Fourth PAIR RAP meeting focused on research advocacy and outreach strategies

Approach and strategy of advocacy and outreach was the focus of discussion in a recent PAIR Research Advisory Panel Meeting.

The meeting was held in the context of the next phase of Partnership for Australia-Indonesia Research (PAIR) in South Sulawesi. PAIR has used an “evidence-based policy” model to ensure policy stakeholders can generate policies, strategies and actions.

The fourth RAP meeting occurred on 11 November 2021, and was attended by influential RAP members from the national and provincial governments, as well as from business, industry and NGOs. Dr (Hc) Erna Witoelar chaired the meeting.

RAP member Dr Ishak Salim emphasised the importance of planning an advocacy strategy to ensure the implementation of PAIR research recommendations in South Sulawesi policy making.

“Advocacy strategy is very important. Many studies only end-up on paper, not many of them are able to push the recommendations to policy makers and to the beneficiaries,” Dr Ishak said.

The PAIR COVID-19 Rapid Research was used as an example of developing this strategy. This research scheme was an initiative started in the early pandemic by investing travel funds for research related to COVID-19 and responding to the Australian Government’s Partnerships for Recovery program.  There are 12 research topics on the impact of COVID-19 on health workers, women, people with disabilities and young people. PAIR has sought to promote research results in a jargon-free manner to ensure messages to policy makers are clear and able to attract the attention of policy makers.

“Evidence-based policies are essential for dealing with a crisis and research can guide on how to respond to it,” said Dr Eugene Sebastian, PAIR Program Director.

Consul General of Australia in Makassar and RAP member, Bronwyn Robbins, who spoke at the meeting, praised the initiative in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am glad that PAIR was able to provide important research to discuss COVID-19,” Ms Robbins said.

The bilateral relationship between Australia and Indonesia is widely seen to be getting stronger, withAustralia having contributed to strenghening Indonesia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Besides COVID-19 Rapid Research, RAP also heard an update from PAIR’s commodities research team in South Sulawesi. The commodities team completed a pilot project (July 2020) and designed a plan for further research via its Strategic Integrated Project for further research June 2021). The discussion provided guidance to the PAIR research team for effective advocacy and outreach strategies that will be implemented after the research is successfully completed at the end of 2022.

PAIR WELCOMED NEW RAP MEMBER

PAIR’s Research Advisory Panel comprises influential policy, academic, business and community leaders and seeks to address coordination challenges between the national and subnational levels.

We recently welcomed Tim Stapleton who replaced Anna McNicol as Minister-Counsellor for Economics, Investment and Infrastructure in the Australian Embassy Jakarta.

We also thank former members Anna McNicol for her contributions to the RAP and PAIR.

We are looking forward to the next productive meeting on 17 of March, 2022.