LOCATION Arya Duta Hotel, Jakarta, 3-4 October2012 hosted by AusAID,

BACKGROUND

Think tanks in Indonesia are in interesting times. While there are many opportunities to engage with policy makers, they face many challenges in establishing themselves as strong and sustainable institutes. Many struggle to find sustainable funding sources and maintain good library and facilities; meanwhile, government policy makers are getting better equipped to discuss policies;

Despite the challenges, it is not uncommon to hear think tanks inject themselves into public policy debates about issues from corruption to poverty reduction. At the same time, many of these organisations are working to influence policy through informal channels like networking with Parliamentarians and commissioned studies ordered by policy makers themselves.

So what makes a think tank credible and successful? Behind the 'end product' of influencing policy, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes in making a successful think tank. This conference will investigate these key ingredients that are on the minds of think tank leaders all over the world; from retaining and recruiting good staff, to maintaining networks with academia, other civil society organisations, media and government; strategic plans, institutional profile; quality assurance mechanisms and financing models.

THE MEETING: DEVELOPING INFLUENTIAL THINK TANKS: WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE ONE?

AusAID plans to host a two day meeting to allow think tanks from Indonesia to share their experiences in becoming successful think tanks with overseas' counterparts. The conference will also raise the profile of think tanks in Indonesia, highlight the important role of think tanks in creating knowledge for policy making and provide space to hear directly from policy makers about what they need.

AusAID will invite a series of experienced think tank leaders from Indonesia and abroad to share their lessons on leadership, funding challenges, projects versus core funding, research agendas, independence, and general think tank management. The idea is that the think tanks can share lessons and get a better idea of what does and doesn't work when trying to influence policy. This will enable AusAID partner think tanks to identify ways in which they can further improve their management, research outputs and networking abilities.

The meeting will:

1. explore the ability of think tanks to influence public policy
2. provide an opportunity to share experiences in building leading think tanks
3. discuss new directions, practices and approaches needed for research institutes to best support organisational change
4. identify opportunities for research institutes to invest in their future to ensure they continue to thrive

DRAFT PROGRAM –3-4 October 2012

DEVELOPING INFLUENTIAL THINK TANKS IN INDONESIA

AUSAID AND SUPPORTING INDONESIA'S KNOWLEDGE SECTOR

One of the aims of AusAID's Knowledge Sector Program is to strengthen policy research institutions - or Think Tanks - in Indonesia. AusAID currently supports seven policy research organisations through the Asia Foundation's Action Learning Program. This number is set to increase with the next round of selection set to be completed in 2012.

The Action Learning Program showed that the problems faced by think tanks in Indonesia are common to think tanks all over the world. For example, they find it difficult to attract sustainable funding sources; mostly influence policy through informal networks; juggle contract work and have little funding for base research; and have limited time and resources to build their organisational, technical and advocacy/ networking capacities.

The Action Learning Program showed that strategic planning gave think tanks the breathing space to focus on these issues. Along with space to do strategic planning, the pilots were also provided with core funding to implement activities identified in their strategic plans and to capture what they learned.

AusAID recognises that research organisations need flexible, long-term core funding to survive as strong and credible institutes. It also understands that many of these think tanks struggle to think strategically about their future over the next project cycle – and to imagine a world where policy makers actively seek out and use their research. This is mainly because most organisations survive on being contracted by foreign donors to complete targeted projects.

AusAID hopes that this meeting will help think tanks to showcase their successes and learn best practices in improving their organisation to better be able to influence policy better.

BACKGROUND

Indonesia is at a critical point in time. It has a once-in-a-generation chance to move beyond its commodities-based economy, large population with cheap labour.

Indonesia is being seriously considered as a candidate to join the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India China and South Africa); a group of middle income countries touted as being the new centre of world economic power.

Future competition amongst middle income countries will be fought over how strong the base of human and intellectual capital is in driving innovation and supporting continued economic growth.

Countries such as Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Korea and India are investing heavily in their higher education systems and research and development they need to compete and innovate.

However, Indonesia currently invests far less the knowledge and its higher education institutions. Now is the time for Indonesia to consider the role of knowledge for Indonesia's future prosperity.

THE MEETING: INDONESIA IN THE GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

The National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS), AusAID and the Gadjah Mada University plan to host a one day meeting to debate how Indonesia can better produce knowledge for its future development. The conference will feature three sessions focusing on: 1. The importance of knowledge for Indonesia's future prosperity; 2. How knowledge can be used in policy making; and, 3. Building a national financing system for Indonesia's knowledge sector. Each panel will be made up of a mix of government policy makers, parliament members, media personalities, experts from universities and international organisations, and leading experts from around the world.

The meeting will:

1. build a constituency to advocate for the importance of knowledge for Indonesia's continued economic growth and development
2. encourage debate about ways to support Indonesia's knowledge sector
3. discuss international directions, practices and approaches in supporting knowledge sectors in other countries and their relevance for Indonesia
4. identify opportunities to invest in Indonesia's knowledge sector

CONFERENCE AGENDA 2 October 2012

*To be confirmed.

AUSAID AND SUPPORTING INDONESIA'S KNOWLEDGE SECTOR

AusAID is in the final stages of planning a 15-year investment in developing Indonesia's knowledge sector – the overall institutional landscape of government, private sector, and civil society organisations that support the development of public policy.

While AusAID plans a fairly large investment in the sector, AusAID can only do so much. For real change to occur requires Indonesia to develop its own 'knowledge sector roadmap'.

This conference is the first in a series of meetings that encourage dialogue and debate on the importance of investing in knowledge to support Indonesia's future development.

Apa yang dapat dimanfaatkan dari pertemuan besar seperti ini?

