The Collaborative Projects of IRE on the Deepening Democracy Issues
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fact to investigate more deeply. However, the assumption was wrong.
Throughout the stages of the election, the public debate about the 2014 election, in fact, was hotter than the previous elec-
tions. Most of the stories were about money politics. Chatting in the community guard posts, angkringan small traditional
food stall in Yogyakarta , offices, and even discussions held by activists showed the practices of money politics were at
alarming rate. It was said so because the legislative candi- dates did money politics openly without any shame, and they
thought that it was normal in the celebration of democracy.
The allegation of these problems was addressed to the changes in the electoral system from closed list proportional
system to open list proportional system after the decision of the Constitutional Court in 2009. In the closed list propor-
tional system, the party as the contestant has full control over the candidates promoted by setting the number of the
candidates in the list. On the other hand, open list propor- tional system tends to lead to electoral politics, which is
based on the candidates and personal vote. In comparison with the closed list proportional system, the open list pro-
portional system gives more incentives to the candidates in doing money politics.
However, is it true that the failure in the transformation of reformation of representation system was caused by the
change in the system of the election which was more open and competitive? Had the prerequisites of the fair and hon-
est competition been fulfilled? The parties should also reor- ganize themselves, shouldn’t they?
The Series of Activities
In 2014, the cooperation with CENTER for LEAD related to the election focused on research, research result writing,
and dissemination of research results into a book. Research
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tic dengan kompleksitas sistem representasi yang dibaca melalui sistem kepartaian dan sistem pemilu dilakukan un-
tuk menjawab serangkaian pertanyaan penelitian yang telah disampaikan di atas. Secara terfokus riset ini ditujukan seb-
agai upaya rintisan dalam memperbaiki kualitas represen- tasi melalui advokasi kebijakan yang mendorong perbaikan
kualitas representasi di Indonesia. Hasil riset saat ini sedang disusun menjadi buku. Targetnya, pada bulan Juli 2015 buku
sudah terbit dan bisa dinikmati oleh publik dan para pemer- hati pemilu.
Pelajaran Berharga
Riset kolaboratif antara IRE dengan LEAD baru pertama ka- linya dilakukan. Dari sisi proses, pelajaran berharga yang
bisa dipetik adalah perbedaan tradisi dalam menyusun in- strumen penelitian. IRE memiliki tradisi instrumen disusun
secara longgar, yang terpenting adalah ‘kalimat kunci’ bisa diperoleh dan cerita lapangan dari informan bisa digali se-
banyak banyaknya. Sedangkan teman-teman LEAD memiliki kebiasaan instrumen penelitian disusun sedetail mungkin.
Pertanyaan asisten peneliti yang memawancarai informan sebisa mungkin mengacu pada daftar pertanyaan yang su-
dah dibuat. Keduanya tentu memiliki plus minusnya masing- masing. Yang terpenting, dua tradisi tersebut akhirnya bisa
berdialog dan saling melengkapi.
Dari sisi substansi, penelitian “Money Politic dalam Pemilu Legislatif 2014” ini menemukan adanya uang yang berop-
erasi di hampir setiap tahapan pemilu. Pendek kata, uang demikian menentukan proses pemilu yang secara permu-
kaan terlihat bersih, jujur, dan adil.
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and further elaborations on the link between money poli- tics and the representation system read through party and
electoral systems were conducted to answer the questions of the research that have been mentioned above. This research
focused on the pioneering effort in improving the quality of representation through policy advocacy that encouraged im-
provement in the quality of representation in Indonesia. The results of this research were currently being compiled into
a book. The target was that in July 2015, the book had been published and could be enjoyed by the public and election
observers.
Lessons Learned
t was the first collaborative research between RE and LEAD. In terms of the process, the valuable lesson to be learned is
the different tradition in preparing the research instruments. The tradition of IRE is that the instruments are organized
flexibly. The most important thing is that the key sentence can be obtained and the stories from the informants in the
field can be exploited as much as possible. On the contrary, our friends from LEAD have habit that the instruments of
research are organized as detailed as possible. The ques- tions from the researcher assistants who interviewed the
informants should refer to the list of questions that had been made. Both methods, of course, have their own strengths
and weaknesses. Most importantly, the two traditions could finally have dialogue and complement each other.
