Reaching Indonesia Poor and Vulnerable and Reducing Inequality Improving Programme Targeting, Design, and Processes

Poverty reduction is a key priority of the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono–Boediono government. As a sign of this commitment, the National Team for the Acceleration of Poverty Reduction (Tim Nasional Percepatan Penanggulangan Kemiskinan or TNP2K) was created to promote coordination across ministries/agencies to improve the implementation of poverty reduction programmes, improve the living standards of the poor and vulnerable, as well as reduce inequality among income groups. Presidential Regulation Number 15 of 2010 legitimises and legalises the creation and role of TNP2K.

TNP2K has two specific mandates: (1) establish a national targeting system that contains a list of the names and addresses of social assistance beneficiaries, hereinafter referred to as the Unified Database), and (2) improve the efficiency and effectiveness of various poverty alleviation programmes to reach beneficiaries. Both mandates are implemented through coordination with ministries/agencies. Coordination is more efficient if there is a common basis, that is, evidence from research results and actual data from the field.

This report outlines the achievements and coordination processes of evidence-based policy making. It is hoped that this report will not only document what TNP2K has done in the past five years but also serve as a reference for policy coordination in the future. The report itself cannot possibly detail all the processes, evidence, or achievements of TNP2K. Therefore, I invite all of our readers to also access our other reports, if more detailed information is required.

Having carried out our duties during the past five years, I would like to express deep gratitude to the Vice President, Professor Dr Boediono, for his leadership, direction, and support of TNP2K. I would also like to thank the ministries/agencies that have worked with us to reduce poverty in Indonesia. Our highest appreciation goes to the support given to the TNP2K, especially by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Government of Australia) through the Poverty Reduction Support Facility; World Bank Jakarta; U.S. Agency for International Development; and Deutsche Gesellschaft Für Internationale Zusammenarbeit. Last, but not least, my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation goes to all of our secretariat staff and policy working groups. This report is just one example of all the hard work they do every day for TNP2K.