Episode Negeri Mimpi

Communication Strategy for SEA in Indonesia

It’s join collaboration between me and Lisa Febriyanti.

As part of Otak Indonesia, we’ve been hired by Ministry of Environment, Republic Indonesia and Denmark International Development Agency (DANIDA) on one of their project component – Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) as part of the Environment Support Programme for Indonesia.

Scope of Our Work:

  • Preparation of a communication strategy for Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) in Indonesia
  • Defining primary and secondary target audiences for the strategy, and including communication strategy objectives
  • Suggest proper communication tools, and describe the advantages and disadvantages of each of them, taking into account coverage, timing, appropriateness and costs.
  • The communication tools should at least cover media production tools (brochures, pamphlets, and posters), media liaison tools (interviews, placement of articles, response to media queries) and advertisement tools (printed media: newspapers (national, regional, community), and magazines, and electronic media: radio, television, billboards, website, and blogs)
  • Prepare an action plan for implementation of the strategy (2008 – 2012), based on consultations with the Environment Support Programme (ESP) Team and the involved ministries.

Additional Info of Our Work

After the publication of the Danish Environmental Strategy for Environmental Assistance to Developing Countries 2004-2008, Indonesia and Denmark agreed to initiate an Environmental Sector Programme Support (ESPS) for the period 2006-2008. Later, in response to the tsunami disaster, it was agreed that a first phase be brought forward to 2005.

There are two components under the ESP I support, being component 1: Post-Tsunami Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Component, and component 2: Capacity Development for Environmental Management Component, each of them with a number of outputs.

Output 3 under component 2 is: Guidelines and functions for SEA and EIA at national, provincial and district levels developed, tested and disseminated to all regions. The activities under this output are led by the Ministry of Environment (KLH) as the core agency for development of regulations and guidelines on environmental assessment, with involvement of BAPPENAS, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), and Ministry of Public Works (MoPW).

As part of this output, the KLH will prepare and implement a communication strategy for introduction of Strategic Environmental Assessment to Indonesian stakeholders and society, as part of their communication of environmental management information awareness raising.

The communication strategy outlines how information will be disseminated to, and received from all key stakeholders and “clients”. It is supposed to identify the means/medium and frequency of communication between the different parties, and used to establish and maintain on-going communication. The Communications Strategy is a tool that will be used to reach the various Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) stakeholders. It will guide and/or assist the KLH, BAPPENAS, MoHA and MoPW to develop activities and messages appropriate to these stakeholders It is important that the public does not see SEA as an extra obstacle to finalize policies, plans and programmes, but as an iterative tool, supporting sound decision-making that is consistent with the principles of sustainable development.