Pulse Lab Jakarta - Annual Report 2022

20
22

ANNUAL REPORT

Taking Steps Towards an Inclusive Future:
A Journey of Progress and Possibilities

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Accelerating Analytic Partnerships for
Development and Humanitarian Action

FOREWORDS

Valerie Julliand Resident Coordinator,
United Nations in Indonesia

Taufik Hanafi Executive Secretary, Ministry of National Development Planning Indonesia

Madeleine Moss DFAT Minister Counsellor, Governance and Human Development Australian Embassy Jakarta

EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY

In the last three years, the COVID-19 pandemic has had profound and unprecedented global effects on multiple aspects within the social, economic, and political spheres. As a result of the world coming to an abrupt halt, many of the advancements we made toward addressing development issues prior to the health crisis have either stopped or regressed. In Indonesia, studies have shown that the pandemic uncovered deeply rooted inequalities in our society that disproportionately affected vulnerable groups, such as women and persons with disabilities, as well as crucial economic contributors, such as micro and small enterprises. On the positive side, the government swiftly developed social and economic support schemes to help them cope and continue contributing to their immediate communities and the economy at large.

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PROJECTS to start the year
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PARTNERS
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KNOWLEDGE
SHARING EVENTS including workshops, trainings,
and speaking engagement
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PUBLICATIONS
0
MEDIA
COVERAGE
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DATA INNOVATIONS INTRODUCED to line ministries, government
agencies or development partners
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DATA INNOVATION PROJECTS WITH GEDSI* ELEMENTS INTRODUCED to line ministries, government
agencies or development partners *GEDSI = Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion
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DATA INNOVATIONS ADOPTED

Taking Steps Towards an Inclusive Future:

A Journey of Progress and Possibilities

The existing inequalities that were revealed and exacerbated during the pandemic require concerted efforts to be effectively tackled. Development efforts will only be sustainable if all individuals, regardless of their identity or socioeconomic background, can benefit from it and can contribute to creating a society where inclusion is the norm. Bearing this in mind, PLJ looked at how our efforts contribute to an inclusive future. Within our scope of inclusive development, we consider how our work incorporates gender, disability, and social inclusion, but we also tackle aspects in the broader environment that can contribute necessary changes to create the futures we want.

Through all our activities, our intent is to extend learning beyond a project cycle, and to understand the impact of our work we reflect on our results framework which identifies three main impact spaces based on the added value to our stakeholders—our methodological impact, systemic impact, and operational impact.

In the next section, we take you on a reflective journey of our contributions to change in 2022. We highlight the ways in which our work results in impacts that shape a more inclusive world where progress is driven by data and systemic changes, such as through transformative approaches to policy making and strategic partnerships for inclusive development.

Transforming Approaches to Policy Making

To address increasingly complex and intersectional challenges requires the adoption of innovative approaches to design effective policies, programs and interventions that are more inclusive, data-driven, and anticipatory. In 2022, through our new and existing partnerships with counterparts, PLJ applied our growing capabilities for data innovation, strategic foresight, behavioral science and results to effect changes in the Indonesian policy making sphere. Driven by the UN Secretary-General’s ‘Common Agenda’, our application of this ‘Quintet of Change’ contributes to the UN 2.0 transformation to offer more relevant and systems-wide solutions that address the challenges of our modern world. Some of the more tangible impacts of the Lab’s work are most evident in our contributions to transforming policy making approaches in three areas: systematic approaches to data analytics, anticipatory/futures thinking, and tailored design and service delivery.

Systematic Approaches
to Data Analytics

Tailored Policy Design
& Service Delivery

Anticipatory
Policy Making

Strategic Partnerships for Inclusive Development

The complexity and intersectionality of the development challenges we aim to address means it’s no longer possible for any entity to work alone to solve a problem. The Indonesian G20 Presidency theme states that we need to “recover together, recover stronger”, which also aligns with the UN Secretary-General’s message in Our Common Agenda on building upon multilateral action to produce inclusive and sustainable solutions to tackle global issues.

