economics

Traffic congestion in Jakarta: a logistical problem or a \’wicked\’ one?

Leave a Comment / systems thinking /

Here is an interesting article published in the Guardian Weekly for bicycle commuters struggling with traffic congestion as I do in Jakarta: Return of the Bicycle Kingdom? How pavement cycling is transforming Taipei. It mentions that  ‘In Taipei authorities have taken the unusual step of legalising cycling on almost 400km of city centre sidewalks …. Taipei is also tripling its […]

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‘Are We Policy Analysts?’. Evidence, Policy Analysis and the Knowledge Sector in Indonesia

Leave a Comment / knowledge to policy /

There are many ways for knowledge and research evidence to reach policy makers and inform policy decisions. One important channel is the analysis by policy analysts in government organizations. In January 2014, the Indonesian Parliament passed a landmark law to modernize the civil service on principles of merit and professionalism (Law No. 5 on Civil

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Higher Education & Doing Development DIfferently in Indonesia

Leave a Comment / education systems /

I found  a couple of interesting articles about Indonesia on innovation, higher education and in a sense the future of the use of knowledge and research evidence in policy decision making. Jonathan Pincus, writes about foreign universities establishing branches in Asia. The conditions are favorable: rising incomes, favorable demography, growing college enrollments for years to come. Singapore, is a pioneer in the internationalization of

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Superforecasters exist: they are people who are ready to challenge their own ideas

Leave a Comment / knowledge to policy /

The illusion of controlling the future has always been with us designing and implementing development projects and programmes. Tool after tool we have had an uncomfortable relationship with the idea that development is very messy, risky, prone to failure as well as success. Forecast and planning are key activities in our work: theories of change, logframes, the old zopp, outputs, outcomes, goal. All this to maintain some control

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Article 18: political language, media and the shrinking space for evidence in Italy

Leave a Comment / political economy /

  Italians like to talk about politics. Political talk shows have been popular but they seem to have reached a saturation point. Too many of them. In the morning. Later afternoon. Evening. Some shows are better than others but they also start to all look alike. The same politicians and journalists as guests. Not always

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Access and equity in local services in Indonesia: some interesting evidence

Leave a Comment / political economy /

On a regular basis programs working in the area of governance and decentralisation come together here in Jakarta to share and discuss the results of a research, studies and analysis. Yesterday I attended a presentation about the findings from an econometric analysis that looked at trends derived from 12 years (2001-2011) of secondary data on

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