Transforming Village Governance: Integrating Digital Platforms and Agile Governance Towards Innovative Villages Bonaventura Ngarawula (a*), Wibisono Poespitohadi (b), Kridawati Sadhana (c), Chandra Dinata (d), Akbar Pandu Dwinugraha (e), I Made Arie Widyasthana Wartana Putra (f), Ahmad Luthfi (g)
a,b,c,d,e,f),g University of Merdeka Malang, Jl. Terusan Dieng No. 62-64 Malang, 65146 Indonesia
*bonaventurangw25[at]gmail.com
Abstract
The digital transformation of villages has emerged as a national priority in Indonesia. However, difficulties persist in aligning infrastructure readiness with effective governance practices. This study aims to conceptualize, develop, and evaluate the KENDI Village Model an adaptive framework that integrates openness, digitalization, and innovation to improve transparency, participatory decision-making, and service integration at the village level. We combined a review of existing literature with a survey of village officials and residents in Malang Regency. The literature review looked at ideas about flexible governance and digital public administration. The survey aimed to understand the community^s readiness, opinions, and expectations regarding digital governance. The results indicate near-universal smartphone ownership and daily internet use among respondents, yet functional digital literacy and engagement with village e-governance platforms remain inconsistent. Respondents expressed high demand for digitized services, especially civil registry, budget transparency, and public health data and strong willingness to collaborate in system design. Transparency perceptions were positive but suggested underdeveloped reporting mechanisms, highlighting opportunities for real-time, infographic-based information dissemination. The findings confirm that successful rural e-governance requires synchronized progress in technology deployment, institutional capacity building, and community participation. By embedding agile governance principles into the KENDI model, this study contributes a scalable, culturally contextualized framework for inclusive and adaptive digital governance. The implications extend to policymakers and practitioners seeking sustainable village digitization strategies, while future research should explore broader regional applications and integration with emerging technologies.
Keywords: Agile governance, Digital village governace, KENDI village model, Smart village transformation
Topic: Social Community Dynamics in the Digital Age
