PROGRAM REPRESENTASI (PROREP) MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2013
F EBRUARY H IGHLIGHTS CSOs Give their Facebook Pages a Face-lift ProRep and its CSO partners recognize the important role social media can play in advocacy and membership building. While social media is a powerful tool, many still are unable to take advantage of its full potential. To help partners make the maximum impact in their efforts to inform and engage their constituents or members, policy makers and other allies, ProRep conducted a training on social media in mid-February. Over four days, representatives from seven CSOs learned the “nitty gritty” details on how to use Twitter, Facebook, blogs and websites as well as how to develop a social media campaign strategy. For the first part, each participant, using their own laptop, got hands-on experience on how to use the distinct features of each major social media platform and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each. For the second part, they analyzed Barack Obama’s use of social media and were asked to develop a campaign strategy for their own organization. Through this training many partners were immediately able to give their Facebook page a “face lift.” Also, the learning is continuing well beyond the training, as the trainer, through his own initiative, created a new Facebook group page called ‘Social Media for Social Development.’ He invited all participants as well as some other social media practitioners to be members. Through the Facebook page participants are able to continue the discussion on how to make the best use of social media in their work and the trainer continues to provide post-training assistance and troubleshooting. Below, an expert on the use of social media for advocacy looks on as participants get hands-on experience using Twitter, Facebook and other social media tools. Prior to attending the training, grant partner, HAPSARI (Associations of Indonesian Women Unions), relied on using the personal Facebook page of their chairperson. After the training they have adopted the use of an official Facebook “fan page” for their organization to reach out to members, policy makers and other activists.
Words from Ms. Supadmi, from Yayasan Satu Karsa Karya (YSKK), Foundation of Integrated Efforts: “Related to [YSKK’s plan to] strengthen CSO monitoring on the management of BOS (school operational funds) we used social media without a clear plan in mind. Now we realize that if we want to use social media effectively we must set the target first. So I personally will sharpen the content of our Facebook page and will use visual media such as graphics and images to make it more attractive for people to follow. So far, I have not used graphics and images much. On Twitter, YSKK will use it to expand our network, including [building] relations with policy makers, government officials, and public figures. In the past we relied on Facebook and did not use Twitter much because we had difficulties finding followers. The challenge [now] is to develop the habit of writing and producing interesting stories. We must see things from a different perspective and think outside of the box.”
For more information visit www.prorep.or.id or contact us at prorep@prorep.or.id. Program Representasi (ProRep) is implemented by Chemonics International in partnership with the Urban Institute, Social Impact and Kemitraan. This newsletter is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID.) The contents of this newsletter are the sole responsibility of Chemonics International and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
PROGRAM REPRESENTASI (PROREP) MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2013
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Bringing Research Partners Together for Mutual Learning ProRep, in collaboration with U.S.-based think tank Urban Institute (UI), is working not only to increase the availability of policy relevant research and its utilization by policy makers, but also to raise the bar in terms of quality. Key stepping stones for increasing quality are conducting regular peer reviews and including rigorous quantitative methods of data collection and analysis in the research. In support of both these elements, this month ProRep held a workshop with twenty-five researchers from its five grant partners - the Institute for Economic and Social Research at the Faculty of Economics—University of Indonesia (LPEM FE-UI), Paramadina Public Policy Institute (PPPI), Women Research Institute The workshop for policy research grantees brought together researchers (WRI), Institute for Research and Emfrom five research institutions along with the mentors from the Urban Instipowerment (IRE) and Centre for Stratute and ProRep to discuss ways to improve partner’s research products. tegic and International Studies (CSIS). The one-day workshop was a forum for the grantees to learn from each others’ research efforts and an opportunity for ProRep and UI to provide suggestions for improvement of the grantees’ work. Each partner shared the latest version of their research design, initial findings and empirical strategy protocols. After each presentation there was a lively and very valuable feedback discussion. In the days following the workshop, mentors from UI held one-on-one consultations with their assigned grantees to elaborate on next steps and any recommended adjustments. “The workshop was useful. Through the workshop we learned about the research done by the other grantees and we gained new knowledge as the topics of their research are outside the field of economy [our area of expertise],” said researcher Isfandiarni from LPEM FE-UI. “The mentoring session which was blended with the discussion and the visit from the mentors [from UI] was also very useful for the LPEM team because it was a good forum for us to discuss technical matters like the model and method of analysis. In addition, during this meeting we could also discuss about institutional strengthening with the mentors”. The February workshop is just one component of the ongoing engagement between the grantees and ProRep and UI which will last throughout the life of the project. The five research institutions are also strengthening ties of collaboration among one another as evidenced by their commitment to create a formal policy research network in Indonesia.
Spotlight on ProRep CSO Partners Advocacy Programs: Perkumpulan Prakarsa Sri Wahyuningsih, Head of Health Services Division – Kupang Municipality, stated, “Prakarsa/ PIAR support in conveying complaints from the community allowed us to follow-up more quickly .”
Messe Ataupah, Head of Health Office – Kupang District, said “One of the things that was very helpful from Prakarsa/PIAR is data from the Citizen Report Card (CRC).”
This month Prakarsa, in partnership with PIAR (Pengembangan Inisiatif dan Advokasi Rakyat or Development of Public’s Initiatives and Advocacy) conducted a public dialogue in East Nusa Tenggara on the implementation of the government Jampersal program which provides deliveries free- of-charge to poor women in an effort to reduce Indonesia’s maternal mortality rate. During this forum, Prakarsa and PIAR shared with local and national level policy makers and members of the public the results of their citizen report card which collected feedback from users of Jampersal.
