Knowledge system development: Insights from Indonesia and international applications

Abstract

Knowledge System Development: Insights from Indonesia and International Applications illustrates how knowledge systems work in the evidence-based policy making process and the dynamics of different actors in the ecosystem. Applying the Knowledge System Model 2.0 in Indonesia and in selected international case studies, it explores key issues and dynamics in the knowledge-to-policy process in Indonesia and offers important insights for application in other country contexts. Written from the unique vantage point of knowledge system actors themselves in cooperation with development practitioners and researchers, the book captures efforts to clarify the roles of different actors in the knowledge system and how they interacted to influence policy. When the actors and institutions in the knowledge system interact and challenge each other to articulate and commit to a shared purpose, it is easier to navigate the inherent tensions between technical solutions and political objectives to advance the reform agenda. Intermediaries in the knowledge system can play an important role in facilitating the interactions between these actors and institutions.

“This book is an important contribution to knowledge to policy debates. It reminds us that policymaking is rarely a technical decision-making process, it involves compromise and negotiation of social values. It provides valuable insights for researchers and policymakers in Indonesia and internationally to ensure scientific evidence-based policy making benefits communities at large.” Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro, President of The Indonesian Academy of Sciences

“Remarkable insider-outsider accounts of how knowledge sector policy reform is enacted in complex, non-Western economies …timely reading for Indonesia’s friends and neighbours.” Veronica L. Taylor, Professor of Law and Regulation, School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet), College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University

“This book has never been more timely. Indonesia’s priority is achieving high-income country status before celebrating 100 years of Independence in 2045. This target is impossible to achieve without innovation-led economic growth. The book not only provides a good framework to revitalize the knowledge system needed for such innovation, but also highlights some important case studies to guide policymaking.” Arief Anshory Yusuf, Professor of Economics at Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia

“Epistemic awareness—or the meta understanding of how and why certain knowledge is produced—is fundamental in designing public policy that is effective, just, and inclusive. This book, made by a village of knowledge custodians, provides an overview of topics that will help us think more critically about knowledge systems and how they have and will continue to affect policymaking processes in Indonesia and beyond.” Andhyta F. Utami, CEO & Co-Founder of Think Policy, Indonesia