In terms of substance, the study on “Money Politics dalam Pemilu Legislatif 2014” Money Politics in the 2014 Legisla-
tive Election find that money operated at almost every stage of the election. In short, money determined the election pro-
cess which on the surface, looked clean, honest, and fair.
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Rekomendasi
Produk pengetahuan yang diperoleh dari penelitian ini pent- ing digunakan sebagai bahan advokasi kebijakan sistem
politik dan Pemilu di Indonesia. Agenda kebijakan ke depan yang relevan dihubungkan dengan produk pengetahuan ri-
set ini adalah perubahan UU Partai Politik, UU Pemilu, dan UU Penyelenggara Pemilu.
2.
Kerja sama IRE dan Prorep USAID Latar Belakang
Proses demokratisasi yang kini tengah berlangsung di In- donesia, haruslah dapat didorong ke arah pencapaian yang
lebih baik lagi di masa depan. Salah satunya adalah dengan cara mendorong kedekatan antara kekuatan civil society yang
tergabung di dalam NGO think tank dengan para pemegang kebijakan di Parlemen Policy Makers. Kedekatan keduanya
untuk saling berjejaring membangun keterbukaan, mem- bangun akses dan tanggung jawab bersama dalam mendo-
rong produk kebijakan publik yang berkualitas sangatlah di- harapkan untuk memelihara pembangunan demokrasi yang
berkelanjutan di Indonesia.
Problem yang selama ini masih berlangsung adalah banyak NGO think tank yang menghasilkan produk pengetahuan
dan melakukan advokasi kebijakan, namun hasilnya kurang maksimal dalam mempengaruhi proses penyusunan kebi-
jakan di parlemen. Begitu juga, fungsi legislasi yang dijalan- kan oleh parlemen, sebagaimana yang dirumuskan sendiri
dalam prolegnas, selain tidak memenuhi target yang ditetap- kan sebagai yang direncanakan oleh DPR sendiri, juga dari
sisi kualitas legislasi yang dihasilkan, masih mengandung berbagai permasalahan sehingga menimbulkan reaksi keras
kekuatan civil society. Potret semacam ini sangat tampak jelas pada dinamika masyarakat sipil dengan DPR RI periode
2009-2014.
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Recommendations
The knowledge product generated from this research is im- portant to use as policy advocacy materials on the political
system and election in Indonesia. The agenda on policy in the future that is relevant to be related to this knowledge prod-
uct is UU Partai Politik Law of Political Parties, UU Pemilu Law of Election, and UU Penyelenggara Pemilu Law of
Election Organizer
2.
The Cooperation between IRE and Prorep USAID Background
The democratization process that is now underway in In- donesia must be pushed towards better achievement in the
future. One of the ways is by encouraging the closeness be- tween the power of civil society joined in think tank NGOs
and the Policy Makers in the Parliament. Their closeness to make a network and build openness, access, and shared re-
sponsibility in encouraging quality public policy products is expected to maintain a sustainable democratic development
in Indonesia.
The problems that have occurred until now are that many think tank NGOs can generate knowledge product and con-
duct policy advocacy, but the result is not maximal in influ- encing the policy formulation process in the Parliament.
Likewise, the legislative function run by the Parliament as it was formulated in Prolegnas National Legislation Program
could not both meet the targets set as planned by the House of Representatives itself and in terms of the quality of legisla-
tion produced, it still contained a variety of problems caus- ing strong civil society reaction. This kind of portrait was
evident in the dynamics of civil society with the House of Representatives in the period of 2009-2014.
The 2014 election momentum that resulted in the new members of Parliament for the period of 2014 to 2019 was
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Momentum Pemilu 2014 yang menghasilkan anggota par- lemen baru periode 2014-2019, merupakan langkah yang
strategis untuk memperbaharui pola komunikasi politik an- tara NGO think tank dengan policy makers baca: parlemen
dalam konteks mendorong kebijakan publik yang berkuali- tas. Dari sisi pengalaman NGO sendiri, dengan adanya ang-
gota parlemen baru ini juga sekaligus menjadi momentum untuk berbenah, melakukan proses pembelajaran untuk
memperkuat kapasitas sumber daya manusia para peneliti- nya dan kelembagaannya dalam menjalankan peran sebagai
lembaga think tank.
