Pentahelix Collaboration in Child Protection within a Marginalized Cemetery Settlement: A Case Study of Rangkah Public Cemetery, Surabaya, Indonesia

Abstract

The study investigates the implementation of Pentahelix collaborative governance in child protection within a marginalized urban settlement located at Rangkah Public Cemetery, Surabaya, Indonesia. While the Pentahelix Framework conceptually emphasizes balanced synergy among government, academia, business, community, and media actors, empirical evidence from this case reveals a pronounced asymmetry in roles and responsibilities. Employing a qualitative case study design, data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and document analysis involving key stakeholders representing all five helix actors. The findings demonstrate that community actors, particularly Komunitas WEPOSE Indonesia, function as the central coordinating node of child protection efforts, assuming roles that extend beyond service delivery to include inter-actor brokerage and relational governance. In contrast, government engagement is primarily procedural and reliant on administrative referral systems, while academic, business, and media actors participate in episodic, project-based, and event-driven capacities. These dynamics challenge the normative assumption of balanced multi-actor collaboration within the Pentahelix framework. The study argues that, in contexts of extreme urban marginality, the effectiveness of collaborative governance is shaped less by formal institutional design and more by relational proximity, sustained presence, and social trust embedded within community actors.