At the Lab, we are cognizant of the fact that much of our work would not be possible without the support of our strategic partners, and in the last few years, our role has evolved from a ‘big data innovation lab’ to an ‘analytical partnership accelerator’. Recognizing this important shift in our role, we sought to not only strengthen our partnerships for inclusive development, but also the importance of investing in partner capabilities to generate better impact. This is evidenced by our collaborations bolstering the internal UN ecosystem, as well as further afield in our contributions to regional and global discourse through knowledge sharing initiatives.

Strengthening
the UN Ecosystem

Contributing to Regional
& Global Discourse

Expanding Our Horizons

PLJ has had a steadily growing presence not only in Indonesia but also the Asia Pacific region since its inception in 2012. We have commenced a range of partnerships and supported various innovative initiatives in Myanmar to Sri Lanka, South Korea to Cambodia, Singapore to Malaysia to Vanuatu, among other locations. Over the years and alongside the ever-changing nature of the development context, the Lab has also progressed to a natural evolution point bringing us to the next phase of our journey.

EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY

As the country pushes forward and adjusts to a somewhat 'new-normal' lifestyle living with the virus, the government has shifted its attention to further accelerating sustainable post-crisis economic recovery. This was further emphasized by the Indonesian G20 Presidency's mandate which advocated for collective action for stronger and more inclusive recovery in the age of digital transformation.

Responding to these external influences, Pulse Lab Jakarta (PLJ) has continued supporting the Indonesian government in building back better by employing our capabilities in data innovation and digital transformation through collaborations in the health sector and encouraging the inclusive growth of MSMEs. The Lab also supported counterparts in responding to the demand for improved public service delivery through our work as a mixed-methods data innovation facility that combines data analytics with service design. By harnessing our expertise in these methodologies, we strengthened our role in the sphere of transformative policy making, effecting changes at the methodological, operational and broader ecosystemic levels by building on the knowledge and capacity of our counterparts.

Over the last few years, the Lab has adopted a portfolio approach that enables our team to engage our capabilities and resources in concentrated areas to support the end-to-end processes for more impactful changes across the broader ecosystem. This approach aligns with our evolution from being a 'big data innovation lab' to an 'analytical partnership accelerator'. Although this means that our list of partners may not be as extensive as in previous years, focusing our efforts on the select few has facilitated more of our innovations being adopted and adapted by our collaborators, thus contributing to more inclusive and sustainable changes. It also places more emphasis on the important role of engaging in strategic partnerships for inclusive development, another major focus for PLJ in 2022, as our current phase supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) draws to an end in June 2023, and as we prepare to expand our horizons as a regional hub in the coming years.

Systematic Approaches to Data Analytics

With so much data readily available at our fingertips, it is more important than ever to understand how to make better use of it. Fostering capabilities in data analytics, governance and skills can lead to stronger decision-making, policy advice, and creating better services for all. Employing our knowledge on data analysis and innovation, we introduced our counterparts to new methodologies that enhanced their data systems and illustrated how they can engage in the art of the possible.

Beginning in the previous year, the Lab collaborated with MoH and UNICEF to assess the implementation of MoH’s nutrition information system, the e-PPGBM. We leveraged service design as part of our mixed-methods approach to develop a holistic understanding of the service. The insights from our collaboration can help improve the functionalities of e-PPGBM, the user experience, and produce value by aiding nutritionists, health workers and policy makers to develop better interventions.

"Through this collaboration, we obtain new perspectives which have added value to our team, especially in analyzing the health data that we have. From the Digital Transformation Office's standpoint, PLJ is a partner to discuss [with] and to learn from; we have held online webinars and knowledge transfer at PLJ's office as well in 2022." Chief Operating Officer, Digital Transformation Office, Ministry of Health

Following a knowledge sharing session on the results of the e-PPGBM implementation gap review with the MoH’s Digital Transformation Office (DTO), further discussions were initiated with the office on how mixed-methods can be implemented in their work to streamline different health services into an integrated platform. Within the health sector, emerging challenges have emphasized the importance of adopting an integrated approach to strengthening the overall data ecosystem. To support the DTO in building their capacity, we jointly conducted a research dive, highlighting ways they can effectively use data analytics to create system-wide impact. Significantly, several of the findings from the partnership have already influenced DTO’s operations, particularly on data governance and sharing protocols.

