Analisis Kinerja Penjabat (Pj) Wali Nagari di Nagari Kajai, Kecamatan Talamau, Kabupaten Pasaman Barat

Abstract

Nagari Kajai in West Pasaman Regency has had no elected Wali Nagari (village head) since 2016. Between 2016 and 2025, the office was held by acting Wali Nagari appointed by the regent, with nine changes of leadership. This instability coincided with village fund absorption stagnating at around 77% and weak community empowerment programs. This study analyzes the performance of the acting Wali Nagari using Robbins and Judge's six performance indicators: quality, quantity, timeliness, effectiveness, independence, and commitment. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed; data were collected through in-depth interviews with 34 informants, observation, and documentation, and were analyzed using Miles and Huberman's interactive model. The results show that (1) work quality was fairly good in physical development (realization rose from 68% to 87%) but weak in community empowerment (which fell from 52% to 38%); (2) overall program realization increased from 74% to 86%, although empowerment declined; (3) timeliness was good for physical projects and emergency response but hampered by coordination with the Nagari Consultative Body (Bamus); (4) effectiveness was uneven: program realization improved, but village fund absorption remained at around 77% and public participation was low (average attendance at development planning meetings was only 33.75%); (5) the independence of village officials still depended on the village secretary and customary leaders (ninik mamak); and (6) commitment was high for technical targets but low for long-term participation. The study concludes that the acting Wali Nagari's performance is suboptimal because of the interaction between a short, uncertain tenure and weak electoral legitimacy.