New Public Governance Through Co-Production by Sociopreneur Actors: A Case Study of the Sustainable and Independent Tourism Village of Pulesari, Sleman, Yogyakarta

Abstract

Collaborative governance, which involves citizen actors as representatives of the third sector in public development and service delivery, is increasingly gaining relevance and recognition in addressing public issues. This study aims to examine and describe the role of third-sector actors, particularly citizen sociopreneurs in the framework of New Public Governance. These actors serve as key drivers of co-production, leading to the establishment of Pulesari as an independent and sustainable tourism village, especially amid the limitations faced by the government in terms of capacity, institutional support, and budget constraints. Data collection was conducted through observation, interviews, and documentation, with the researcher acting as the primary instrument. The study focuses on the development of Pulesari Tourism Village from its inception until the research period (2023–2024), involving two key sociopreneur informants considered representative and instrumental in the success of non-governmental co-production efforts within the context of public governance and agro-tourism service delivery. Qualitative data analysis was carried out through data collection, reduction, verification, presentation, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that the initiative to develop the tourism village began even before its formal establishment in 2012, particularly in response to the devastating eruption of Mount Merapi, which severely damaged local salak plantations. Leveraging existing social capital, sociopreneurs initiated the economic co-production of tourism goods and services. This effort was subsequently supported by the broader Pulesari community, enabling local recovery and progress, which in turn led to improved social welfare. The sustained success of Pulesari as a self-reliant and sustainable tourism village underscores the vital role of sociopreneur actors. Accordingly, this study contributes to the scholarly discourse on New Public Governance by highlighting the significance of third-sector roles especially community sociopreneurs in service co-production and offers potential policy insights for future tourism village development strategies.