This working paper reflects on the experience of an Indonesian policy research institute in assessing the impact of its research on public services policies for the elderly in three Indonesian cities. Episode studies were used to assess the degree to which their research evidence informed policy processes and actors.

Investing in producing episode studies requires commitment on the part of the organisation's leadership to learn what works in their policy engagement and influencing activities. They also provide a great opportunity for learning and confidence-building among staff. 

This research was conducted by the Knowledge Sector Initiative (KSI), which is a joint programme between the governments of Indonesia and Australia. It seeks to improve the lives of Indonesian people through better quality public policies that make better use of research, analysis and evidence. KSI is a consortium led by RTI International, in partnership with Australian National University, Nossal Institute for Global Health and ODI.