INOVASI 3 - Deputy Program Director – Education Ecosystems and Subnational Management

Background
Indonesia’s Vision 2045 sets the goal for Indonesia to transition from a resource-based economy towards an advanced service, technology, and knowledge-based economy by the centenary of its independence (2045). The 2025-2045 National Long Term Development Plan emphasises the urgency of Indonesia’s human resource development to fully realise 2045 goals.

Faced however with persistent low student performance that is emblematic of a learning crisis, significant improvement in student learning will be required to reach Indonesia’s 2045 goals. Government of Indonesia (GoI) has started an ambitious program of education reforms. Successive education ministers have set out to modernise the education system through reforming the national curriculum and teaching and assessment approaches, to produce citizens with strong foundational skills, open minds, and inclusive values. 

Australia is a long-term supporter of the Indonesian basic education sector, with continuous investments supporting education quality improvements for the past two decades, including through the INOVASI program (Phase 1 2016-2020; Phase 2 2020-2023) that focused on supporting acquisition of literacy and numeracy foundational skills in early grades classrooms; exploring local problems and solutions; and generating evidence to inform government policy development and practices.

This third phase of INOVASI (2024-2027) builds upon the existing program’s approach and lessons learned and takes the focus on the development of foundational skills through to the end of the primary grades. Phase 3 will engage with priority issues of Australia’s development policy: gender equality, effective inclusion of children with a disability, responses to the climate change challenge in education. It will focus on the challenge of policy implementation and the gaps that exist between national policies and practices at district and school levels, and use the well attested-success of INOVASI’s local problem-based approach to continuously support policy development for effective fit between policy and implementation context.

INOVASI Phase 3 is implemented in 25 districts and cities across Indonesia, in the provinces of West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, North Kalimantan, East Java, West Java, and Maluku. The program also works in Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN).

The Program is implemented by Palladium on behalf of DFAT.

Purpose of the Position
The Deputy Program Director – Education Ecosystems and Subnational Management will be a senior member of the INOVASI leadership team with overall responsibility for the strategy, design and technical delivery of INOVASI’s provincial programs. He/she will be responsible for overseeing the effective and efficient management of sub-national implementation, ensuring that project implementation is in line with approved program plans; is responsive to changing program requirements; and is in line with Palladium, DFAT, and GOI regulations. The Deputy Director – Education Ecosystems and Subnational Management oversees Provincial Managers, teams, budgets and activities, to ensure provincial strategy design, planning, implementation and evaluation meets both program and partner needs. The Deputy will also oversee the School Ecosystem Development Manager, whose work ensures that technical strategies to support schools are coherently embedded within subnational implementation using the district ecosystem approach.

The Deputy Director plays a critical role in anchoring district-level support structures to actual change within schools by ensuring the work of the Provincial Managers and the SED Manager ultimately contributes to sustainable practice-level changes in teaching and learning, leadership, inclusive environment, and whole-school transformation (EOPO-2).


Working with children
Is this position likely to come into contact with children? ☒ Yes☐ No

Duties
Under the direction of Program Director, the Deputy Director – Education Ecosystems and Subnational Management will:

