Our Expertise
Issues on poverty are strategic issues that require immediate attention from all stakeholders in terms of policy formulation. The SMERU Research Institute, as a leader in socioeconomic research in Indonesia, supports the discourse on inclusive public and private sector policies through the analysis of poverty reduction policies and their impacts.
For an independent institution which conducts research and public policy review, to be directly working with policymakers is a highly valuable opportunity. Apart from giving room to make sure that research results are used as inputs for policy formulation, collaborating with policymakers will also increase the credibility of the research institute.
Villages’ obligation to formulate the village medium-term development plan (RPJM Desa) should not be a mere legal formality. RPJM Desa substantially needs to be drafted, as it is
According to Law No. 6/2014 on Villages, every village has to make the village medium-term development plan (RPJM Desa). RPJM Desa essentially serves as a reference for the village government’s annual work plan and is the manifestation of the village’s being a self-governing community in determining the direction and objectives of its development. However, villages are still facing some issues in implementing RPJM Desa.
The Village Cash for Work (PKT) policy, initiated in 2018 to overcome poverty, unemployment, and malnutrition in villages, has resulted in some problems. This has something to do with some provisions in the technical guidelines of PKT which (i) cause budget inefficiency, (ii) pose the risk of lowering the work output quality, and (iii) is not equipped with clear reference criteria to determine PKT beneficiaries.