Dalam konteks inilah IRE mengadakan program peningkatan kapasitas di kalangan para NGO think tank yang selama ini
memiliki concern untuk mempengaruhi agenda kebijakan publik, khususnya di parlemen. Program kerjasama ini men-
gambil fokus isu “Peningkatan Kapasitas Advokasi Kebijakan dan Strategi Komunikasi untuk Lembaga Riset di Indonesia”.
Peningkatan kapasitas ini tidak hanya menyangkut mutu dari produk pengetahuan, juga cara mengemas produk pen-
getahuan yang dihasilkan dari kegiatan riset itu mampu terdiseminasi menjadi wacana publik, dan memiliki rele-
vansi pula dengan agenda-agenda kebijakan di parlemen. Di samping itu, peningkatan kapasitas ini juga diarahkan untuk
memperkuat strategi komunikasi para NGO think tank dalam mempengaruhi proses tahapan dalam pembahasan legislasi.
Mendekatkan NGO think tank terhadap policy makers den- gan cara lebih mengenal lingkungan, konstelasi politik dan
mekanisme kelembagaan terkait proses dan mekanisme pengambilan keputusan dalam penetapan produk kebijakan
di Parlemen.
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a strategic move to renew political communication pattern between think tank NGO with the policy makers read: par-
liament in the context of encouraging quality public policy. From the experience of NGOs, the occurrence of the new
members of the Parliament was also a momentum to reorga- nize, do learning process to strengthen the human resource
capacity of researchers and institutions in carrying out the role as think tank institutions.
In this context, IRE held a capacity building program among think tank NGOs had concerned to influence public policy
agenda, especially in parliament. This joint program would focus on the issue of “Peningkatan Kapasitas Advokasi Kebi-
jakan dan Strategi Komunikasi untuk Lembaga Riset di Indo- nesia” Capacity Building of Policy Advocacy and Communi-
cation Strategy for Research Institutions in Indonesia.
This capacity building was not only about the quality of knowledge product but also about how to package the prod-
uct resulted from the research activities to be able to be dis- seminated into public discourse, and had relevance to policy
agendas in the Parliament. In addition, the capacity building was also directed to strengthen the communication strategy
of think tank NGOs in influencing the stages in the discussion of legislation. Bringing think tank NGOs closer was conduct-
ed by knowing the situation and the constellation of politi- cal and institutional mechanisms more which were related
to the processes and mechanisms of decision making in the determination of policy product in Parliament.
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Rangkaian Kegiatan
1. Workshop I “Menghubungkan Isu-Isu Masyarakat
Sipil dalam Pembuatan Kebijakan Publik di Era Parlemen 2014-2019”.
2. Workshop II “Mempertemukan Agenda Masyarakat
Sipil dengan Agenda Parlemen 2014-2019”. 3.
Workshop III “Menjadikan Agenda Riset NGO Think tank sebagai Wacana Publik”.
4. Workshop IV “Mempertemukan Agenda Masyarakat
Sipil dengan Kebijakan Daerah”. 5.
Diskusi “Komunikasi Pengetahuan Masyarakat Sipil kepada Pengambil Kebijakan”.
Hasil dan Capaian
Pertama, terfasilitasinya penguatan kapasitas NGO think tank dalam melakukan advokasi kebijakan melalui strategi
komunikasi efektif, khususnya yang tergabung dalam PRN. Sejauh ini anggota PRN adalah PraKarsa, Demos, IRE, CSIS,
TII, Yappika, ICW, FITRA, Lakspedam NU, Formappi, WRI, Puskapol UI, LPEM UI dan Paramadina Public Policy Insti-
tute - Universitas Paramadina.
Kedua, berkembangnya kesepahaman dalam pengembangan strategi komunikasi kebijakan melalui sharing pengetahuan
antara NGO think tank yang tergabung dalam PRN dengan para pemegang kebijakan. Pihak pemegang kebijakan yang
terjalin sejauh ini adalah Sekretariat Jenderal perundang- undangan DPR RI dan anggota DPR RI. Jalinan komunikasi
ini terajut melalui serangkaian workshop dan diskusi lain- nya terkait dengan dinamika dan proses pengambilan kebi-
jakan di parlemen.
