STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION AND STAKEHOLDER ROLES IN COMMUNITY-BASED ZAKAT EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS

Abstract

Purpose – This study examines how Indonesia’s Kampung Zakat program was implemented at the community level, which stakeholders shaped its execution, and how monitoring and evaluation functioned in practice. It addresses the imbalance between the frequent evaluation of welfare outcomes in faith-based poverty-alleviation programs and the limited scrutiny of the managerial processes that determine whether a well-designed strategy is delivered as intended. Design/methodology/approach – A phenomenological qualitative design, nested within a larger explanatory sequential mixed-methods dissertation, was adopted. Ten mustahik (zakat recipients) were purposively selected with stratification by geography, program duration, baseline socioeconomic position, and outcome level, and were interviewed by telephone in January–February 2026. Transcripts were analyzed thematically and benchmarked against the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ official guidelines. Findings – Execution depended on local intermediaries (neighborhood heads, mosque administrators, village officials, and local zakat officers) whose selection practices produced proximity bias. Substantial gaps emerged in skills training, structured mentoring, and market access, whereas the initial asset transfer reached all informants. The only informant reporting near-guideline mentoring also reported the strongest business continuity. Monitoring was perceived as administrative rather than corrective. Research limitations/implications – Interpreted through stakeholder theory, the resource-based view, and implementation-fidelity theory, the findings locate the program’s strategic vulnerability in execution capacity and local accountability rather than in design. The small qualitative sample and the focus on implementation rather than ministerial strategy formulation limit generalization. Practical implications – Auditable selection protocols, rotation of gatekeeping roles, mentoring standards treated as performance indicators, and monitoring linked to defined corrective responses can strengthen frontline governance. Originality/value – The study proposes an implementation-fidelity framework applicable to community-based Islamic philanthropy.