Policy Evaluation of Village-Based Food Security Program: Evidence from Catfish Seed Assistance in Pandamaan Village, Indonesia

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a village-based food security policy implemented through catfish seed assistance in Pandamaan Village, North Hulu Sungai Regency. Food security remains a critical issue, particularly at the rural level where program implementation often faces structural and technical constraints. This research aims to assess policy performance, identify implementation challenges, and analyze its socio-economic impacts. A qualitative evaluative approach was employed using in-depth interviews, field observations, and document analysis. Informants included village officials, fisheries officers, and program beneficiaries. Data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles and Huberman. The findings reveal that the program contributes to improving local food availability and raising awareness of food diversification. However, its effectiveness is constrained by weak inter-agency coordination, lack of technical assistance, limited infrastructure, and low beneficiary capacity. The findings indicate that participatory planning, continuous technical assistance, and institutional coordination are important factors in supporting the effective implementation of the program. This study provides empirical evidence that village-based food security policies require integrated governance and sustained evaluation systems to achieve long-term effectiveness.