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The Series of Activities
1. Workshop I “Menghubungkan Isu-Isu Masyarakat
Sipil dalam Pembuatan Kebijakan Publik di Era Parlemen 2014-2019” Linking Issues on Civil
Society in Public Policy Making in the Parliament Era of 2014-2019
2. Workshop II “Mempertemukan Agenda Masyarakat
Sipil dengan Agenda Parlemen 2014-2019” Matching the Agenda of Civil Society and the
Parliament of 2014-2019
3. Workshop III “Menjadikan Agenda Riset NGO Think
tank sebagai Wacana Publik” Making the Research Agenda of Think Tank NGOs as Public Discourse
4. Workshop IV “Mempertemukan Agenda Masyarakat
Sipil dengan Kebijakan Daerah” Matching the Agenda of Civil Society and Local Policies
5. Discussion “Komunikasi Pengetahuan Masyarakat
Sipil kepada Pengambil Kebijakan” The Knowledge Communication between Civil Society and the Policy
Makers
Results and Achievements
Firstly, the capacity building of think tank NGOs in conduct- ing policy advocacy through effective communication strate-
gies, particularly for those under PRN can be facilitated. So far, the members of PRN are PraKarsa, Demos, IRE, CSIS, TII,
Yappika, ICW, FITRA, Lakspedam NU, Formappi, WRI, Pus- kapol UI, LPEM UI and Paramadina Public Policy Institute –
University of Paramadina.
Secondly, the understanding in the development of policy communication strategies through knowledge sharing be-
tween think tank NGOs incorporated under PRN with policy makers develops. The Policy Makers until now are the Secre-
tary of General of Law of DPR RI and the members of DPR RI.
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Pelajaran Berharga
Produksi pengetahuan yang selama ini dilakukan oleh lemba- ga think tank NGO, Lembaga Penelitian di Perguruan Tinggi
ternyata belum tentu sesuai dengan kebutuhan penyusunan kebijakan. Pertemuan antara gagasan memproduksi pen-
getahuan dengan rencana mempergunakan pengetahuan untuk kebijakan menjadi penting dan mendesak. Cara yang
dipandang tepat untuk kebutuhan ini adalah strategi komu- nikasi kebijakan. Dalam rangkaian kegiatan yang diinisiasi
IRE dan didukung Prorep USAID ini telah merintis pengem- bangan strategi komunikasi kebijakan antara lembaga think
tank PRN dengan para pemangku legislasi di DPR RI. Mer- eka membutuhkan pasokan produk-produk pengetahuan
untuk menopang proses legislasi, tentu produk pengetahuan yang sesuai dengan Prolegnas.
Rekomendasi
Dari pelajaran berharga yang diperoleh dari kegiatan ini bisa direkomendasikan beberapa hal penting. Pertama, lembaga
think tank harus terhubung dengan agenda Prolegnas. Bisa aktif mempengaruhi agar isu-isu strategis versi masyarakat
sipil menjadi agenda Prolegnas. Jalan tempuh lain bisa juga melalui penyiapan produk naskah akademik dan legislative
drafting yang aktif dikomunikasikan ke pimpinan DPR, Frak- si maupun Panitia Khusus dan Panitia Kerja DPR RI. Kedua,
aktif mengkomunikasikan gagasan kebijakan ke publik. Me- dia massa mainstream dan media sosial bisa digunakan seb-
agai arena untuk melakukan kampanye gagasan dan meng- galang dukungan atas gagasan kebijakan yang diproduksi
oleh lembaga think tank.
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This communication has been intertwined through a series of workshops and other discussions related to the dynamics
and the policy making process in Parliament.
Lessons Learned
The production of knowledge that has been done by think tank institutions NGO, Institutes for Research in Higher
Education do not necessarily correspond with the needs of policy making. Matching the idea of producing know-
ledge with the plan to use the knowledge for policies became important and urgent. The appropriate way for this need
is policy communication strategies. The series of activities initiated by IRE and supported by ProRep USAID has pio-
neered the development of policy communication strategies between think tank institutions PRN with legislation mak-
ers in the House of Representatives. They need a supply of some knowledge products to support the legislation process,
of course the knowledge products which are in line with the National Legislation Program.
