Since 2013, the Government of Indonesia has been implementing Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Poverty Reduction in Indonesia 2013-2025 (MP3KI) comprised of three main strategies: (i) a comprehensive national social protection system, (ii) improving basic services for the poor and vulnerable, and (iii) developing sustainable livelihood options for the poor and vulnerable. In developing the third strategy of supporting sustainable livelihood, Bappenas has initiated a pilot program, the Community Empowerment Program for Improving Family Welfare (PKKPM). Although the PKKPM is adopting a National Program for Community Empowement (PNPM) framework, it has different content and activities, which are directed to target the productive poor, and provides training as well as technical and financial assistance and job placement.
The study found that the concept of PKKPM was implementable although there were some weaknesses in regard to program preparation (inadequate), socialization (no common understanding among stakeholders), verification of beneficiaries (some miss-targeting), facilitator/cadre training (less than optimal) and others aspect relate to assistance and guidance activities. Regarding the support for developing micro-business, the majority of group members’ businesses have produced profit, but find it difficulty to expand their market, mainly because of the quality of product or packaging constrain. For “work placement”, none of group members has successfully fill the job opportunity through program intervention, because there was no element in PKKPM that systematically facilitates the beneficiaries for that purpose. Related to the local governments support on the implementation of pilot PKKPM, there were no affirmative regulations or instructions from the central government regarding the role of local governments. However, the one-year-old of PKKPM implementation has shown indications of positive achievement, including: mindset, attitude, and behavior of the beneficiaries.
In order to safeguard and improve the PKKPM implementation design, SMERU was conducting intensive process monitoring to provide timely feedback to Bappenas in order to improve or modify the ongoing program and its expansion. This has been conducted through external independent monitoring and assessment of the implementation of PKKPM, which was conducted in close consultation and collaboration with Bappenas.
The research team engaged in four interconnected activities: (i) process monitoring of PKKPM, (ii) participatory evaluation with the community, (iii) participate and provide input into the project’s learning events, and (iv) conduct household case study. The study covered all PKKPM pilot program locations in 10 villages in Central Java in the districts of Pekalongan, Pemalang, and Brebes. SMERU assigned three local researchers to monitor the activities in the ten villages and one coordinator at the provincial level. The final report was submitted the end of July 2015.
