Legislative Strengthening Programs in Indonesia

The programs aimed to strengthen the legislative branch in Indonesia, with a focus on its role in promoting economic and social development. The report examines the relationship between legislative engagement activities supported by foreign assistance and legislative actions tied to economic and social development policies. It assesses the role played by the political and social environment in which legislatures function, including the relative strength of the legislature vis-à-vis other sectors of government, legislative capacity, and the relationship between parties and underlying cleavages in society. The report reviews the various phases of USAID's legislative support activities, including first-generation activities directed at the legislature itself and second-generation activities focused on civil society advocacy and constituent relations roles. It asks questions related to legislative strengthening and modernization, including the impact of traditional approaches on legislative output regarding economic and social developmental goals, the most effective approaches, and the advantages and challenges of the modernization approach. The report also assesses legislative engagement programming, including its relationship to USAID development goals in other sectors, the natural interfaces between legislative and other sectoral programming, and the incentives for other sectors to engage in integrative programming. It notes that legislative support approaches that can most directly influence the legislature's ability to promote economic and social development include the ability to access data and information, the capacity to develop and shape relevant legislation, and the creation of a budget development and analysis capability. The report focuses on two case studies – Indonesia and Viet Nam – which illustrate the current trend towards legislative engagement activities that connect to other sectoral programming. It concludes with recommendations relating to legislative engagement programming specifically directed toward social and economic development, including the need for an informed legislative community to advocate for policies and serve as an information resource for the legislatures. In Indonesia, the legislative strengthening programs were implemented through the Program Representasi (PROREP), which aimed to strengthen the capacity of the People's Representative Council (DPR) to engage in policy-making and oversight. The program focused on improving committee functioning, developing rules of procedure, and enhancing the capacity of legislators to engage with constituents and civil society organizations. The report notes that the PROREP program had a positive impact on the legislative branch in Indonesia, with improvements in committee functioning, increased engagement with civil society organizations, and enhanced capacity of legislators to engage with constituents. However, it also notes that there were challenges related to the program, including the need for sustained support and the importance of integrating legislative engagement programming with other sectoral programming. Overall, the report highlights the importance of legislative strengthening programs in promoting economic and social development, and notes that legislative engagement programming can be an effective way to achieve this goal. It recommends that USAID and other development agencies prioritize legislative engagement programming and provide sustained support to legislative strengthening programs in Indonesia and other countries.