Initiating Collaborations on Climate Change in Indonesia

The Context

Indonesia, the world’s largest island country, faces severe climate challenges, including rapid deforestation and increasing carbon emissions. Addressing these issues requires collaboration between a wide variety of actors. The Think Climate Indonesia (TCI) Initiative, a partnership between Canada’s International Development Research Center (IDRC) and the Oak Foundation, was launched to empower Indonesian policy-research organizations (think tanks) in shaping climate-related public policies. This initiative aims to foster cooperation among these organizations, ensuring they can work collectively to build climate resilience.

 “The issue is so big that it cannot be resolved by one organization only.” Dean Affandi, Senior Manager for Research, Data, and Innovation at WRI Indonesia.

Purpose and Objectives

The TCI Inception Workshop was designed as a foundational step in the initiative, with the following key objectives:

• Understanding each think tank partner’s context and expertise

• Initiating collaboration and building a strong community

• Encouraging cross-project engagement and knowledge sharing

• Identifying common data needs and potential areas for joint research

• Establishing a shared vision or goal for future collective efforts

People Involved

The workshop brought together members from five Indonesian think tanks engaged in climate research and policy advocacy, including:

• Yayasan INOBU – Sustainable agroforestry for climate mitigation & adaptation in four provinces (NTT, Jambi, Papua Barat, Sulawesi Tenggara).
  

• WRI Indonesia – Social forestry’s role in climate adaptation & food security (Riau Province).
  

• PATTIRO – Forest & land rehabilitation impacts on climate mitigation & farmers' livelihoods (East Kalimantan).
  

• Yayasan Kota Kita – Climate footprint studies in Indonesian cities (Jakarta & Solo Raya).
  

• Kemitraan – Sub-national climate governance focusing on low-emission agriculture & food security.
  

“The initiative gives an increased role to think tanks in Indonesia, who are usually forgotten by traditional funders. The selected think tanks are key organizations that conduct research in order to help shape public policies.” Melanie Robertson, Senior Program Specialist at the IDRC’s Climate Resilient Food Systems division

Workshop Process

The Inception Workshop was a three-day virtual event designed to be highly interactive, avoiding traditional monologue-style presentations. The process included:

• Speed Networking: Facilitating quick yet meaningful introductions among participants

  
  

• Future Headlines: Imagining an ideal future if the initiative succeeds and identifying key milestones
  

• Exploring Barriers: Understanding obstacles that might hinder progress toward that envisioned future
  

• Island Nations Mapping: Representing each think tank as a “nation” to visualize their roles, functions, and interconnections
  

• Capacity Building: Providing guidance on effective presentation skills
  

• Project Presentations and Peer Feedback: Each think tank shared its ongoing work, receiving constructive feedback from peers

  
  

The Environment

Creating an engaging and dynamic online environment was essential to the workshop’s success. The facilitation team:

• Used innovative digital tools to enhance participation and interaction
  

• Designed a seamless online experience that kept participants actively engaged
  

• Ensured all workshop outputs were systematically captured and consolidated for future reference

  
  

Output & Impact

The workshop led to several significant outcomes:

• A synthesis report documenting key discussions, insights, and next steps
  

• A foundation for future collaborations between the think tanks, fostering joint research and projects
  

• A culture of active listening and productive feedback, strengthening working relationships
  

• Momentum for further engagement, as Inclusive Innovation later facilitated two additional peer-learning workshops to build on this initial gathering

“It was about finding new, original ways to share the information with one another, like when think tanks were invited to pretend they were five nations living together on an island. The workshops kept surprising think tank members with new activities, making time fly and leaving no time nor desire to check our emails.” Melanie Robertson, Senior Program Specialist at the IDRC’s Climate Resilient Food Systems division

Interested in learning more about the two workshops? Check out our workshop reports:

• TCI Inception Workshop

• TCI Peer-Learning Workshop