Accelerating Regional Development Using the Human Development Index Approach (A Case Study of Southeast Sulawesi)

Abstract

Development is an activity carried out on an ongoing basis which focus on diversification of economic activities, social aspects and infrastructure, to encourage private and public sector investment by reducing differences in socio-economic aspects among various regions, improving living standards, providing quality services to citizens based on equality and justice. Examining the development in Southeast Sulawesi, there are some issues which the authors managed to find, namely: (a) an increased rate of unemployment and poverty, (b) reduced social services: education and health, (c) poor regional competitiveness, (d) regional development which has not been integrated either cross-sectorally or in inter-stakeholder integration, and (e) lack of basic infrastructure and regional infrastructure. This research aims to analyze the effects of the human development variable which affects acceleration in the development in Southeast Sulawesi.

In this research, the method employed to analyze the relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variables was multiple linear regression using the method of ordinary least squares (OLS). The findings show a correlation between HDI and the explanatory variables with a value range of 0.60-1.00. Based on the interpretation of the analysis results, the following conclusions are drawn: (a) components that can help accelerate development in Southeast Sulawesi are the life expectancy, the literacy rate, the average years of schooling, per capita income, the number of poor people, the unemployment rate and social infrastructure which have fairly considerable influences in supporting the development in Southeast Sulawesi, (b) dimensions such as education, economy and infrastructure form the basis for designing a development program which suits the conditions of Southeast Sulawesi.

Keywords: development, human development index, education, health, infrastructure, panel data, southeast sulawesi