RAKYAT : Designing a 'Rencana Kebijakan yang Nyata' To Strengthen Public Involvement in the Legislative Process (integrative governance)

Abstract

This study develops an innovative model called RAKYAT (Rencana Kebijakan yang Nyata) to address the democratic deficit in Indonesia’s legislative process, particularly the lack of meaningful public participation. Although public involvement is a constitutional mandate, existing mechanisms remain largely symbolic and procedural, failing to bridge the gap between citizens and policymakers. Using a Research and Development (R&D) method, this study adopts a multi-stage design approach involving conceptual modeling, literature synthesis, stakeholder analysis, and prototyping. The proposed system integrates three normative pillars visibility, accessibility, and permeability adapted from parliamentary studies and deliberative democracy frameworks. Findings indicate that embedding participatory mechanisms within the legislative cycle can enhance transparency, improve feedback responsiveness, and institutionalize citizens' influence on policymaking. RAKYAT is designed as a digital co-legislation platform that includes legislative dashboards, e-consultation features, and deliberative public forums. Comparative insights from Norway and Finland support the feasibility and scalability of the system, while local political realities underscore the urgency of inclusive reform. This research contributes a hybrid policy-design framework that merges normative theory with system architecture to restore legislative legitimacy and democratic accountability.  The model has potential to transform public engagement from episodic protest to structured deliberation, thereby strengthening democratic resilience in developing political system.