Recommendations
From the lessons learned gained from those activities, there are some important recommendations. First, think tank in-
stitutions must be connected with the Agenda of Prolegnas and can actively influence so that the strategic issues from
civil society can be the Agenda of Prolegnas. The other way can be by preparing academic papers and legislative drafting
which are actively communicated to the Head of the House of Representatives, faction, or the Special Committee and the
Working Committee of DPR RI. Second, they must actively communicate policy ideas to the public. Mainstream mass
media and social media can be used as an arena to campaign ideas and garner support for the policy ideas produced by
think tank institutions.
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3.
Riset Komparasi Tatakelola Think Tank di Indonesia dan Amerika Latin
Latar Belakang
Riset ini bertemakan studi komparasi lembaga think tank di Indonesia dan Amerika Latin. Studi di Amerika Latin men-
gambil kasus CAPED Paraguai, Grupo FARO Ekuador dan Fundación ARU Bolivia. Sementara itu, riset di Indonesia
mengambil kasus Jawa Pos Institute for Pro-Otonomi, The SMERU Research Institute, dan IRE. Partisipasi IRE didukung
oleh KSI. Selain KSI, program yang dikelola oleh On Think Thanks ini juga didanai oleh Program Think Thank dari Ini-
tiative Institute of Development Research Center dan Program Think Thanks Fund dari Open Society Foundation.
Tujuan studi ini adalah untuk memahami bagaimana lem- baga think tank bekerja secara efektif. Caranya dengan me-
lihat tiap elemen-elemen kunci antara lain value proposition, governance, leadership, human resource management, fund-
ing structure, dan
financial management. Pemilihan elemen kunci ini didasarkan pada sejumlah review atas literatur ten-
tang model bisnis lembaga think tank. Istilah model bisnis ini mungkin terdengar terlalu berkarakter pasar. Di Amerika
Serikat, istilah governance atau tata kelola internal lembaga lebih familiar ketimbang business model ketika membahas
pengelolaan think tank sebagai bagian dari civil society dan nonprofit.
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3.
Comparative Research on the Think Tank Governance in Indonesia and Latin America
Background
The theme of this research was comparative studies of think tank in Indonesia and Latin America. The studies in Latin
America took the case of Caped Paraguay, Grupo FARO Ecuador, and Fundación ARU Bolivia. Meanwhile, the re-
searches in Indonesia took the case of Jawa Pos Institute for Pro-Autonomy, the SMERU Research Institute, and IRE. The
participation of IRE was supported by KSI. In addition to KSI, the program managed by On Think Thanks was also funded
by Think Thank Program from Initiative Institute of Develop- ment Research Center dan Think Thanks Fund from Open So-
ciety Foundation Program.
The purpose of this study was to understand how think tank institutions work effectively. It was conducted by looking at
each of the key elements such as value proposition, gover- nance, leadership, human resource management, funding
structure, and financial management. The selection of the key elements was based on the review of literature on busi-
ness models of think tank institutions. The term of business model may sound too market characterized. In the United
States, the term of governance or internal governance of institutions is more familiar than business model when dis-
cussing think tank management as part of civil society and nonprofit organizations.
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Rangkaian Kegiatan
Inisiatif program ini cukup unik. Para peneliti dari 9 lem- baga think tank pertama kali bertemu di Lima, Peru untuk
menyepakati tema riset kolaborasi. Pertemuan setelahnya adalah di Jakarta September 2014, Quito Ekuador, April
2015 dan selanjutnya di Rio de Janeiro Brazil, September 2015. Di sela-sela pertemuan tersebut, para peneliti, pen-
gelola program The Exchange dan external rutin berdiskusi terkait pengerjaan riset maupun konsultasi. Perbedaan wak-
tu cukup menjadi tantangan. Misalnya, mengatur diskusi via skype melibatkan peneliti IRE, mitra di Buenos Aires Argen-
tina, dan reviewer di London Inggris butuh persetujuan waktu yang memungkinkan semua pihak bisa berpartisipasi.
