Erlinda Ekaputri, Indonesia
With more than 12 years of experience in quantitative and qualitative research, monitoring and evaluation, and governance reform, Erlinda discusses her role on USAID’s LESTARI project.
Women in Development: This series focuses on the inspirational Tetra Tech women that take strides to make the world a more inclusive place.
Erlinda, “Linda”, is the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded and implemented by Tetra Tech LESTARI project. LESTARI is a five-year project designed to support the Government of Indonesia in reducing greenhouse emissions and conserve biodiversity in carbon-rich forests and mangrove ecosystems.
In 2012, Tetra Tech brought Linda on board as a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) specialist for the Indonesia Forestry and Climate Support (IFACS) project, where she mentored and trained technical staff on data collection methods, baseline development, and M&E tools and practices. Currently, as DCOP, Linda manages LESTARI’s activities in two of Indonesia’s largest islands, Sumatra and Kalimantan, which cover more than 6 million hectares of forest area. She also oversees the development of knowledge management strategies and identifies creative and effective ways of engaging stakeholders and policymakers.
Working for LESTARI, Linda has noticed that people start caring about forest preservation once they understand the connection between their livelihoods and the landscape. One of Linda’s favorite memories is an interview she had with a nutmeg farmer from Aceh, who received technical assistance for better seedling practices. Linda and her team assisted a few villages with the rehabilitation of the nutmeg forest area, and as a result, farmers were able to compete in the market and get better profits. This particular farmer earned 40 million rupiahs, which is significant in Indonesia, and was able to build a house for his family; he is grateful for the skills he has learned through LESTARI, as he continues to self-sustain his nutmeg farm.
“30 million people in Indonesia [who] depend on the forest as their source of livelihood. [Our] work is important because we are not only focused on the forest, but also on providing sustainable [solutions] for the people,” says Linda.
When asked about her management style Linda shares that getting to know her team on a personal level is essential; it’s an entry point for her to recognize their potential and provide them with the room to implement their ideas, while also staying in the corridor of LESTARI’s work plan and indicators.
Her strategy: “I have a discussion with the team, I tell them to forget about the indicators for a second and ask them about the one thing they are the most excited about. [Once] they share their kind of thinking, I try to [find] a connection or relation between their passion and our project’s mission,” says Linda. This approach is well-received among the team because they feel heard and are motivated to contribute to the project’s overarching mission. “They do every single activity with enthusiasm, and there are no burdens,” says Linda.
Promoting climate-smart ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, and conserving forested areas in Indonesia are not easy tasks, but Linda enjoys the challenge. She has witnessed the importance of ground checking and field experience when introducing new public policies, aimed to address the changing climate and biodiversity in the country, which has inspired her to continue furthering her education and obtain a master’s degree in public policy.
When Linda returns home and tells her children stories about her job; she talks about the animals who live in the forest including elephants, rhinos, tigers, and orangutans, but are sadly being threatened by human behavior.
“I try to keep it simple and tell [my children] that my friends and [I] are trying to protect the forest. They learn about climate change in school, [but] they don’t really understand it. I explain to them in a simple language the connection between climate change and disasters, and how the forest plays a significant role to avoid those disasters,” says Linda.
LESTARI means ‘everlasting’ in Indonesian, and Linda and her team work diligently to ensure the forest’s biodiversity continues to exist for generations to come.
