Press Release: Sharing Seminar on Policy Research and Consultancy “Building an Inclusive Platform of Regional Policy-Making in ASEAN”

A one-day “Sharing Seminar on Policy Research and Consultancy: Building an Inclusive Platform of Regional Policy-Making in ASEAN” was held at Ashley Hotel, Jakarta, on Tuesday, 21 January 2020. The Seminar invited researchers from ASEAN Member States to participate in sharing their best practices of formulating strategic policy-making with the government and among think tanks. Also attending the Seminar were ASEAN entities, and government officials, etc.

The event commenced at 8.30 am and was followed by a Welcoming Speech and Keynote Speech, consecutively. After a brief coffee break, the event continued with presentations on “Linking Academic Research and Policy Making in Indonesia” and “Undertaking Policy Research” from Indonesian and United Kingdom facilitators. The first session discussed the nature of research and policy-making in Indonesia. It looked into the issues of bureaucracy, structural problems, government approaches, and lack of funding, etc. The speaker shared some tips on winning research grants including the involvement of agencies, building a firm reputation, and maintaining relations with stakeholders. The second session examined the various researches that are useful in achieving change in policy-making. It also discussed the various approaches in creating an impactful policy research including the importance of analysing stakeholders, appropriate timing, focusing on the solutions, and the importance of an engagement strategy.

In the sharing sessions which followed, best practices of conducting policy-oriented researches from the point of view of researchers were highlighted. Researchers from eight ASEAN Member States (representatives from Brunei Darussalam and Myanmar were unable to attend) shared their experiences in policy research, the difficulties met, achievements, and proposed way forward. The Seminar identified the similarities and differences in conducting policy-oriented research across the ASEAN Member States and saw merit in strengthening the network.

The sharing sessions were facilitated by a moderator to navigate the discussion and accommodate the Question and Answer session. The first sharing session invited researchers from Cambodia and Indonesia. The second session highlighted the experiences of researchers from Lao PDR, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The last session invited researchers from Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. A Permanent Representative of an ASEAN Member State to ASEAN shared their insight and observation of the discussion. After a brief wrap-up, the sharing session was concluded.