Sponsored Article
Introduction
In this edition of sponsored articles, we are highlighting the great strides made by one of stratsea’s newest partners, Asatu Research & Insights.
Asatu, as it is colloquially known, is a firm that offers a variety of research-related services and has a special interest in the issue of sustainability, which is also a major theme in stratsea this year.
In early August 2024, we spoke to the two co-founders of Asatu, Rif’at Abdillah and Ifan Islami. They did not just share about Asatu’s operation but also their dream projects and the main challenges in the sphere of governance in Indonesia.
Democratizing Survey
The research firm has had a busy time. Asatu recently completed the first phase of an in-person survey on the urbanites’ awareness about the boycott movement, conducted in Bandar Lampung. Furthermore, it just presented its research findings to a client in the beauty industry regarding potential locations for market expansion.
Moreover, it has also engaged the University of Indonesia’s Department of Political Science for collaboration in preparing students’ career prospects, considering the perceived difficulty for political science graduates to find a suitable job post-graduation.
The firm’s busy schedule is not without reason. Clients reach out to the firm for the simplest demand: the need for more data in making decisions. Understanding this niche, the team at Asatu has been offering services that range from public perception and market surveys to situation analysis, intelligence gathering and social media monitoring.
Asatu engages in both quantitative and qualitative studies to meet clients’ demands, emphasizing on face-to-face data collection surveys as well as desktop research to ensure the quality of its findings. As stated in its social media posts, the firm is committed to serving as a knowledge partner to academics, government and the private sector, fostering data-driven decision-making at all levels.
It all began when co-founder Ifan had an epiphany while conducting a survey project during his previous engagement. In Indonesia, survey costs could be astronomical, to the point that they become prohibitive to certain segments of the market.
Ifan realized that it does not have to be this way – he figured out ways to minimize operational costs to attract different segments of the market. He set out to establish his own research firm, but not before engaging Rif’at, who – as a consultant in previous life – enabled Asatu to diversify its products beyond just surveying.
Hence, Asatu came about with the intentions of making data available to everyone and democratize survey in Indonesia. This translates into a more efficient cost for its services, attracting clientele from a variety of backgrounds – not just politicians who typically need to measure their popularity before deciding to run for office. Today, the firm is helmed by a core team made up of five to 10 members, all working remotely and only meeting occasionally in a designated warehouse – their temporary office – whenever they are preparing the logistics for a survey project. Their enumerators are locals from the designated area of their survey, whom Asatu engages through survey coordinators that are scattered throughout all provinces in Indonesia.
Research in Indonesia
The team’s background may lean heavily towards political science, but this has not limited their research scope. The team members have the capability to apply their knowledge and skills to clients’ demands. With the recent addition of another team member whose expertise lies in energy and sustainability, the team’s research portfolio only expands ever further.
Despite the variety of projects they have conducted for clients, the two co-founders continue to harbor a great desire to undertake a specific project in the future.
Both Rif’at and Ifan wish to conduct a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the socio-economic impact of the nickel mining industry in eastern Indonesia. As covered by various media, such as Tempo, lucrative nickel mines in places such as Morowali and Obi Island have created major concerns for the livelihood and health of the local communities, whose awareness of these concerns may remain low, especially if they weigh them against the short-term financial benefit they receive from mining activities.
The two co-founders would like to close this gap, aiming to obtain more data and analysis on this tension between the economic advantage of nickel mining and the environmental imperatives in Indonesia. It is hoped that Asatu could emerge as an expert in this subject, potentially becoming a knowledge partner for stakeholders such as the incoming Prabowo administration or academic institutions at a later stage. After all, sustainable development is a core tenet in Asatu’s operation.
It is not always butterflies and rainbows for Asatu, however. Ifan was quick to share that research work in Indonesia can be difficult, especially with regards to obtaining a formal permit or gaining access to a community that might not be so open to researchers from outside their kin. To illustrate this, he noted that simple research work that might span for a week in destination area could cost the team months in the process of securing permits, which must be obtained from various levels of government offices (e.g., provincial, municipal, district, etc.).
Ifan further added on to this, stating that a professor in Asatu’s team has been previously prolonged access to conducting research in an area, a fate that has also affected foreign researchers in Indonesia. He emphasized the importance of strategic connections in obtaining the elusive permit, which might be easily obtained in certain areas (such as Jakarta) but difficult in others.
Success and Opportunities
Despite its relatively young age, Asatu has proven itself to be a formidable force.
In the last legislative election (held in February 2024), Asatu contributed to assisting a candidate to win a seat in Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR). Its competitive pricing but high-quality output was a major factor here—the candidate was low on funds but was able to access the critical data obtained by Asatu due to its efficient survey costs.
This example is a testament to Asatu’s relevance. It hopes to continue supplying its service to politicians, corporations and other clients that otherwise might be denied opportunities because their pockets do not run very deep. The upcoming regional elections in November 2024 will become another test for Asatu, which was contracted to conduct multiple surveys for a running candidate in a contested area.
Moving ahead, it seems that Asatu’s service would continue to be in demand by clients who are affected by government policies and actions.
As explained by Rif’at and Ifan, the Indonesian government suffers from bad communication problems. The recent brouhahas involving Tapera and the massive import tariff hike exemplify this, sending confusing signals to the market as ministries and agencies give contradictory messages or do not transmit messages clearly.
Asatu can play a potentially big role amidst such chaos, providing clarity and directions to clients even as they navigate the situation to determine the best course ahead. If such problems continue to occur in the upcoming administration, Asatu would surely be getting a lot of calls from concerned clients.
