In July 2017 Kopernik was engaged by The David & Lucile Packard Foundation (“Packard Foundation”) to evaluate the gaps in support that Indonesian emerging environmental leaders currently face and to design a leadership program that would address such gaps.
Packard Foundation has been supporting organizations working on protecting places, resources, and livelihoods in Indonesia for nearly two decades focusing on marine, palm oil, and sustainable agriculture sectors. The leadership project was launched with an aim to increase the strength of the environmental and social sustainability sector in Indonesia, and to lead to the development of a set of new organizations and institutions in-country, staffed by capable and effective leaders, that are increasingly working together to advance important policy decisions and management practices in support of long-term environmental and social sustainability.
Our findings show an appetite for opportunities to develop hard, soft and transformative leadership skills and an engaged network of fellow leaders.
Over the course of the research, Kopernik conducted 53 interviews with a range of respondents that included: potential leadership program candidates, past leadership program participants, leadership program implementers, funders and potential host organizations. The team also reviewed several studies on the effectiveness of leadership training. We found that while a number of leadership programs already exist in Indonesia there’s an appetite among emerging environmental leaders for opportunities to develop hard, soft and transformative leadership skills and for an engaged network of leaders across different environmental sectors that receive continuous networking and mentorship support.
Based on the analysis of this research, Kopernik’s experience and understanding of the Indonesian context and collaboration with the Packard Foundation team, a design has been developed for the Emerging Environmental Leaders Program in Indonesia. The proposed leadership program would provide its participants with the ability to:
- Form meaningful connections with a diverse group of other emerging leaders in Indonesia.
- Develop a holistic mix of hard, soft and transformative leadership skills needed to lead an organization, team and to influence policy.
- Participate in an active alumni network following the completion of the program that continues to provide peer support over the longer-term.
- Access personalized mentorship to guide them in developing and strengthening their individual programs or organization.
- Receive financial support as committed leaders to advance promising projects and ideas.
To learn more about the insights from the research as well as the details on the new emerging environmental leadership program design, see the attached report.
