Autonomous but constrained: CBOs and urban upgrading in Indonesia

Community-driven development (CDD) programs, facilitated by decentralization, in developing countries have made community-based organizations (CBOs) key partners in new, participatory institutional arrangements for urban development and planning. Yet, little research exists on how such institutional arrangements and program design affect the capacity and effectiveness of CBOs. Studying the case of the Comprehensive Kampung Improvement Project (CKIP) in Surabaya, Indonesia, this paper illustrates how pre-existing relationships between influential local institutions impeded the capacity and performance of CBOs that were specifically created for implementing the program, and highlights general implications for involving CBOs in CDD.