EROPA Bulletin Volume 34 Nos. 3-4 | Page 46

46 EROPA Bulletin Governance (Policy Issues)... (From page 45) wherein he attempted and succeeded to reduce the amount of waste that is set for disposal. Mayor Hanamoto also was able to reduce CO2 emissions by recycling wood chips for use as fuel for boilers. Lastly, he sponsored an ordinance that aims to preserve the beauty of the town by preserving its natural beauty and build a community where residents can continue to exist in harmony without any threat or fear from danger or bodily harm. The Implementation of Urban Community Empowerment Program in Jakarta Province To set the context for her topic, Prof. Ika Sartika noted that Jakarta is the most populous city in Southeast Asia, where many migrants remain unemployed and homeless. Thus, the government introduced the Urban Community Empowerment Program (UCEP) in Jakarta to alleviate poverty and create jobs. Whether or not it is effective is the main thrust of her presentation. She used a qualitative approach and the evaluation aspects of content, input, process and product. Her respondents, which were selected from various villages representing all five municipalities in Jakarta, were divided according to facilitators and users, and at different phases of the program implementation. Some of her key findings include the following: the understanding of UCEP is limited and needs to be improved; respondents are doubtful that it will alleviate poverty; mapping of the poor is incomplete, budget is limited; facilitators dominate the process; and the quality of products needs to be properly evaluated. She concluded that, while implementation has been relatively good, self-reliance of poor urban communities remains weak. Moreover, while the involvement of stakeholders in implementation was good enough, involvement from the public particularly the poor communities themselves has to be further strengthened. Prof. Sartika added that a deeper understanding of the importance of UCEP is likewise crucial to its success. Vol. 34 Nos. 3-4 (July