USAID ERAT Enables Provincial Innovation Hubs to Foster Improved Innovation Environment
Program Year: 2024
On November 14, 2023, the East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur, NTT) provincial government in Indonesia successfully launched its innovation hub, Lopo Inovasi Flobamorata. The Asia Foundation’s USAID ERAT (Effective, Efficient, and Strong Governance) supports provincial governments to establish and operationalize provincial innovation hubs. The initiative aims to strengthen coordination, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among provinces for effective innovation management. In 2023, the success of the support provided by USAID ERAT culminated in the launch of innovation repositories called the Public Service Innovation Network (Jaringan Inovasi Pelayanan Publik, JIPP) in four ERAT-supported provinces. The innovation hubs have led to the development of various types of public services, including community empowerment aimed at addressing extreme poverty in West Kalimantan, a monitoring system to prevent stunting in North Sumatra and South Sulawesi, and a movement to return to school in Banten. These initiatives are managed by the respective regional organizations and disseminated to the public through socialization efforts.
Acting Governor of Nusa Tenggara Timur, Ayodia Gehak Lakunamang Kalake, remarked, “NTT needs to accelerate its development to serve its citizens. Lopo Inovasi Flobamorata creates an enabling environment for subnational governments and public service providers to foster innovation in delivering high-quality services.”
USAID Indonesia Mission Director Jeff Cohen added, “The Lopo Inovasi Flobamorata hub will help innovators document their innovations and good practices systematically and provide access for others to study and replicate these successful innovations in other places.”
NTT’s Innovation hub launch was preceded by three other provinces: West Kalimantan launched its JIPP portal SARIVA. Banten and North Sumatra provinces each launched their innovation repository portals, JARI Banten and SIRINOV SMART. These web-based innovation platforms function as repositories of local innovations to promote knowledge management and serve as a resource for learning materials and exchanging insights. Each innovation hub hosts the annual Provincial Public Service Innovation Competition (Kompetisi Invovasi Pelayanan Publik Provinsi, KIPP Provinsi) to identify, commend, and advance outstanding public service innovations from regional apparatus organizations and local innovators. With support from USAID ERAT, the provincial government established these platforms and enabled the hub’s incubator team to assess and select the best initiatives in the province. This includes coaching the innovators and participation in national competitions such as JIPPNas by PAN-RB, Innovation Government Award (IGA) by the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Public Service Innovation Competition (Kompetisi Inovasi Pelayanan Publik, KIPP) by the National Development Planning Agency.
Establishing the web-based repository platforms underscores North Sumatra, Banten, West Kalimantan, and East Nusa Tenggara’s commitment due to the previous peer-to-peer learning innovation hub workshop in September 2022. During the workshop, the Minister of Administrative and Bureaucracy Reform (PAN-RB) made an impromptu visit and delivered brief remarks to the participants. He emphasized the significance of promoting innovations to address local development issues and stressed the need for thorough monitoring of the impacts of these innovations. Looking ahead to 2024, USAID ERAT will continue supporting and fostering innovations to enhance local public service delivery.
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