Ahead of the Executive Education Program on Disaster Risk Finance (DRF) for Indonesia, jointly designed and conducted by Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) and the World Bank Group, to be held in March 2024, a pilot delivery was held at ITB, Indonesia, on November 23 and 24, 2023. The program, attended by 36 participants, was designed as an evaluative tool, enabling the teams to assess various aspects of the event. The key objective was to enhance the effectiveness of the full-scale event by establishing areas for improvement.

The event commenced with opening remarks from Ibu Rita Helbra Terini, S.E., M.E., (Senior Policy Analyst/Head of Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Project Management Unit, Fiscal Policy Agency, Ministry of Finance), Pak Tumbur Harapan Jaya, S.E., (Head of Risk Management Division/Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Grant Project Director, Indonesia Environment Fund, Ministry of Finance), Pak Irwan Meilano (Associate Professor and Dean at the Faculty of Earth Science and Technology, Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia) and Sumati Rajput (Senior Financial Sector Specialist, WBG). The speakers highlighted the importance of such a national-level education program, in furthering the DRF agenda in the country.

Day 1:

In the “Disaster Risk Financing (DRF) for Agriculture” session, speakers presented a general overview of the topic, with key insights into the planning, design and implementation of DRF strategies for the agricultural sector. The session also included information relevant to the perils and hazards in Indonesia, particularly West Java. In the “Indonesia’s Pooling Fund Scheme (Pooling Fund Bencana, PFB)” session, participants engaged in an interactive exercise exploring the fundamentals of the PFB. Expert speakers from key ministries and the WBG led a moderated panel discussion, allowing participants to contribute their insights. The “Master the Disaster” gamified simulation offered participants a hands-on experience on the fundamentals of DRF. The game allowed participants to apprehend the purpose, complexity, and scope of DRF; pick a combination of innovative DRF instruments; and compete with other countries to win the prize for “Best DRF Strategy.”

Day 2:

In the “Role of Data and Analytics in Disaster Risk Finance” session, attendees gained key insights into the importance of data in risk modelling and DRF analytics, and engaged in simulations illustrating the impact of accurate data on DRF decisions. The session included a case study on the analysis of damage and economic losses to education facilities and health facilities due to the tsunami in North Sulawesi and Gorontalo Provinces. The “Disaster Risk Finance for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)” session, the Financial Protection Academy’s first ever module on SMEs, elaborated on the critical role of DRF in post-disaster economic recovery for SMEs. Embedded within the session was an interactive case study that focused on managing impact to SMEs post natural disasters in a fictitious city. The “Syndicate Groups” session included engaging and collaborative discussions, and was a space for reflection on the day’s learnings. It provided participants an opportunity to clarify questions and collectively review their learnings.

The final segment of the program was dedicated to feedback, where the team from the WBG discussed and synthesized key feedback and suggestions from across the two days.

Key Takeaways

1. Participants provided valuable insights on how to tailor the program to the Indonesian context, drawing from relevant case studies from other countries. Specifically, they emphasized the country’s unique agricultural landscape and smallholder farmers' needs and cited successful models like India's Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) as examples for adaptation.
2. Participants suggested improving interactivity in training sessions by incorporating diverse activities like group discussions, role-playing, and simulations. They also recommended specific topics and discussion prompts to foster lively knowledge exchange among participants.
3. Participants offered detailed session-wise feedback to enhance the content, presentation, and relevance of each training session for success. They provided suggestions to strengthen the material’s applicability to the Indonesian context and recommended strategies to improve the presentation style and delivery.

The success of the pilot program sets the stage for the full-scale event in March 2024, where the collaborative efforts of ITB and WBG will continue to shape the discourse on DRF in Indonesia.