From playground to policy: The role of NGOs in cross-sector partnerships in Indonesian primary schools

LSPR Institute of Communication and Business, Jakarta, Indonesia

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Abstract

This study investigates the strategic role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in bridging systemic governance failures to address the critical health education gap in Indonesian primary schools. The problem is severe, marked by the nation’s persistent “double burden” of malnutrition, with over 20% of children aged 5–12 overweight or obese and a high rate of stunting that negatively impacts long-term cognitive outcomes. This educational failure is compounded by the uneven implementation of the national curriculum resulting from Indonesia’s decentralized governance structure. Employing a qualitative single-case study design, this research analyses the BOKS (Build Our Kids’ Success) program through the lens of the Multi-Stakeholder Partnership (MSP) framework and Social Capital Theory, utilizing secondary data from program reports and policy documents. The findings demonstrate that the NGO’s effectiveness lies in its function as a Hybrid Actor, strategically deploying three interconnected roles. First, as a Convener, the NGO activates bridging social capital to build a complex, multi-sectoral coalition spanning national government, local districts, private donors, and academia. Second, as a Translator, it customizes the global BOKS model into culturally embedded routines (e.g., local games and school-farms) to build crucial bonding social capital and secure grassroots legitimacy. Third, as a Sustainer, it leverages this validated local success as political currency, using linking social capital to influence high-level government bodies. The study concludes that this Hybrid Actor model provides the necessary governance mechanism to bypass the rigidity of centralized policy and effectively transfer locally proven solutions into scalable national policy. The strategic alignment of BOKS principles with the Gerakan Sekolah Sehat (National Health School Movement) initiative demonstrates a potent pathway for cross-sector partnerships to drive systemic change in Indonesia’s education and public health sectors.