Contact Person: Siti Fatimah, Director
Address: Jalan Eceng No. 4, Talagabodas, Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat, Indonesia 40263
Telephone: + 62 22 730 7023 / 62 22 7078 7931; Fax: 62 22 730 7023
Email: bigs@bdg.centrin.net.id;
Website: www.bigs.or.id

Bandung Institute of Governance Studies (BIGS) was founded in 1999 and switched into a non-profit and non-government association in 2006. BIGS promotes a level playing field in Indonesia through civil society strengthening, democratization, and the development of transparent, participatory and accountable government institutions.

BIGS has focused on budget-related work since 2001. BIGS selectively works on issues involving education, health, economy, and the environment. BIGS’ main activities involve research and advocacy on the following issues: budget transparency, public service accountability, political process, and local and institutional development.

BIGS draws heavily on the support of national and international donors. It involves volunteers with knowledge and skills relevant to its organizational needs to support its work. It gets support from local and international partner organizations such as the following: International Budget Partnership (IBP), European Union, The Brookings Institution, Result for Development (R4D), the Minister of Women Empowerment of Republic Indonesia, National Democratic Institute (NDI), Local Governance Support Program (LGSP-USAID), Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), Partnership for Economic Growth (PEG) USAID, Ford Foundation, Civil Society Support and Strengthening Program (CSSP) USAID and the World Bank (WB).

BIGS’ projects include the following:

  • “Monitoring on Ecosoc Rights Fulfillment both in Obligation of Conducts and Obligation of Results in Education, Health and Economic Sectors by Civil Society Engagement in Implementation of National Action Plan of Human Rights (RANHAM),” a program that will run from 2010-2014;
  • “Gender-Responsive Decentralized Governance in Kabupaten Bandung Barat”;
  • “Research and Advocacy of Public Expenditure Tracking Survey in Schools (Case studies in Kota Bandung and Kabupaten Bandung Barat) in Indonesia”; and
  • “Advocacy in Promoting Budget Transparency and Accountability: The Initiative to Promote Citizen Budget in Indonesia”

BIGS’ work involves creating equal access to information pertaining to the budget and the budget process. Since 2002, BIGS has published BUJET (Sundanese language for “budget”) magazine, with a circulation of 100, monthly. It includes articles on the impact of the budget on the various aspects of life of citizens.

BIGS was featured in a World Bank special report entitled “Making Services Work for the Poor in Indonesia: Improving Budget Transparency in Bandung City, West Java” in July 2005. A film entitled “Best Practice of Innovative Work in 2007 was aired on the TVRI station and a private station. BIGS’s works in the budget sector have been subjects of case studies and serve as models for study.