<![CDATA[This study aims to analyse the role of public administration in institutional da’wah management in local governments in Central Java, focusing on administrative structures and mechanisms, the implementation of public governance principles, as well as challenges and strategies for strengthening da’wah governance as a value-based public service. This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, non-participant observations, and documentation studies in several local governments in Central Java. The research informants included local government officials, state civil servants, as well as representatives of religious institutions and figures. Data analysis was carried out thematically by linking empirical findings and theoretical frameworks of public administration and institutional da’wah. The results of the study indicate that institutional da’wah has been formally integrated into the local government’s administrative system; however, its management remains dominated by an administrative and procedural approach. The implementation of the principles of accountability, transparency, and participation is normative, but has not produced a substantive impact on socio-religious change. Sectoral institutional structures, rigid bureaucracy, and limited human resource capacity are the main challenges in institutional da’wah management. These findings underscore the need to strengthen da’wah governance through a collaborative approach, capacity building of the apparatus and da’i, as well as evaluation based on public values and social impact. This research presents an integrative perspective on the relationship between public administration and da’wah, positioning institutional da’wah as a value-based public service within the context of local government studies.]]>
