How Suluh Penggugah transforms effective communication in civil society organizations

Everyone aspiring to foster change envisions a better Indonesia, and civil society organizations (CSOs) serve as key instruments in realizing this vision. The attainment of their objectives hinges on effective communication, which is crucial for garnering support from the community and other institutions.

Donors and CSOs have spent years on capacity-building programs, but there are concerns about whether the conventional training approach yields significant progress. Most asynchronous, self-paced online courses typically only boast a 7-13% completion rate. This realization prompted Yayasan Bahana to initiate Suluh Penggugah in 2023, an experiment to cultivate a proficient and inquisitive communication tribe within CSOs.

The will to upskill comes from within the individuals

Suluh Penggugah is designed to function like a dojo: both a training ground and a community of practitioners and lifetime learners of social change communication. In contrast to the conventional training approach, Suluh drove individuals to voluntarily register for the program. We disclosed the tuition fees, but registrants knew they were eligible for a full scholarship, underscoring the value of the classes. Because a sense of belonging is crucial, we designed the program to be cohort-based.

The three acts of learning: to meet, to learn, and to graduate to something bigger

Chosen participants joined two in-person introductory classes, facilitated by the Bahana Foundation and Roemah Inspirit (Roemi). Participants then engaged in a series of self-paced online classes (Data Storytelling or Effective Presentation, with Story of Change and Writing 101 as options), before an in-person intermediate class (Campaign for Social Change or Brand Building for Non-Profit Organizations).

As with any journey, some faltered, but most pushed through to the end

We invited 172 organizations that are grantees of the Ford Foundation, along with an open invitation to Luminate grantees and other CSO staff, resulting in 101 registrants from Ford Foundation grantees and 51 from outside; after selection, Suluh Penggugah enrolled 76 participants. The outcomes surpassed expectations: 48 of 76 participants (63%) completed the asynchronous classes.

Learning expands beyond the classroom

Some participants have already applied and disseminated the knowledge within their organizations. For example, Warniati from LPA NTB applied lessons from the Effective Presentation class to advocate on child jockey safety, and Yulidar from HWDI convinced her village government to allocate funds to assist people with disabilities.

What lies ahead for Suluh Penggugah and its alumni

The encouraging responses led us to believe this model is replicable and can build a sustainable learning environment for communication staff at CSOs.