“The output of the partnership in the form of the MSMEs data analytics dashboard (MEDIAN) is still active and we are developing it so that it provides more optimal benefits to support our work. Currently, the data is still limited but we are exploring other data that could potentially be included in the dashboard. That way, in the future, the dashboard will truly become a data “house” that provides and visualizes data that it is easy to digest, as well as complementing it with basic analysis that will help and facilitate our work.” Planner, Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas)

Beyond the need for reliable data to inform responsive policies, having an integrated database is paramount for programme planning and implementation. However, the need for reliable data to inform policy decisions cannot be deferred, particularly as it applies to strengthening post-pandemic recovery. Aligning with the government’s agenda to boost the inclusive growth of MSMEs, PLJ collaborated with the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) to develop MEDIAN, an informational data analytics dashboard to inform policy making. Introducing our mixed-methods approach provided Bappenas with a new perspective when looking at MSMEs data, showing them the ‘art of the possible’ and altering the way they conduct research, work with data, and manage their information. The service design process shed light on the need for a strong ecosystem, including human resources, policies, and partnerships, to successfully develop a data analytics platform for planning and policy making. Bappenas has accommodated these learnings by allocating resources to hire a data scientist and programmer to support better data analytics processes.

Tailored Policy Design & Service Delivery

When designing policies and interventions, it is critical that the process is inclusive to generate effective solutions that address the actual needs of intended beneficiaries. In 2022, the Lab leveraged its capabilities in data innovation and behavioral science through two collaborations.

There is growing evidence of how systemic barriers prevent women’s active participation in the economy, which only serves to widen the gender gap unless transformative approaches are applied to create an enabling ecosystem that supports women in overcoming them. To better understand the interrelatedness of systemic barriers that act as impediments to the growth of women-led businesses, the Lab teamed up with UN Women Indonesia to conduct a joint study on Breaking Growth Barriers for Women Impact Entrepreneurs. We employed the systemic design methodology which combines human-centered design competencies and systems thinking skills that seek to uncover the intangible dynamics and underlying mental models that shape behaviors and systems structures. Our approach has influenced our partners and other ecosystem enablers, including government agencies, to broaden their perspective when assessing and designing programs to support women entrepreneurs. By creating policies that tackle the systemic barriers faced by women entrepreneurs, the ecosystem can be transformed to support the growth of more women-owned businesses and empower women to increase their contribution towards inclusive economic and social growth in their communities.

In the past few decades, Indonesia has made significant improvements in service delivery outcomes, addressing poverty, and advancing human development. However, the levels of inequality remain high and the benefits of improved service delivery have not been even across the board. In support of the monitoring and evaluation of interventions to improve the delivery of basic services (Layanan Dasar) in these areas, PLJ came up with a concept design called Regional Disparities Initiative (RDI), which uncovered potential causes of regional disparities by using a data analytics approach. We introduced innovative techniques to facilitate an understanding of regional disparities by clustering districts based on available data, which led to the identification of districts with similar operational environments and levels of need, creating possibilities for common interventions to be designed.

Anticipatory Policy Making

As evidenced by the recent global pandemic, the context of our current world challenges and rate of change are complex. With so much uncertainty, there is a need to adopt anticipatory measures that allow all actors to imagine different potential scenarios in a structured way. In 2022, the Lab looked at how strategic foresight can be applied to better understand the futures of the MSME sector.

“The Strategic Foresight method is now being implemented in our [Bappenas] office to formulate a new long term planning. We are also expecting to continue this collaboration and expand it to other countries in the Asia Pacific.” Former Head of the Center for Development of Planning Data and Information, Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas)

Despite the influential role that they play in the economy, MSMEs still encounter many challenges from marketing to financial access, and many of these challenges were made worse by the pandemic. As such, it is clear that policy making processes need to be more anticipatory and future-proof to improve their resiliency moving forward. With technical support from our team in Finland, we introduced the Strategic Foresight methodology to Bappenas to help them gain a deeper understanding of the drivers and signals of change that could impact the futures of MSMEs. By employing the horizon scanning technique as part of the methodology, we identified five drivers that have the potential to shape the futures landscape of Indonesian MSMEs. We also supported the Directorate of SMEs and Cooperatives in Bappenas in structuring their existing informal practices for scanning various issues. As a result of this collaboration, the ministry has considered adopting the foresight and horizon scanning methodology to complement their ongoing national long-term development planning (RPJPN) process, which will embed the concept of anticipatory and futures-thinking in the government agenda.

