Managing policies for stunting prevention during the COVID-19 disaster: the case of West Sumatra Province

¹ Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Andalas University
² Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Andalas University
³ Centre of Constitutional Studies (PUSaKO), Faculty of Law, Andalas University,
⁴ Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Andalas University
⁵ Department of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Andalas University

^* Corresponding author: azwar@soc.unand.ac.id

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has had major implications for government administration. Policymakers set policies for handling Covid-19 as a priority agenda at this time. However, these measures have reduced other problems such as stunting which still requires government attention. This article explores policy management of stunting by the local government amid the Covid-19 pandemic with the West Sumatra province case. The findings in the field, show that the implementation of stunting prevention policies is not easy considering the powerlessness caused by budget refocusing and overlapping authorities between institutions. Meanwhile, the meaninglessness is indicated by the low level of public support for the handling of stunting. This is exacerbated by a bureaucratic culture that is slow to implement policies, including in managing stunting-related programs during the Covid-19 crisis. So that there is alienation or what we call as alienation in the bureaucracy in implementing stunting prevention policies. In the end, the management of stunting policies during the Covid-19 pandemic should receive strong support from all involved parties.