Background: Development communication is crucial for the success of rural development policies, particularly BUMDes in Indonesia. However, it is often treated as mere information dissemination, with limited attention to its role in shaping trust, legitimacy, and political dynamics. This study addresses this gap by integrating development communication and policy implementation perspectives.Purpose: To analyze how development communication influences BUMDes implementation in Batu Tunggal Village, especially regarding participation and institutional legitimacy.Methods: A qualitative case study was conducted using interviews, observation, FGDs, and document analysis. The analysis is based on Development Communication theory and Edward III’s Policy Implementation Model.Results: Communication is dominated by a top-down approach, resulting in low participation and weak community ownership. Implementation is also constrained by low public trust, political polarization, limited resources, and bureaucratic capacity.Theoretical Implications: The study extends Edward III’s model by showing that communication effectiveness is shaped not only by information delivery but also by political legitimacy and social trust. Development communication should be understood as a dialogical and legitimacy-building process.Practical Implications: Improving BUMDes requires participatory communication and efforts to rebuild trust while reducing political fragmentation at the village level.