Challenging policy monopolies: strategies of Governor Ridwan Kamil in contesting the response of the central government to COVID-19 pandemic

Despite the fact of centralized approach in COVID-19 management and the role of central government representative in the region, the provincial government, in particular, West Java province government seems to initiate many policy innovations that conflicted with central government policy. This research explores the practised political strategy of Governor Kamil as an agent of change within the structural government during COVID-19 management. Drawing from the literature of policy entrepreneur strategy and intergovernmental relation, this RP merges both frameworks to picture the power relationship and power game strategy for policy change between West Java and central governments. I combined textual analysis from various media sources and qualitative interview to capture Kamil’s power struggle with the central government and his strategy to overcome challenges for policy change. This paper argues that Kamil has excellent networking skills which unified various sectors to support him in contesting central government approach to COVID-19 pandemic. This study, hence, finds that Kamil has the quality of excellent policy entrepreneur by showing the attributes and skills he owned in deploying his strategies which are exercised in two distinct mini-case studies. His engagement with media for various strategies has emerged a new feature in policy entrepreneurship and intergovernmental relation literature. Furthermore, this paper concludes with the discussion of the ambivalent position in the governor’s role as an agent of change and disaster management approach in Indonesia.