Dharendra Wardhana, PhD
Senior Planner (Perencana Ahli Madya)
Directorate of Manpower (Direktorat Ketenagakerjaan)
Ministry of Planning/National Development Planning Agency
Kementerian Perencanaan Pembangunan Nasional/Bappenas
With regards to professional experience, I have been working in the Ministry of Planning of Indonesia since 2006 under various working units. Since September 2020, I have been assigned in the Directorate of Manpower.
I obtained a PhD in Development Studies with reference to Emerging Economies at King's College London. My areas of research are in the fields of Development Economics, Decentralisation, Democratisation, and Social Protection, with a regional focus on Indonesia and South East Asia. My PhD thesis is "Have Decentralisation and Democratisation been Effective in Promoting an Inclusive Social Protection System in Indonesia? : A Comparative Case Study of the Implementation of Social Protection Programmes in Central Java" Prior to undertaking doctorate studies, I earned Sarjana (B.Sc) in Economics and Development Studies from Universitas Gadjah Mada in 2005 and Masters (M.Sc) in Economic Development and Policy Analysis from the University of Nottingham in 2010.
Address: Menara Bappenas (formerly Wisma Bakrie II), 7th Floor, Jalan Rasuna Said, Kav. B2, Setiabudi, Jakarta Selatan, 12920 DKI Jakarta
Email: dharendra.wardhana@bappenas.go.id
Curriculum vitae: Bahasa Indonesia - English
Peer-Reviewed Articles:
"Waiting for Indonesia’s Prosperity: Simple Analysis of Growth" (term paper during my Master's)
When will Indonesia join ranks of developed nations? That is the recurrent question asked not only by layman on the street but also by experts, policymakers, and academics. The question is intuitively raised in many occasions addressing different contexts of development. Growth is almost always associated with the rate of physical progress. To make it on the proper context in the best possible way, we often think growth as in the per capita definition. Bias on purchasing power disparity is nowadays dispelled by the measurement of adjusting indexes. Setting the ambitious standard using OECD countries as benchmark, I aim to find the length of periods entailed before Indonesia can reach “developed country rank”. In this short analysis, real GDP and population are variables to analyse, this is conducted using discrete and continuous growth rates for periods 1960-2014.
This paper is mainly aimed to measure labor supply shocks and their effects to national economy through “theory-guided view” mechanism by using such indicators as unemployment rate, real Gross Domestic Product, and real wages. By implementing structural VAR methodological framework, it makes possible to trace and to identify how an economy works through imposing restrictions in order to conform to theory. Our results suggest that long-term unemployment affected the process of policy making of both monetary and real sector in achieving objectives set in national development planning. (read more)
This paper is purposed mainly to reinvent tools widely utilized to know how aggregate economic growth or contraction was distributed according to initial levels of living. Ravallion and Chen (2001) has provided exemplary tool in assessing to what extent the aggregate growth process in an economy considered as pro-poor. The key measurement tool is the “growth incidence curve” which gives growth rates by percentiles ranked by income. (read more)
"Multidimensional Poverty Dynamics in Indonesia (1993 - 2007)" (Master's Dissertation, School of Economics, University of Nottingham - September 2010)
This paper provides micro-econometric analysis of the socio economic variables using Indonesian panel household surveys. The first topic is the determinants of multidimensional poverty for household, with special attention given to operationalise conceptual thinking of multidimensional poverty. The second topic adopts multiple correspondence analyses (MCA) in order to construct an index which better reflects poverty measurement. By adopting such an approach we are able not only to establish the key determinants of poverty but also to provide a micro-econometric perspective on defining factors and setting optimal weights. The third topic looks at how multidimensional poverty index can play a major role in observing whether people are trapped in poverty over long periods to establish the extent of chronic and transient poverty in Indonesia. (read more)
This literature review seeks to provide a comprehensive and systematic review of evidence concerning decentralization and its impact on vulnerable groups through social protection (SP) programs with the specific case of Indonesia. Having explored six major databases with various keyword strings, the results lead to considerable gaps in the knowledge base for decentralization and social protection, particularly for cases in developing countries. Most of the literature is ‘data free’, based on theory, assumption, or conjecture. Four key issues have been generated out of extensive search results. First, the weak correlation and varied results of decentralization implementation and local service delivery. Second, the impact of decentralization on SP is unclear. Third, a country’s current regulatory environment and administrative capacity, significantly determine the overall success of SP programs. Fourth is the potential features of decentralization that can be drawn upon to enhance SP. (read more)
"The Politics of Poverty Line in Indonesia" (in preparation)
The idea that ensuring a minimum level of living to all within a reasonable period have been a central objective of development. It is argued that a situation in which a number of population lived in abject poverty was unacceptable on moral grounds and that its eradication was prerequisite for progress. However, there are several contentious issues in measuring poverty in Indonesia. First, the need to redefine poverty line into internationally comparable standards. Second, the politics behind poverty line does exist with various backgrounds. Protracted debates on poverty line should be directed toward hands-on policies which guide to the improvement of social policy.
