BRIN pushes GIS implementation to strengthen evidence-based policy

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is encouraging the implementation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to formulate evidence-based public policy using spatial data, with various measurable and accountable economic or social variables in the era of digital transformation. Head of BRIN’s Governance, Economy, and Public Welfare Research Organisation (OR TKPEKM), Agus Eko Nugroho, said on Saturday that this data is crucial so that policymakers can map regional problems with precision, from mitigating economic inequality to determining priority locations for public services. “GIS must be seen as an opportunity to bridge the gap between social and economic aspects in development planning so that public policy can utilise data and technology optimally,” he said. Researcher at BRIN’s Public Policy Research Centre (PRKP), Adib Ahmad Kurnia, highlighted the role of spatial analysis in understanding urban economic dynamics that are often missed by conventional statistical data. He assessed that the use of GIS helps the government map the spatial behaviour of creative economy activities and intervene in regional economic inequality in a more targeted manner. “Spatial analysis can visually depict how the process of regional economic inequality occurs, including the processes of suburbanisation and industrialisation, so that policy interventions are no longer spatially blind,” said Adib. In line with this approach, PRKP BRIN Researcher Rahmat Husein Andri Ansyah provided an international perspective through research titled “Site Suitability Analysis for Accessible Public Service in Urban Area Case Study: CBHC in the City of Boston” for more accessible public services. In the study, the combination of GIS with multi-criteria decision modelling proved capable of producing policy recommendations that are not only evidence-based but also measurable and accountable. “With this approach, we can ensure that the development of public facilities truly provides social justice for vulnerable groups who are often left behind in urban development,” said Andri, who is continuing his studies at the McCommack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston.