Kepaduan

Kepaduan is a term used in Indonesian and Malay to denote cohesion, unity, or coherence within a system. It refers to the state or quality of being well integrated, with elements such as goals, structures, processes, and actors aligned toward common objectives. The word derives from the root padu, meaning fused or solid, with the affixes ke- and -an forming a noun.

In governance and public policy, kepaduan describes the alignment among policy goals, program design, budgeting, and implementation. High kepaduan implies that laws, regulations, resource allocations, and on-the-ground actions reinforce each other, reducing fragmentation and duplication. In organizational settings, it refers to the integration of departments, workflows, and resources to achieve coordinated performance and avoid misalignment. In community development, kepaduan captures shared vision, stakeholder collaboration, and synchronized actions among government, civil society, and private sector.

Assessing kepaduan can involve qualitative indicators such as stakeholder coherence, consistency of messages, and the extent to which outcomes reflect stated priorities, as well as quantitative measures of alignment between plans and results. Critics note that true kepaduan is often aspirational and context-dependent, requiring ongoing coordination, governance mechanisms, and accountability.

Related concepts include policy coherence, organizational integration, and strategic alignment. The term is widely used in Indonesian-language governance and management discourse to emphasize the importance of connected, mutually reinforcing elements within complex systems.

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