How to improve economic resilience in Indonesia?

The two-day international development conference starts next Monday (22 July) in Jakarta, Indonesia. Organised by the National Development and Planning Agency, with support from the Australian Government, the event will focus on sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Between 22 and 23 July 2019, policymakers, private sector representatives, multilateral donors and researchers will discuss strategies for creating new job opportunities, exploring options to increase productivity to enable all Indonesians access to decent work and other economic opportunities.

As an official partner to the conference, we will be part of this exciting event. Join us at our panel discussions, find out more about our work in Indonesia, and come chat with our experts at the event.

Where to find us

Creating a resilient small business sector: the role of big business

• Speaker: Jonathan Mitchell
• When: Monday, 22 July, 1.30 pm
• Where: Summit Room
• Panel session: Developing globally competitive micro, small and medium enterprises

A vibrant small business sector is a critical component of any successful national development strategy. Without small businesses, it is very difficult for an economy to transmit the benefits of impressive economic growth to the well-being of the population as a whole.

In the past, the development sector has tended to focus on supporting small businesses to the exclusion of larger businesses – as if they did not exist. Indeed, the duality of the economy, with a small number of large, modern firms and a sea of SMEs, was regarded as a problem.

However, the coexistence of small and big business is a valuable opportunity. On one side, big business can provide a viable market for the output of small firms that would otherwise struggle to access markets. On the other side, there is a large untapped market of potential consumers, who are being excluded by the large firms focusing on elite customers.

Jonathan’s presentation will explore the challenges and opportunities that determine whether small businesses can participate in modern supply chains and how to best connect large businesses with non-traditional markets.

Creating resilient citizens: skilling adolescents for the future

• Speaker: Dwi Rahardiani
• When: Tuesday, 23 July, 8.30 am
• Where: Summit Room
• Panel session: Improving the quality of human capital

‘Skills for the future’ has emerged as a major theme dominating policy debates in recent years. Globalisation, new technologies, migration, changing labour markets and new environmental and political challenges have changed the ways in which we learn, work, communicate and interact. These changes are altering the nature of economic and political institutions, social and cultural systems, production systems, educational institutions and workplaces.

The complexity of the present and future world means that people must be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate unexpected challenges that build their resilience to change – hence becoming resilient citizens, capable of adapting and persisting through changing circumstances. This is especially important for adolescents, whose future will be shaped by their ability to learn new skills and rapidly adapt to change.

Dwi’s presentation will share insights and recommendations from our recent work, which should help policymakers, development partners, and communities improve resilience of citizens, channel the benefits of the emerging demographic shift, and better prepare Indonesian adolescents for future opportunities.

[button-link text="Discover our 2018-19 project highlights" link="https://www.opml.co.uk/yearinreview"]

OPML consultants attending Indonesian Development Forum 

• Andrzej Dabkowski, Country Director, OPML Indonesia, @dabkowski_a
• Rebecca Lannin, Country Director, OPM Australia, @beclannin 
• Jonathan Mitchell, Team Leader, OPM UK
• Dwi Rahardiani, Consultant, OPML Indonesia, @dwirahardiani
• Revita Wahyudi, Consultant, OPML Indonesia
• Bodhi Trisnadin, Office and Financial Manager, OPML Indonesia

Some of our work in Indonesia

• Limited access to financial services has been identified as one of the key constraints to economic participation among people living in eastern Indonesia. Abigail Carpio discusses women's role as hidden financial managers in this article for DevPolicy blog.

• Indonesia’s growing adolescent population is one of the largest in the world, and ensuring their well-being is a critical priority area. However, there is a lack of robust evidence showing what works and what doesn't. To fill this gap, we designed a framework to measure and assess promising practices in programming for adolescents in Indonesia, which informed UNICEF's strategy in the country. 

• Forestry is central to Indonesia's economic development, but how can it be kept sustainable and inclusive? Dwi Rahardiani explores four approaches to enhance forestry sector governance in the country.