Policy Research
The Specific Allocation Fund (DAK) is one of the mechanisms of transferring funds from the central to regional governments, aiming among other things, to increase the availability of physical facilities and infrastructure in the regions in accordance with national priorities as well as decrease the discrepancy in growth rates between regions and between service sectors.
In the past decade Indonesia has witnessed efforts to bring together decentralization and a good business climate. There is no doubt that bringing investment into a region is one of the main challenges local governments have had to face.
In mid-2010, The SMERU Research Institute and UNICEF initiated a collaboration to promote issues concerning the child, vulnerability, and poverty. As some of our readers may already know, the Institute has been in the forefront of conducting studies and producing analyses on a wide range of areas related to poverty, e.g., social protection, health, and education, for over a decade.
The existing dichotomy between the central and regional governments under the framework of decentralization may pose policy gaps. Lack of protection for migrant workers is one example of the effects of these policy gaps.
It has been over a decade since efforts began to develop good communication and effective dialogs between researchers and policymakers. Although facing many challenges, efforts to matchmake research and policy have not wearied over the years. They have even gained larger support.
