SurveyMETER held a Data Workshop for Policy on Wednesday, September 16, 2015, in the Mayor's Meeting Room of Balikpapan, East Kalimantan Province. It was held collaboratively with SurveyMETER, Balikpapan City Government, the Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS), and Australian AID support through the Knowledge Sector Initiative (KSI). It was a follow-up to the implementation of the Data-Based Policy Study (SKBD) where the City of Balikpapan was also a follow-up to the dissemination there, prior to carrying out the Elderly-Friendly City Study (SKRL).

The Mayor of Balikpapan, H.M. Rizal Effendi, S.E., Heads of offices, Head of related work units (SKPD) in the Balikpapan City Government, and the Representatives from the Knowledge Sector Initiative (KSI), as well as invited participants from other institutions, attended the event.

This workshop was a presentation and panel discussion from the four presenters, they are the Head of the City Planning Agency of Balikpapan, Ir. Nining Surtiningsih (Data Utilization as Material for Balikpapan City Development Policy), Director of Protection and Community Welfare of the Ministry of National Development Planning/BAPPENAS, Dr. Vivi Yulaswati, M.Sc (Data for Policy: A Reality and Challenges in the Region), Executive Director of SurveyMETER Yogyakarta, Dr. Ni Wayan Suriastini, M.Phil (Initiative to Use Research Results for Policy: Creating Balikpapan an Elderly-Friendly City), and also Division Head of SurveyMETER Yogyakarta, Dani Alfah, MPA (Data/Evidence-Based Policy). Roni Hermoko, S.E. (SurveyMETER), acted as a moderator.

SurveyMETER's board of trustee’s chief, Bondan Sikoki, MA, first commenced remarks, then Dr. Kharisma Priyo Nugraha from KSI delivered introductory remarks. H.M. Rizal Effendi, S.E. (the Mayor of Balikpapan) later provide a speech and hit the gong as a sign of the start of the whole series of events. (JF)