Depok, March 5, 2025 – The Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FIA UI), in collaboration with the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP UI), successfully held a Guest Lecture discussing government policy failures.

The event took place at the EDISI 2020 Auditorium, 4th floor of Building M, FIA UI Campus, Depok, featuring Prof. Ian Roberge, Ph.D. as the keynote speaker and Prof. Dr. Eko Prasojo, Mag.rer.publ. as the discussant.

Addressing the topic of “Bad and Ineffective Policies,” Prof. Ian explained that several criteria determine the success or failure of a policy.

“Policy failures can be caused by various factors, such as errors in implementation, insufficient human resources, or inappropriate timing,” Prof. Ian explained.

He emphasized that better policies can be identified and formulated through scientific research and evidence-based approaches.

“When studying bad policies, our goal is not to make policymakers or governments look bad, but to highlight how governments can do things right,” he added.

Sharing his teaching experience in Canada, Prof. Ian often reminds his students that the policies implemented—or neglected—by the government are crucial, as they can become life-or-death issues for certain groups.

He further explained that poorly managed policies could lead to crises and emergencies. In addition, ineffective policies not only undermine public trust in the government but also weaken the foundations of democracy.

Following Prof. Ian’s presentation, the event continued with a discussion led by Prof. Eko on “Causes of Policy Failures and Its Impact.”

Before the discussion began, Prof. Eko elaborated that the success or failure of a policy is influenced by four key factors: policy implementation, policy performance, policy environment, and policy design.

“To ensure effective policy implementation, it is essential to strengthen managerial, technical, and socio-cultural capacities. By enhancing the overall capacity of the bureaucracy, we can expect policy execution to become more effective,” Prof. Eko stated.

The lecture proceeded with an interactive discussion between the speakers and participants, both in person and via Zoom. The event concluded with the presentation of souvenirs to the speakers and a group photo session.

The event was moderated by Krisna Puji Rahmayanti, S.I.A., M.P.A., and attended by distinguished guests, including Prof. Dr. Dra. Retno Kusumastuti Hardjono, M.Si. (Dean of FIA UI), Prof. Dr. Teguh Kurniawan, M.Sc., Prof. Dr. Martani Huseini, along with several faculty members from FIA UI and the Department of International Relations.

This Guest Lecture attracted more than 100 in-person attendees and over 200 participants via Zoom Meeting.