This participant raises a question on the implementation of the Jampersal program in her area.
PROGRAM REPRESENTASI (PROREP) MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
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Alliance of Indonesian Organic Farmers Urges MPs to Pay More Attention to Organic Farming Media representative interviews a researcher who supported the Alliance of Indonesian Organic Farmers to gather data on the use of budget funds for organic agriculture.
ProRep is supporting a unique alliance between Circle Indonesia, an association of civil society development consultants, and the Alliance of Indonesian Organic Farmers (Aliansi Organis Indonesia or AOI). The partnership between these two organizations, which began in 2008, is now dedicated to helping AOI’s members understand how budgets are allocated and being used in relation to organic farming, and to advocate effectively for resources and policies that will secure the development of organic agriculture in Indonesia in the years to come. Throughout the grant period, which is in its final stages, Circle has supported AOI by training members on how to monitor budget allocation and implementation and gathering on-theground data, specifically in Boyolali, Central Java. They also collaborated to prepare creative and targeted advocacy materials including a short video, and engaged the media and Parliament to advocate for appropriate budget allocations in support of organic farming.
On February 26, AOI held a media gathering in Jakarta to discuss and share the results of their monitoring of the budget for organic agriculture in Boyolali, Central Java. The speakers of the half-day gathering, which was broadcast live by Green Radio AOI and Circle Indonesia teamed up in a unique alliance to advocate for better policies and budget for organic Jakarta and covered by journalists, included researchfarming. Below is an example of the materials they have ers, activists of leading CSOs and two members of the developed and are distributing to gain support from policy makers and the general public. The poster below national parliament (DPR) from Commission IV in features information like the portion of the agriculture charge of agriculture, forestry and fishery. budget that goes to organic farming (one of the smallest As a commitment to organic farming, the Ministry of Agriculture launched the ‘Go Organic’ Program in 2010. A big piece of this campaign relates to the conversion of subsidies for chemical fertilizer to organic fertilizer and a plan to build 10,000 organic fertilizer depots in 10,000 villages throughout the country over a five-year period. Unfortunately, to date the government has not been consistent in the implementation of the campaign. So far only 500 organic fertilizer depots have been built and the funding for subsidies for organic fertilizer is insufficient. Speakers urged MPs to step up their commitment to organic agriculture. MPs H.A. Murady Darmansjah and his colleague Honning Sanny from Commission IV, shared the view that subsidies for organic fertilizer were not essential for organic farming because with or without organic fertilizer, farmers could still do their work. They shared that subsidies for organic fertilizer in 2012 have been allocated to a more urgent cattle-fattening program. The shift in the subsidies for organic fertilizer reveals that organic farmers still have an uphill battle. However the AOI gathering was an important step in the right direction – it brought researchers, media, MPs and CSOs to one table to discuss the issues of importance to organic farming in Indonesia.
pieces of the pie chart) and why it is a good idea to support organic farming.
PROGRAM REPRESENTASI (PROREP) MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
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Self-assessment activity for grantees. To support grantees to monitor their development as organizations, provide them with a tool they can use to continually assess their knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP), and to help them readjust their organizational capacity building strategies as necessary, ProRep will facilitate self-assessments for a selected grantees in March. The grantees will include ASPPUK, Muslimat NU, ICEL, and InProSuLa.
Grantee Muslimat NU holds public forum. To disseminate early research findings on flood management and receive feedback from the public and local policy makers, Muslimat NU will hold a public forum in Lamongan, East Java on March 4. The public forum is a component of Muslimat NU’s program to increase people’s participation in advocating for adequate budgets and appropriate policies to reduce the incidence of flooding.
Grantee Circle Indonesia captures lessons learned. Circle and its partner Alliance of Indonesian Organic Farmers (AOI) will hold a workshop March 27-28 to capture lessons learned from their advocacy and strategy development programs.
Grantee ASPPUK holds CSO-MP dialogue. In the last stage of its project to promote better policies related to small and micro-business opportunities for women, in mid-March ASPPUK will hold a national dialogue between CSO activists grouped in the national alliance, and members of the national Parliament (DPR) from Commission VI on trade, industry, investment and small and medium enterprises and Commission VIII on energy, mineral resources, research and technology and environment. The event will be followed by a press conference.
Grantee Aisyiyah attends hearing on maternal health insurance. In the first week of March, Aisyiyah will share information on their findings related to the implementation of Jampersal (maternal health insurance) and maternal health through sermons and women meetings in the regencies of Kendal and Klaten, Central Java. In the second week of March, they will present their Jampersal policy brief to Members of Parliament, and in the third week they will attend a legislative hearing on the issue.
Grantee InProSuLA conducts workshop on food security. In the third week of March, InProSuLA will hold a workshop to design activities to monitor budget allocations and spending for food security.
Grantee WRI holds workshop on research methodology. To help equip its researchers with the tools needed to conduct research on the role of female MPs and on the Gender Equality Bill, Women Research Institute (WRI) will organize a capacity building training on research methodology on March 14-15.
Training for new JABAT grantees. In coordination with partners Kemitraan, tRaiPse and KARSA, in late March ProRep will deliver training to four organizations which, pending USAID approval, will shortly be initiating grant programs under the JABAT initiative. The training will cover aspects of building memberships/constituencies, engaging with policy makers, and educating constituents on the DPR, which will be useful to the partners in the implementation of their grant programs.
Program Representasi (ProRep) is a three to five year project on democracy and governance supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Its aim is to improve representation in Indonesia by increasing the inclusiveness and effectiveness of groups and institutions that seek to express people’s interests to government and by increasing the transparency and effectiveness of legislative processes.