Provide leadership, direction, and management oversight to INOVASI’s provincial implementation in the six target provinces of NTB, North Kalimantan, East Java, East Nusa Tenggara, West Java and Maluku.Oversee Provincial Managers and provide managerial guidance to provincial teams to support effective and efficient sub-national implementation. In coordination with the Program Director and other Deputy Directors, support Provincial Managers on provincial management and implementation issues in the provinces, providing troubleshooting when needed.In coordination with the Program Director and other Deputy Directors, ensure coordination, linkages and alignment between national education priorities and subnational implementation activities. This includes ensuring synergy and effective collaboration between policy, implementation and operations teamsOversee and approve provincial implementation plans, program activity concepts and budgets, as per INOVASI procedures; In collaboration with other members of the INOVASI leadership team, support the timely and quality completion of required program plans and reports and ensure that all program materials comply with DFAT policies and proceduresOversee the high-level provincial budget and confirm the budget allocation between the six INOVASI target provinces based on INOVASI forecasts and approved yearly budgets. Approve and oversee the implementation of program activity concepts, as well as the provincial budget plans and spending. Ensure implementation and budget spending follow approved plans and budget allocations.Provide strategic and technical oversight to the School Ecosystem Development Manager to ensure coherence with national reform priorities and cross-program integrationOversee and ensure the provincial part of INOVASI Risk Management Matrix is maintained and updated as needed. Follow up with relevant INOVASI Provincial Managers and teams to update this provincial part of the risk matrix on a quarterly basis. Highlight technical risks to INOVASI Program Director and liaise with INOVASI Managers to manage, address and mitigate those risks;Liaise with both national (in coordination with the Program Director other Deputy Directors), and subnational governments to establish all needed MoUs to support subnational implementation and office establishments. In coordination with Provincial Managers, lead negotiations with subnational governments to secure INOVASI offices in appropriate premises.Lead the development of provincial implementation strategy and district selection strategy. Ensure provincial implementation approach and priorities are in line with INOVASI provincial resources and available funding.Ensure technical implementation in the provinces is coordinated and in line with the technical guidance provided by the national Policy, Communications and MERL teams and consultantsEnsure provincial activities integrate, cover and address the GEDSI and Climate Change priorities and guidance provided by the national GEDSI and Climate Change teams and consultants.Support engagement with senior counterparts at national level and in provincial and district governments in INOVASI partner provinces when needed, to ensure effective implementation of activities and application of scaling and sustainability strategies.Provide capacity building on leadership and management to INOVASI Provincial Managers and School Ecosystem Development Manager teams when required, such as in whole staff meetings, internal trainings or one-on-one mentoring.Establish, promote and maintain a one-team approach across the provinces, and across national and subnational teams.Build and maintain effective relationships with Program stakeholders, including GoI counterparts in MoEC, MoRA and Bappenas, DFAT and other programs and development partners.Lead and/or contribute to reports, briefs, program activity concepts, and other knowledge products for a range of stakeholders to inform and advance the overall objectives of INOVASI, and contribute to INOVASI program reporting to DFAT as required.Serve as acting Program Director as assigned by the Program Director on specific topics or during periods of absence, and as Palladium’s alternate liaison to DFAT, GoI, local organisations, and program partners as required.Other duties as may reasonably be required by the Program Director, consistent with the incumbent’s qualifications and experience.

Qualifications and Experience

The Deputy Director – Education Ecosystems and Subnational Management will possess the following qualifications and experience:

Advanced degree in education or relevant development subject or appropriate tertiary qualification and significant, relevant experience in education, teaching, public policy, or international development.Minimum of 15 years’ work experience working in education or social development programs.Substantial experience in senior management positions and demonstrated ability to lead and manage teams and programs of work to achieve results, including experience managing subnational activities.Demonstrated ability to identify new opportunities or activities and oversee these from concept through to full implementationDemonstrated understanding of basic education and the challenges and conditions for improving and sustaining quality education within a decentralized environment in Indonesia.Experience working with counterpart ministries, knowledge of the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Ministry of Religious Affairs, and Bappenas structure and policy and program planning processes.Experience with DFAT or other development agencies, preferably within the education sector;Sound problem solving and decision-making skills; ability to work independently and as a part of a teamExcellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Bahasa IndonesiaA high level of integrity, initiative, adaptability, and ability to perform in a high-pressure environmentA proven ability to work in a flexible and adaptable way in a dynamic environment, andA strong track record of working collaboratively and productively within dynamic teams.

INOVASI encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, and others from underrepresented groups.

Application closes 30 July at 23:59, Jakarta Time

INOVASI has zero tolerance for child abuse and exploitation. All successful candidates will be required to adhere to our Child Protection Policy and will be subject to background checks as a condition of employment.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion - Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.
Women are encouraged to apply