Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
The impact of the global financial crisis (GFC) in Indonesia started to be felt when the economic growth slowed sharply at the end of 2008. Even though the economy still showed some resilience towards the GFC compared to the neighboring countries, marked by 4.4% GDP growth in the first quarter of 2009, we observed a rapid contraction in trade, large declines in export, and major falls in prices of important commodities.
Decentralization is marked by the issuing of various policies on service standards. Consequently, the quality of public services can be measured. For example, the central government has issued regulations on minimum service standards which the regional governments have to comply with.
The SMERU Research Institute is pleased to publish its first Annual Report since becoming an independent and autonomous research institution in 2001. From 1998 to 2000, SMERU was an ad hoc research unit set up to examine the social impact of the Indonesian economic crisis.
Over the past two years the SMERU Research Institute has been striving to deliver quality research. The challenge goes on, directed at alleviating poverty and ultimately benefiting the lives of the Indonesian people. The year 2002 was an important one for SMERU. We completed another year of accomplishments, challenges and hard work, yet there remains much more to be done.
SMERU's performance in 2003 was marked by a significant increase in research output. We even managed to exceed our annual targets. It was also a year of recognition for SMERU. In addition to other achievements, one of our research teams won the 2003 H.W. Arndt Prize, an annual award from the Australian National University for the best article published in the Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies (BIES).