Perkembangan sejauh ini, penelitian lapangan sudah dilaku- kan. Data yang terkumpul sedang dianalisis. Interpretasi
atas berbagai temuan dipandu oleh para reviewer interna- sional. Para peneliti berdiskusi dan berkonsultasi melalui
email dan diskusi via skype. Di akhir penelitian, para peneliti akan menghasilkan enam studi kasus dan satu paper sinte-
sis yang merupakan abstraksi dari ke-enam kasus tersebut. Di samping itu, secara rutin update hasil studi juga ditulis
di blog onthinktank.org. Program ini akan berakhir pada September 2015. Ada harapan besar bahwa para partisipan
akan meneruskan kolaborasi.
Pelajaran Berharga
Pelajaran berharga dari riset ini antara lain, pertama, adanya jejaring think tanks di Negara-negara yang demokrasinya se-
dang tumbuh. Di Eropa Timur, Amerika Laitn maupun Asia Tenggara, kebutuhan akan adanya komunitas epistemic
berupa lembaga riset yang menyuplai input rekomendasi ke- bijakan sangatlah penting. Jejaring ini memungkinkan ada-
nya pertukaran wawasan dan pengalaman. Kedua, sei ring proses kolaborasi berjalan, makin nyata bahwa yang ter-
penting adalah komitmen. Acap, inisiasi kolaborasi kandas
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The Series of Activities
The initiative of this program was quite unique. Researchers from nine think tanks firstly met in Lima, Peru to make an
agreement on the theme of the collaborative research. The next meeting was in Jakarta September 2014, Quito Ec-
uador, April 2015, and in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Septem- ber 2015. In the space between meetings, the researchers,
program managers of The Exchange and external regularly discussed how to conduct the research and consultation.
Different time zone was quite challenging. For example, to set a discussion via Skype involving the researchers of IRE,
partner in Buenos Aires Argentina, and reviewer in Lon- don England needed the agreement of time that enabled all
parties to participate.
The progress until the report was written was that the field research had been conducted. The collected data were ana-
lyzing. The interpretation of the findings was guided by the international reviewers. The researchers discussed and
consulted via email and skype. At the end of the study, the researchers would produce six case studies and a synthesis
paper which was an abstraction of the six cases. In addition, the update of the results of the study was also regularly writ-
ten in the blog onthinktank.org. The program would end in September 2015. There is great expectation that the partici-
pants will continue the collaboration.
Lessons Learned
The valuable lessons to be learned from this research include, first, that there is a network of think tanks in the countries
in where the democracy is growing. In Eastern Europe, Latin America and Southeast Asia, the need for epistemic commu-
nity in the form of research institutes that supply the input of policy recommendations is very essential. This network
enables the exchange of insights and experiences. Second, as the process of collaboration runs, it becomes more evident
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sebab antar pihak meributkan pembagian sumber daya atau beban. Idealnya, semisal ingin mengajukan proposal bersa-
ma ke lembaga donor, semangatnya adalah berbagi penge- tahuan dan bukan mengejar profit. Kultur berbagi pengeta-
huan dan rendah hati menjadi kunci.
Rekomendasi
Program ini merupakan proyek ujicoba. Karena didanai lem- baga donor, keberlanjutannya sulit diprediksi. Dari sisi ke-
berlanjutan kolaborasi, rekomendasi yang penting adalah perlunya skema exit strategy. Skema ini berupa fasilitasi pe-
nyusunan rencana kolaborasi di masa mendatang, sekaligus fasilitasi para partisipan untuk berkomunikasi dengan lem-
baga donor yang relevan. Perkembangan sejauh ini, IRE dan CADEP telah menjajaki dengan Hewlett Packard Foundation
berkaitan dengan pendalaman studi kasus. Dari sisi substan- si penelitian, riset ini merekomendasikan agar aspek gover-
nance dari lembaga think tanks perlu mendapat perhatian sebagai kajian. Selama ini, fokus riset yang ada didominasi
oleh kajian strategi advokasi think tank atau dimensi per- tautan politik antara think tank dengan kekuasaan. Akibat-
nya, think tank sedikit memperoleh input perihal bagaimana mengelola organisasi yang baik.