Digital Divide Mitigation Strategies in Public Services: An Analysis of the Role of the Village Community Empowerment Agency in Pekalongan Regency

Vollständiger Abstract

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The digitalization gap in village public services within Pekalongan Regency constitutes the central urgency of this study, given the stark disparities in information access and service quality between coastal and mountainous areas. This study aims to analyze the strategic role of the Village Community Empowerment Agency (DPMD) in mitigating this divide to realize inclusive digital governance. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed through purposive sampling, involving informants from DPMD leadership and village officials. Data analysis was conducted using the Miles and Huberman interactive model, encompassing data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that DPMD plays a vital role as a regulator through the Village Information System (SID) policy and simultaneously as an infrastructure facilitator. However, mitigation effectiveness is hampered by disparities in technological literacy among village officials, particularly in mountainous areas with limited accessibility. The study concludes that DPMD’s role is critical in providing sustainable asymmetric assistance to reduce the digital divide and ensure the standardization of digital public services across all village levels.