Beyond Volatility: Harnessing VUCA Methodology for Sustainable Collaboration in Bintan Island’s Mangrove Ecotourism Governance

Collaborative Governance has emerged as a critical strategy for achieving public goals through collaboration with diverse organizations and individuals. The policy process requires the participation of various public institutions, with stakeholders directly or indirectly involved in addressing societal problems. In developing countries such as Indonesia, the power of stakeholders in implementing existing programs is critical to the success of collaborative governance. Indonesia has adopted an ecotourism strategy emphasizing sustainable practices, while the tourism industry emphasizes environmental preservation. Bintan Island is an attractive location for ecotourism activities due to its many prospective tourist destinations, ranging from land to sea, including mangrove forests in the coastal area. Due to its proximity to the Indonesia-Singapore-Malaysia border, the island has tremendous economic value for the local community. However, our research shows that the current situation regarding stakeholder participation in collaborative governance shows a weak correlation between actors. Significant gaps in collaborative governance dimensions and indicators must be addressed during the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) period. In particular, many stakeholders lack the knowledge and understanding to engage interested parties and foster positive social interactions. To address this shortcoming, we propose to adopt the VUCA methodology as an alternative evaluation method for collaborative stakeholder-based governance. By doing so, we can integrate a more dynamic and adaptable framework to better adapt to rapidly changing socio-economic conditions.