Di sisi yang buruk, pertemuan besar nasional dapat terjebak sebagai sebuah Pesta Kembang Api, ibarat Habis Terang terbitlah gelap. Setelah kegiatan yang terang benderang selama seminar, peserta pulang dan tidak membahas lagi dan mengembangkan materinya. Dengan demikian dapat menjadi kegiatan yang Talking Only. Di sisi yang baik, dalam pertemuan minggu lalu peserta mendapatkan Ilham mengenai kebijakan kesehatan, bertemu dengan teman-teman, adanya dialog antara peneliti dengan pengambil kebijakan, melakukan networking, dan merencanakan kegiatan pengembangan kebijakan kesehatan di masa mendatang.

Pertanyaan Kritis mengenai pertemuan kebijakan kesehatan ini:

Apakah pertemuan ini bisa langsung merubah kebijakan? Jawabannya adalah tentu tidak mungkin langsung merubah, apalagi tidak semua pengambil kebijakan datang. Dalam hal ini perlu follow-up yang focus pada aspek-aspek kebijakan. Dibutuhkan detailing kebijakan dimana dilakukan advokasi kebijakan secara terus menerus dan sistematis seperti apa yang dilakukan oleh detailer-obat.

Kelompok-kelompok kecil/individu yang mempunyai focus diharapkan meneruskan kegiatan ini.

Siapa yang melakukan kegiatan dalam kelompok lebih kecil pasca Forum ini?

Dari sela-sela pertemuan di Surabaya minggu lalu, terkumpul informasi beberapa kelompok yang terus bergerak pasca Forum Nasional, antara lain:

Kelompok sesuai tema Forum Nasional di Surabaya:

• Kelompok Pembiayaan (termasuk BPJS) akan terus bergerak.
• Kelompok kebijakan KIA akan mengembangkan website sebagai sarana komunikasi antara pengambil kebijakan dengan peneliti. Berbagai kegiatan followup akan direncanakan;

Kelompok-kelompok kebijakan yang bukan tema Forum Nasional III:

• Kelompok Reproduksi: segera melakukan kegiatan setelah pertemuan dan diselenggarakan di Surabaya pula;
• Kelompok AIDS akan mengembangkan Call for Paper untuk penelitian kebijakan AIDS;
• Kelompok TB dan Malaria yang tergabung dalam Global Fund akan melakukan pertemuan di awal Oktober.
• Kelompok SDM akan ada pertemuan besar pada akhir September ini di Jakarta
• Kelompok Kebijakan Pendidikan Tinggi Kedokteran akan bertemu dalam akhir September di Bali.

Ada kemungkinan Forum Pertemuan mendatang akan menggabungkan berbagai kelompok focus ini menjadi satu kesatuan.

Dalam detailing kebijakan ini diharapkan proses advokasi kebijakan ini dilakukan secara sistematis. Oleh karena itu ada pertanyaan dalam pertemuan di Surabaya; Apa fungsi Jaringan dalam advokasi kebijakan?

Kegiatan advokasi kebijakan oleh kelompok-kelompok focus ini dapat didukung oleh Jaringan dengan cara:

• Meningkatkan kemampuan advokasi (akan dilakukan di web dan tatap muka);
• Melakukan publikasi di website;
• Menyusun policy brief dan mengarahkan ke target pengambil kebijakan,
• Penulisan Artikel di Jurnal mass-media, dan
• Melakukan dukungan untuk penelitian kebijakan kesehatan.

Di pertemuan Surabaya dibahas pula kegiatan mendatang di Jaringan Kebijakan Kesehatan Indonesia, antara lain:
 

1. Penguatan tata kelola Jaringan oleh tim kecil yang tersusun atas sekitar 20 orang peneliti/dosen di kesehatan masyarakat dan kedokteran.
2. Pengembangan kerjasama penelitian antara peneliti kesehatan masyarakat dan biomedik;
3. Pelatihan hybrid jarak jauh dan tatap muka untuk kemampuan meneliti kebijakan kesehatan (perorangan, Angkatan II);
4. Pelatihan hybrid jarak jauh dan tatap muka untuk peningkatan kemampuan kapasitas penelitian kebijakan (Angkatan III);
5. Pelatihan Penyusunan Policy Brief dan Jurnal; dan
6. Pelatihan penyusunan artikel di Jurnal.

Catatan mengenai isi :
Rangkuman dari tema memang belum detil dilakukan. Namun dapat dirumuskan sebagai berikut: Persiapan pelaksanaan BPJS dirasa belum mantap. Perlu adanya suatu rencana operasional. MDG4dan5: Perlu kerja keras dengan penanganan lintas sektoral. Metode Kebijakan dan Advokasi masih perlu dikembangkan dan dilatih.

Kapan dan dimana Forum Nasional ke IV ?

Pertemuan Forum Nasional IV Tahunan ke IV akan diselengarakan di Kupang, bersamaan dengan Kongres IAKMI (1-3 Juli 2013). Penyelenggara: Jaringan Kebijakan Kesehatan Indonesia dengan organisasi baru. Tuan rumah diharapkan adalah Universitas Nusa Cendana.

Catatan kecil: Berapa biaya ke Kupang?

Tiket pesawat: Jakarta Kupang pp: sekitar Rp 4 juta.
Hotel 3 malam: Rp 1,500,000,-.
Fee Kongres: Rp 1.000.000,- (kira-kira).
Lum-sum 4 hari: Rp 1,500,000.
Total: l.k Rp 8 juta ,
Kalau tambah wisata: Rp 2.5 juta.

Diharapkan para calon peserta Forum Nasional ke IV sudah menyiapkan dana ini dalam anggaran kegiatan di tahun depan.

Sampai bertemu kembali di Forum Tahunan Kebijakan Kesehatan ke IV.