The SKALA Steering Committee Meeting, held on March 21, 2025, at Bappenas, reinforced the partnership between Indonesia and Australia in enhancing subnational governance and inclusive service delivery. SKALA focuses on public financial management, Minimum Service Standards (SPM), data use, and GEDSI (Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion). The meeting aligned SKALA’s priorities with Indonesia’s national development agenda under Presidential Regulation No. 12 of 2025. Key achievements since 2023 include improved data quality, better participation of vulnerable groups, and support for efficient budgeting. The Committee emphasized scaling up good practices and institutionalizing reforms, reaffirming both countries’ commitment to sustainable governance improvements.

Indonesia’s long-term development plan (2025–2045) envisions inclusive and sustainable growth with social transformation at its core. It aims to ensure that basic services are accessible to everyone, regardless of background, identity, or ability. However, for women, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, this vision often remains out of reach. To bridge this gap, it is essential to incorporate their voices and experiences in the development planning process.
A key mechanism for this is the Development Planning Consultation (Musyawarah Perencanaan Pembangunan/Musrenbang), as outlined in Law No. 25/2004 on the National Development Planning System. This bottom-up process empowers communities to set local priorities.

A 2024 United Nations Report states that sea levels have been rising faster since the 20th century compared to previous centuries. In Indonesia, the annual rise is between 0.8 and 1.2 centimetres, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. These figures are not just statistics, but a reality for coastal areas such as West Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Barat/NTB), home to 5.56 million people, 42% of whom live on the coast. Rising sea levels signal the urgent need for action and adaptation to a changing climate. To address this challenge, NTB held a workshop on “Data Innovation: Planning and Budgeting for Climate-Adaptive Basic Services” on 11 November 2024, in Mataram. The workshop combined policy presentations with interactive discussions. Participants mapped risks and opportunities in the health, education, and social sectors.

Indonesia through its Law No. 1 of 2022 which expands the fiscal space for local infrastructure development. The law mandates that by 2027, at least 40 per cent of Local Budgets (Anggaran Pendapatan dan Belanja Negara/APBD) must be allocated for public service infrastructure. North Kalimantan is a strong example of local implementation of this policy. With a fiscal capacity of IDR 3.12 trillion – 69 percent of which comes from central government fiscal transfers – the province has prioritised infrastructure investment. In 2024, North Kalimantan allocated 39.02 percent of its budget to public service infrastructure, including initiatives to expand household access to electricity and renewable energy.

“In West Nusa Tenggara, SKALA has adopted an inclusive policy for its office environment. In the office kitchen, the placement of sugar, coffee, creamer and tea must remain in the same order. If the positions are changed, I might accidentally mix my coffee with tea,” joked Jaka Yusuf, SKALA GEDSI Coordinator in West Nusa Tenggara, who is blind. A disability activist who moonlights as a comedian under the name Blindman Jack, Jaka uses comedy—both humorously and satirically—to raise public awareness about disability inclusion.

The Vision of Golden Indonesia 2045, outlined in the National Long-Term Development Plan 2025–2045, prioritizes gender equality and inclusive societies. These objectives are reflected in the “Asta Cita,” the eight aspirations of the president and vice president, particularly Asta Cita 4, which focuses on gender equality, human resource development, and strengthening the role of women, youth, and people with disabilities. Within this framework, the Gorontalo Provincial Government, supported by the Australia-Indonesia Partnership Program SKALA, is improving services for victims of gender-based violence (GBV).

As part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, SKALA hosted a Knowledge Sharing Session on “Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Access to Basic Services” on November 26, 2024. The event featured founder of Yayasan Bumi Sehat Robin Lim, and Expert Staff to the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection in Legal and Human Rights Affairs Indra Gunawan, who shared insights and lessons on addressing GBV.

Indonesia has prioritised gender mainstreaming (Pengarusutamaan Gender or PUG) with the issuance of Presidential Instruction No. 9 of 2000 on Gender Mainstreaming in Regional Development. In Maluku, technical regulations, such as the Governor’s Decree No. 200 of 2019, established the Gender Mainstreaming Working Group.
Recognizing the need for dedicated regulations, the Maluku Provincial Government began drafting a Provincial Regulation on Gender Mainstreaming (Perda PUG) in 2021. SKALA supported this effort through technical inputs in partnership with the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) and the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (KPPPA) to create a foundation for gender-responsive planning in Maluku.