identify existing governance challenges and formulate practical strategies for applying Smart Village Governance according to local conditions and available resources. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated through a structured assessment of participants' understanding and engagement at different stages of the activity, supported by observations, discussions, group exercises, and participant feedback. The evaluation results demonstrated a progressive improvement across the implementation stages. The assessment score increased from 3 during the initial observation to 5 during the focused discussion, 7 during the training session, and 9 during the final activity evaluation. This increase indicates improved participant understanding and engagement following the intervention. The program therefore provided a positive foundation for strengthening village governance capacity and increasing readiness to adopt digital and participatory governance practices. Nevertheless, continued mentoring and monitoring are required to ensure that the knowledge gained through the training is translated into sustainable improvements in village administration and public services. The program highlights the importance of human-resource capacity building as a fundamental component of Smart Village Governance development.