The purpose of this Assistance and Advisory document is to provide USAID with contemporary information on options for a multi-sector strategy for implementation in the Indonesian Provinces of Papua and West Papua, as an integral part of the 2009-2013 Country Assistance Strategy.
The proposals are:
1. Strengthen Womens’ Empowerment Agencies to promote behavioural change;
recognizing that these important agencies of provincial and local government are poorly
resourced yet have potential to be the center of networks of change agents for women
and families that are consistently poorly attended to by existing donor initiatives which
tend to benefit men. A significant asset would be to facilitate working partnerships
between these agencies and womens’ studies centers in the state universities. The
direction of donor assistance could effectively broaden the agenda for these networks to
include gender related issues related to: alcohol and drug abuse; domestic violence;
HIV/AIDS; Gender imbalance in education and work; maternal and child health
nutrition, access to clean water, sanitation, health of children (malnutrition and diarrhea)
2. Facilitate the formation of a pilot scheme for Kecamatan Community Support Centers. This
initiative would support province and Kabupaten governments in reaching villages;
provides technical advice in a range of key areas in line with development priorities and
backstop RESPEK and PNPM; be a one stop shop for government technical advisors in
areas including health, education, small scale infrastructure, water and sanitation,
agriculture and forestry, small business and legal issues. By focusing on Kecamatan there
is an opportunity to reduce crossing cultural and language challenges of information
transfer. Pilot sites should be chosen that represent different highland and lowland ethnic
groups in both Provinces.
The concept which makes the initiative innovative and could break through some of the
difficulties of getting services to remote areas is team networking via satellite internet
connections to technical support centers in the universities in Jayapura and Manokwari.
The approach would reduce isolation for para professional and government staff while
raising the quality of information and assistance available. A similar system of satellite
networking of remote learning centers has recently been implemented in the
neighbouring country of Papua New Guinea. It will nevertheless require technical and
social feasibility study. The proposal lends itself to multi-donor and private-public
partnership funding.
3. Mainstream action on HIV/AIDS to build sustainable societies. The AIDS epidemic affects
all aspects of social sustainability it therefore offers a focus for raising awareness and
changing behaviour in support of reinforced adat beliefs, improved living conditions and
control. It is consistent with the Province objectives of consolidating and building
community value systems and beliefs as an element of managing change. This initiative
links to Kecamatan CSC; and Womens’ Empowerment Agencies to address research into
incidence and issues related to behaviour change. Specific support by USAID appropriate
for baseline assessment of multi-disease infection rates and behaviour change to reduce
transmission in conjunction with US medical research institutes. The proposal would also
be attractive for multi-donor and private public partnership arrangements.
4. Infrastructure and economic growth program is recommended to consider expansion of
AMARTA Project to other potential partners and products; to up-scale the AMARTA
model through incorporation in a program of agricultural education and training with US
universities partners, especially in extension services at UNIPA Manokwari.
In addition to these activities assistance is recommended to governments in local scale
infrastructure planning which could assist in market access and service delivery from
Kecamatan. Technical advice in infrastructure planning could be linked to the pilot sites
for the CSC’s and connect with potential AMARTA enhancements
5. Democracy and Governance Program is recommended to consider redefining the point
of engagement of LGSP to focus on TOT. This could be achieved through providing
assistance to UNCEN to mount Master’s degrees in Business Management and Public
Administration to focus on government and political leaders
Additionally it is recommended to consider facilitating closer coordination and
collaboration between main adat groups to improve effectiveness of MRP. The host for
this assistance could be UNCEN through funding joint R&D through its Center for Legal
Studies. The following areas require attention:
• Mechanisms for just interlinking of customary and national statutory law;
• Advocacy in support of Papuan cultural protection: welfare dependency and social
Dysfunction.
• Conflict resolution (mindful of rapidly emerging issues in environment and ethnic and
religious differences).
6. Education Program is recommended to expand support for Papuan teacher training at
UNCEN under the DBE 2 but ensure teaching-practice management to support
graduates in rural postings.
Additionally it is recommended to engage with the Provincial Education and Training
Department to explore options for: financial and domestic incentives to allow teachers to
remain in school; to provide a framework of support for village teachers, including a
return to school inspectors or senior teachers at Kecamatan level; and engage with the
National Department of Education and the Provincial Department of Education to
develop options for distance education.
7. Health Program is recommended to support Puskesmas by facilitating linkages and
support through the proposed CSC’s; to promote improved training of mid wives (Bidan
Delima program); and to facilitate a specific needs assessment program in conjunction
with Province Health Agency to examine options for improved staffing of remote
locations.
8. Basic Human Services and Environment Programs are recommended to seek improved
efficiencies and capacities for PDAM in Jayapura and Manokwari to provide piped water
to new housing areas; to engage in awareness raising and behaviour change in relation to
water, sanitation and disease as part of the proposed Kecamatan CSC teams;
With respect to human resource and institutional strengthening in environmental
management, the focus is on the development of a regional environmental laboratory at
UNIPA in support of the MOU between UNIPA and Province BAPEDALDA.
With respect to issues of climate change to focus on community climate change
adaptation through agriculture and health systems management as part of Kecamatan
CSC teams in conjunction with the Economic Development Program.
With respect to land use planning to collaborate with the D&G program to work
towards resolution of just solution to customary vs statutory law in relation to land use
planning and the use and conversion of forests.
With respect to marine and coastal conservation to consider collaboration with the
USAID regional CTI program to enhance engagement with the Raja Ampat and Kaimana
marine protected areas and the BirdsHead seascape.
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