Decentralization context in Indonesia and the CFCD approach

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2. Analysis

2.1 Decentralization context in Indonesia and the CFCD approach

In the past years Indonesia has been advancing in different aspects related to social and economic sectors. According to UNCEF’s MTR document 2013, a number of MDG targets have already been achieved, including literacy rates and those related to tuberculosis, and many others are on track; however, there are some child-related MDG targets where Indonesia is lagging behind and unlikely to be met at national level for an overall picture of the MDGs in the country please refer to Annex 1. In the same line, the advances in terms of children are not equally spread in the country. One challenge that Indonesia faces in terms of realization of child rights is how to address the inequalities at subnational levels. These inequalities are present in many different dimensions, including geographical regions, regencies, cities, districts, etc.; venue urbanrural; socio-economic; and gender, among others. One strategy being used by the country to address inequalities, and advance in terms of realization of child rights is the Child Friendly City CFC approach. Globally, UNICEF first introduced this approach in 1996, during the second UN Conference on Human Settlements Habitat II. The Conference declared that the well being of children is the ultimate indicator of a healthy habitat, a democratic society and good governance. Over the years, this approach has advanced and has been implemented in different developing and developed countries, creating different methodologies that are adaptable for diverse situations. Currently, the global CFC approach is based on nine blocks that are a mix of activities and structures UNICEFInnocenti Research Centre, March 2004. They are: 1. Children’s participation 2. A child friendly legal framework 3. A city-wide Children’s Rights Strategy 4. A Children’s Rights Unit or coordinating mechanism 5. Child impact assessment and evaluation 6. A children’s budget 7. A regular State of the City’s Children Report 8. Making children’s rights known 9. Independent advocacy for children One important element in the global CFC initiative is the decentralization of public policies to local levels of government, trying to include the civil society in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating policies for children. In this sense, Indonesia has made considerable progress since 1998 in its transition to democracy and in the process of decentralization, with the majority of all governmental matters administered through 33 provinces and 497 districtscities UNICEF Indonesia, 2013. This decentralization process was strengthened after 2001, when the country placed the district as an autonomous region with authority similar to that owned by the provincial government. Regional planning process started – and continues – to be carried out top-down as well as bottom-up, based on the principle that planning is an integral part of the national development planning system, carried out by local governments along with stakeholders in accordance to their 9 role and authority. The idea is that the planning process should be integrated with spatial planning, and based on local condition and potential in accordance to the local and national development dynamic Center for Population and Policy Studies, 2013 The country’s decentralization dynamic is summarized by Boothby and others Boothby, Stark, Simmons, Chu, 2009, p. 14: The Indonesia Decentralization Law Law 32 of the year 2004 delegates substantial national government authority and responsibility for government affairs to sub-national governments aside from justice, armed forces, police and religious affairs where these issues retain their vertical structure down to the local level. For some ministries, including education, health, women’s empowerment and social affairs, local departments have been created – not as an extension of the national ministries – but as departments at the provincial level. Though the process of decentralization has unquestionably complicated the relationship between the national and sub-national governments, the comprehensive impact of decentralization thus far seems mixed. While many government ministries and state actors at the national level focus on the difficulties of implementing policy in recent years, their counterparts at the sub-national levels generally value their new powers under the current system.” At the local level, decentralization has created opportunities for local stakeholders to respond to the development of child welfare, one of which is the issuance of the Government Regulation No. 402006 on the national development planning procedures that requires the involvement of community participation through musrenbang forum 5 held at the villages, districts, regencies and provinces in the formulation of annual work plan. The BAPPEDA 6 plays an important role in facilitating musrenbang and policy-making process to ensure the coordination and synchronization of local development plans with the national development priorities and objectives Center for Population and Policy Studies, 2013. This transfer of greater political and administrative authority to district governments has brought governance closer to the people, along with resources to carry out new functions. Despite the advances in terms of decentralization of decision-making, challenges still exist. Given that each local government has its own priorities, legal and policy enforcement, and decision-making processes, along with varying levels of experience and capacity, translating national commitments and priorities into action has often proved a challenge UNICEF Indonesia, 2013. The decentralization process facilitated the implementation of the CFC as a strategy for the country. The development of Child Friendly CityDistrict CFCD or KLA 7 in Indonesia was initiated in 2006, and in 2007 pilot projects were launched in 5 cities Padang, Jambi, Surakarta Solo, Malang, Manado, and Kupang. In 2009, the Ministry of Women Empowerment issued a Ministerial Regulation No. 2 of 2009 on CFCD Policy where the initiative was defined as a 5 Musyawarah Perencanaan Pembangunan Community Participatory Planning for Development 6 Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Daerah Regional Board for Planning and Development 7 KabupatenKota Layak Anak - KLA CFC in Indonesia 2006: Indonesia adopts the CFC initiative. 2007: pilot projects starts in five cities: Padang, Jambi, Surakarta Solo, Malang, Manado and Kupang. 2009: A new model for the Child Friendly CityDistrict initiative is created, based on the achievement of indicators. 2011: CFC indicators are reviewed and revised. CFC is turned from competition into recognition. 10 comprehensive and sustainable system of citydistrict development which integrates the commitment and resources of government, community and private sector into policies, programs and activities to fulfil the rights of children . Since then, the interest on working towards CFCD has grown among citiesdistricts all over Indonesia. The 2009 regulation changed the way the initiative was being conducted, expanding it. According to Malone 2013, starting in 2009, Indonesia started to follow a competition model where 28 indicators were grouped into five clusters: 1 Policy; 2 Organization; 3 Programs and activities; 4 Budget allocation; and 5 Reports. In 2010, the model is revised once more to the one that is being currently adapted in the country.

2.2 Understanding the Child Friendly CityDistrict Initiative in Indonesia