Almost all development programs of DFAT in Indonesia are trying to help improve the country through the provision of research and advice, to shape better policies for the delivery of services to the Indonesian people. However, only KSI is directly focussed on improving knowledge to policy.
A key question is thus how KSI can more explicitly and actively support other Australian aid programs in their shared project of influencing Government of Indonesia policy making? In August, the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) was invited to conduct a series of consultations across the Australian development cooperation investments. The findings from this consultation process was presented at an “Underpinning Workshop” in Jakarta on 5 October, at which 44 participants from 12 DFAT projects participated, discussing various ways that KSI can collaborate with sectoral projects, including on policy cycle management, building capacity of GoI and NGO research and analysis institutions, strengthening think-tank and M&E for capturing policy impact.
The KSI underpinning function is already happening.
The following meetings took place during October:
- The DFAT design team of the next phase of the DFAT support to J-PAL Indonesia met KSI to discuss about the collaboration and support function that KSI can provide to J-PAL as part of its underpinning function as well as training and capacity development that J-Pal can provide to KSI partners.
- The DFAT design team of KIAT Guru met KSI to discuss ways for KSI to support the learning and policy influence documentation in the new infrastructure programme
- The DFAT design team of next phase of the DFAT support to Program Peduli met KSI to discuss ways for KSI to improve the policy impact of Peduli related to social inclusion and inequality.
- KSI facilitated a session on Problem-Driven Iteration and Adaptation (PDIA) during the KOMPAK’s kick-off workshop on 21 October on a new social accountability partnership with a consortium of NGOs led by IRE Yogyakarta. The participants expressed their appreciation as the session helped them to prevent them reward mimicry over functionality, and remain critically engaged in the typical developmental rhetoric and tactics of "policy reform," "training" and "capacity building".
