Dear Readers,

Together with the Consortium of Community for Education Advocacy in Indonesia (MPPI), SMERU is committed to supporting the improvement of education quality in Indonesia. This consortium, comprising 21 education-focused organizations, focuses on early childhood education, foundational literacy and numeracy, as well as leadership development and scholarship provision. A series of discussions in 2024 resulted in a joint communiqué as a manifestation of MPPI members’ commitment to continue playing a role in improving education quality.  

For further insights, we recommend three readings from SMERU’s research. The first is a report on digital transformation in the public sector. Published in 2024, this report elaborates on the challenges and opportunities for digital skills development within Indonesia’s public sector. The next is a journal article that examines whether conditional cash transfer programs for impoverished families, such as the Program Keluarga Harapan, can help decrease child marriage rates in Indonesia. The third reading is an in-depth article in Kompas newspaper evaluating the decade-long Village Fund program. This piece includes expert commentary from a SMERU researcher.

Widjajanti Isdijoso
Director, The SMERU Research Institute