Learning for improvement: Technical assistance approach in productive zakat fund distribution program in Indonesia

Case study in BAZNAS Kuningan Regency

Abstract

The utilization of zakat funds to overcome various problems in society is a challenge in terms of zakat governance in Indonesia today. Because, the distribution of zakat funds in Indonesia is still dominated by a distribution model that is consumptive and also not based on the concept of community empowerment. This study explains how to use the technical assistance approach in the productive zakat fund distribution program carried out by BAZNAS Kuningan Regency. This research uses descriptive qualitative methods, interview data collection techniques, observation and documentation. The results of this study show that the process of distributing productive zakat funds is carried out through four types of programs, namely PROKSI, Zmart, Lumbung Pangan, and ZChicken. The stages of program implementation are socialization of program acceptance and mustahik selection, submission of funds in the form of capital and goods for business, as well as program assistance. In addition to being given funds and capital, mustahik is also given skills and knowledge through various trainings tailored to the type of business. The empowerment process in this program uses a technical assistance approach that contains elements of resources in the form of legislation, administration, education, collaborators, and consultants. The way this program works is top down and directive, meaning that the program has been designed by the Central BAZNAS, the program companion himself places himself as an intermediary in distributing various assistance and executing the design of the program that has been prepared, while mustahik is domiciled as a consumer of the program and as a client who receives and utilizes the program. In addition, this program still lacks mustahik involvement in the process, because the planning, program design and monitoring-evaluation processes are only carried out by BAZNAS, mustahik only acts as a program object and participation is only limited to the use of results