Strengthening the UN Ecosystem

Across the globe, the UN is seen as a major international organization that provides hope for a better future. As the UN family endeavors to become more agile and effective, there is a need to scale our capabilities for more cohesive actions. The Lab’s commitment to serve as champion for gender equality, disability and social inclusion in Indonesia is reflected in our role in the implementation of the UN Country Data Strategy. The Lab provided advisory support to the UN Country Team in Indonesia to gain a better overview of the UN members’ work on data to promote coherent and collaborative approaches focusing on the use case of data on persons with disabilities. This collaboration between UN agencies translated into a new partnership to Leave No One Behind (LNOB) which supports the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This collaboration, which is still ongoing, observes two streams of disability data: data on disability and data for disability. The former identifies issues within Indonesia’s data ecosystem that impacts the effectiveness and responsiveness of policies and programming for persons with disabilities. The latter inspires a broader range of stakeholders to innovate in areas related to empowering persons with disabilities by providing them with relevant data according to their needs.

Aiding in the achievement of the SDGs is the UN network’s effectiveness in conveying our work to both stakeholders and the general public. At the request of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) the previous year, PLJ developed a UN Perception Survey to understand how the UN in Indonesia is viewed by our counterparts and the public. The findings were adopted to inform the new Communication Strategy for the UN in Indonesia and will serve to strengthen the inter-agency collaboration for more effective messaging in the future. Additionally, through better knowledge sharing practices within the internal network of agencies, there is greater potential for pursuing strategic partnerships to generate system-wide change as a UN family.

Contributing to Regional & Global Discourse

The immense impact of the pandemic on vulnerable population cohorts highlighted the need to support effective government responses and to pilot new approaches to response and recovery. The emergence of data-driven initiatives to support government agendas presented new opportunities but also underscored the need for further research to ensure they are based on gender responsive rights-based approaches, as well as other considerations around ethics, inclusivity and sustainability.

In response to this, PLJ has collaborated with International Development Research Centre (IDRC) on the ongoing Global South AI4COVID Program to support multidisciplinary research focused on evidence-based artificial intelligence (AI) and data science approaches to aid COVID-19 response and recovery. We leverage our capabilities on data, analysis and communication to aid the project’s eight research grantees spread across the Global South in Asia, Africa and South America, ensuring timely flow of knowledge and expertise and developing a data visualization tool to provide a better understanding of the research partners engage in. The tool will support the partnership in accountability of their work as well as strengthening the delivery of the overall research program, and gives donors a comprehensive overview of generated research which can be used to guide data-informed decision making for existing and future programs.

“We have learned a lot throughout this collaboration, such as building a communication team, and rethinking and strengthening our use of social networks, among many other brand new experiences. PLJ’s support to our communication strategy was very helpful and as a result the ARPHAI project and CIECTI have achieved great recognition among Argentine STI institutions. Indeed, we now have a new perspective in terms of institutional communication.” ARPHAI Argentina, Global South AI4COVID Program

“I engaged new potential partners, new areas of work (gender and intersectionality) and new platforms to share my work.” INSPIRE: AI for COVID-19 in Malawi & Kenya, Global South AI4COVID Program

The rapid digitization of services during the pandemic has emphasized its importance as a driver of economic growth, but also requires new ways of working to ensure growth is accessible and inclusive to all. This was an important component of the 2022 G20 Summit where Indonesia held the presidency. PLJ’s existence has always been closely tied to the G20 and relationships between Indonesia and the United Nations as the UN Global Pulse Initiative was first ideated at the 2008 G20 summit between then UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, and Indonesia’s president at the time, Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. In 2022, members of our team were invited to share our experiences and contribute our insights at various events throughout the year including the Digital Economy Working Group G20, Women 20 (W20) and Youth 20 (Y20), where we shared our wealth of knowledge and experiences on undertaking inclusive digital transformation, support on women’s economic empowerment, and digital governance related to digital finance.

In adding to and fostering the knowledge sharing pool in the wider community of practice regionally and globally, the Lab continues to cement the importance of its role as a strategic partnerships accelerator and our continued relevance in contributing to inclusive development for the futures we want.