Building community capacity for sustainable local food systems in central Java, Indonesia: an integrated training evaluation framework

Transitioning to a safe, resilient and sustainable food system requires more than policies and local food resources; it requires building community capacity to convert that potential into sustainable methods. However, there is little evidence of training's contribution to local food systems beyond the immediate learning outcomes. This study explores the contribution of a local food processing training program to community capacity building and sustainable local food systems through an integrated evaluation of its program design, implementation, and outcomes. We performed a qualitative case study with multiple perspectives of the Local Food Processing Training Program (LFPTP) organized by the Food Security Agency of Central Java Province, Indonesia. Data were collected through program documents, semi-structured interviews with trainers, and in-depth interviews sessions with 15 participants. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and cross-perspective synthesis using the ADDIE model, the Kirkpatrick Evaluation Model and the FAO Four Pillars of Food Security. The results point to two main mechanisms affecting the effectiveness of the program. First, there is a "design-implementation gap" when trainers must adapt the curriculum to the diversity of participants' experiences and different constraints in implementation. Second, there is a "transfer gap" where knowledge and skill gains do not reliably translate into changes in behavior, sustainable entrepreneurial activities or broader economic outcomes. The success of the transfer also depends on previous experience, access to resources, family support, market opportunities and local socio-economic conditions. This research adds to the extant literature by constructing an integrated evaluation framework to link instructional design, training evaluation, and food system perspectives. The framework shows that the contribution of training to sustainable local food systems depends on the inter-connectedness of design, adaptive implementation, learning transfer and contextual conditions that enable long-term application.