Riset tentang Covid-19 beserta dampak dan penanganannya sudah berjalan sejak pertama kali wabah ini merebak. Tinjauan kebijakan dalam berbagai disiplin memerlukan pendalaman dan yang terpenting kajian lintas-disiplin sehingga dikotomi kebijakan dapat diminimalisasi. Tulisan sederhana ini berupaya mengidentifikasi ruang dan potensi kajian yang relevan dengan penanganan dan kebijakan pasca-Covid-19 dalam berbagai disiplin dan perspektif... (read more)
This paper sets out an argument that Kuznets hypothesis—either Kuznets curve or Kuznets waves—is testable and might not hold depending upon the context. In order to better understand the proposition of Kuznets and its relevance to Indonesia, it is necessary to consider what happens across long periods of time (la longue durée) and to comprehend how watershed events affect the economy and the distribution of wealth. Analysis in this paper rely on various data sources ranging from conventional economic indicators, historical archives, to literary works. Fluctuation on Gini index in Indonesia might not be fully explained with Kuznets hypothesis although several aspects might influence inequality trends. (read more)
The purpose of this paper is to find the relationship between local direct elections and the change in social spending, controlling for GDP per capita, revenues and wide-range socio-welfare indicators at the regional level. This research uses a model of time-series cross-sectional panel data set for 33 provinces in Indonesia from 2001 to 2012. The main finding of this research is... (read more)
This article was initiated after the release of National Intercensal Survey 2015 (the publication of its analysis was in 2018). Within the debate of whether a demographic dividend in Indonesia will either bring benefits or cause problems in the future, I argue that the diversity and complexity of the Indonesian context require a somewhat broader perspective... (read more)
This book chapter is part of a publication commissioned by Asian Productivity Organization, a leading think tank on productivity based in Tokyo. The writings on this volume revolve around the impact of productive employment and employment quality on labor market performance across nine APO member countries, including dimensions like income, safety, and work-life balance, and recommend tailored policies to enhance both labor productivity and the well-being of workers. ... (read more)
Published Op-Eds:
Refleksi tentang Pembangunan Kesejahteraan (Kolom Opini, Jawa Pos, 20 Februari 2015)
AWAL tahun ini Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS) mengumumkan data terbaru kemiskinan. Meskipun terdapat penurunan jumlah penduduk miskin dari 28,3 juta jiwa (10,96 persen populasi) menjadi 27,7 juta jiwa (11,25 persen), tersirat adanya perlambatan laju turunnya angka kemiskinan. Akumulasi laju penurunan tingkat kemiskinan selama kurun sepuluh tahun terakhir sebesar 5,74 persen. Namun, tahun ini laju penurunan hanya 0,29 persen atau jauh di bawah rata-rata dekade terakhir sebesar 0,57 persen... (read more)
Precariat: The vulnerable middle class (The Jakarta Post, 4 May 2016)
Last month, I attended a lecture by Guy Standing, a prominent British academic cum social activist. His fame was largely built around his book The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class written in 2011 out of a growing concern for the specter of burgeoning temporary workers with neither careers nor job security... (read more)
Mengupas Problem Ketimpangan di Indonesia (Kolom Analisis/Opini, Harian Kontan, 2 Juni 2016)
Berbicara tentang topik ketimpangan ekonomi tidak lepas dari hipotesis ekonom Amerika Serikat bernama Simon Kuznets (1901-1985). Dia menyatakan bahwa pertumbuhan ekonomi akan disertai oleh peningkatan ketimpangan. Namun, laju ketimpangan akan menurun ketika pendapatan masyarakat telah mencapai titik tertentu. Apabila digambarkan dengan kurva, bentuknya akan menyerupai huruf U terbalik... (read more)
Indonesia in its post-colonialism development (The Jakarta Post, 6 December 2016)
Most people assume that Indonesia had inauspicious fate on being a former colony of the Netherlands, simply as a result of comparison with former British colonies, for instance. While that conjecture might not necessarily be accurate, there are some facts that most Indonesians barely notice. We seldom learn that not all members of Commonwealth nations become developed economies. For example, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sierra Leone are not sharing the similar prosperity as Malaysia or Singapore... (read more)
Show us the money (and other stuff) (New Mandala, 8 February 2017)
Recent controversies and massive protests surrounding the Jakarta 2017 gubernatorial election have shifted attention away from substantive discussion of each candidate’s platform. Taking a closer look, however, reveals that all candidates seem to replicate existing programs and policies in their campaign promises. Chief among these are social transfers.... (read more)
Problem Akut Ketimpangan dan Upaya-Upaya Mengatasinya (Tirto.id, 23 Januari 2018)
Masalah ketimpangan sosial masih bergelayut dan kian merisaukan. Para pengambil kebijakan dibuat pusing dengan problem kronis ini. Pilihan solusi yang tersedia sangat terbatas, sulit, sekaligus dilematis karena melibatkan tak hanya kapasitas teknis tetapi juga landasan ideologis... (read more)
Development, entitlement, and politics (Tempo.co, 10 July 2018)
In the midst of rampant negative news and seemingly gloomy prospects, the world's development within the last few decades have actually shown positive trend. Taken into the perspective of longue duree, the average world income per capita has been increasing dramatically... (read more)
Kebijakan 'Nudge' Bernuansa Agama (kumparan.com 18 February 2019)
Nudge. Satu kata yang belum jelas padanan tepatnya dalam Bahasa Indonesia. Mungkin untuk sementara dapat diterjemahkan sebagai "senggolan" atau "sentuhan" dalam konteks spesifik terkait kebijakan publik... (read more)
Indonesia into upper-middle income group (The Jakarta Post, 15 April 2019)
The World Bank analytically divides the world’s economies into four income groups: high, upper-middle, lower-middle and low. Countries that are categorized as upper-middle income are the ones with income per capita ranging from US$3,896 to $12,055... (read more)
Setelah Angka Kemiskinan Satu Digit (Kompas, 13 Februari 2020)
Dengan kondisi ekonomi dan kesejahteraan yang kian membaik, muncul pertanyaan penting: apakah alokasi anggaran yang besar untuk program penanggulangan kemiskinan masih dibutuhkan? (read more)
Learning from Yogyakarta in time of pandemic (The Jakarta Post, 14 October 2020)
When the government declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national disaster and decided to restrict public mobility in mid-April, I was stranded in Yogyakarta and worked from home for a good three months... (read more)
Normalitas Virtual Baru & Pemulihan Ekonomi (Bisnis Indonesia, 7 November 2020)
Sejak pertengahan Maret 2020, sebagian besar pekerja mulai fasih memanfaatkan piranti teknologi informasi dan komunikasi dalam pekerjaan sehari-hari. Sebelum pandemi melanda, teleconference hanya digunakan sebagai sarana pelengkap (komplementer) namun saat ini lebih terlihat sebagai wahana pengganti (substitusi) rapat konvensional. Tak jarang kita menemui seseorang terlihat hadir secara virtual pada lebih dari satu acara secara bersamaan... (read more)
Demographic bonus: The more the merrier the wealthier? (The Jakarta Post, 29 July 2021)
This was the title of my presentation at the 16th Indonesian Regional Science Association (IRSA) international conference held virtually two weeks ago. In choosing the title, I was inspired by a classic Indonesian adage, banyak anak banyak rezeki (each child brings its own fortune), that runs counter to the Malthusian perspective... (read more)
Tingkat Pengangguran Alamiah (Kompas, 17 Maret 2022)
Data BPS bulan Agustus 2021 memperlihatkan penurunan tingkat pengangguran terbuka (TPT) sejak masa pandemi. Hanya terdapat delapan provinsi yang mencatat TPT lebih tinggi dari angka nasional (6,49 persen) dan tak ada yang menyentuh angka double digit. Kondisi ini lebih baik dibandingkan tahun lalu ketika empat provinsi mencatat TPT di atas 10 persen. Sebelum dihantam Covid-19, indikator TPT sempat menyentuh level terendah sepanjang masa (4,99 persen). Empat tahun beruntun sejak 2016, TPT senantiasa mencetak rekor berada di bawah enam persen, yang kemudian terhenti saat pandemi merebak di awal 2020... (read more)
ASEAN labor market integration: United we stand tall (The Jakarta Post, 13 June 2023)
This article (published in The Jakarta Post, 13 June 2023) is an abridged version of my working report on my participation in Aus4ASEAN Digital Transformation and Future Skills Initiative short course in Australia (8-19 May 2023) and the 2nd ASEAN TVET Council Regional Policy Dialogue held in Bangkok on 30-31 May 2023... (read more)