INOVASI 3 - District Consultant, East Java

INOVASI 3 - District Consultant, East Java

• Duration: 7 months, up to 84 days
• Location: Sidoarjo, East Java, with travel to other INOVASI areas as necessary
• This position is open to Indonesia nationals and permanent residents with authority to live and work in Indonesia, preference will be given to local candidates, and this is a consultant position.

Program Overview

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 managed by Palladium on behalf of the Government of Australia through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Purpose of Position

The strategy in INOVASI 3 focuses on strengthening the education ecosystem by providing inclusive education services, guided by principles such as PDIA (Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation), TWP (Thinking Working Politically), collaboration, locally led, diversity, inclusion, and evidence-based approaches.

East Java Province is one of the regions covered by the INOVASI 3 Program, which aims to strengthen the education ecosystem in East Java. INOVASI has collaborated with various stakeholders, including UPT Kemdikbudristek (BBGP, BBPMP), the Ministry of Religious Affairs Regional Office, BDK (District Education Office), and the East Java Provincial Government (Provincial Education Office, Bappeda, and Biro POD Setda), as well as Teacher Training and Education Institutes (LPTK). Additionally, there are collaborations with the Sidoarjo District Education Office to support the implementation of the Merdeka curriculum and with the Batu City Education Office for the PPKSP-PUSPEKA pilot program. At the provincial level, ongoing support includes the establishment of the Provincial Learning and Development Unit (ULD) through collaboration between the East Java Provincial Education Office, the Inclusion Working Group (Pokja Inklusi), and BBPMP East Java. Furthermore, efforts to strengthen the implementation of improving the competence of Supervisory Working Group (Pokjawas) in assisting madrasahs involve collaboration between BDK East Java and the Ministry of Religious Affairs Regional Office in East Java. INOVASI East Java continues its collaboration with BBGP East Java to conduct regular podcasts on disseminating best educational practices in East Java. In addition, it continues to provide limited support for the dissemination of best practices in literacy and numeracy learning, inclusive education (OPDis empowerement), climate change, and character education (BSAN) in the previous partner districts/cities, as well as providing full support to the partner districts.

Under the supervision of Provincial Manager, the District Consultant will support the provincial team and in carrying out key partner district for day to day activities in program support, event management, administration, and information management.

The District Consultant is responsible for supporting the implementation of program activities, monitoring and evaluation, assisting with publication, and completing administrative tasks within the partner district. To facilitate coordination, communication, and collaboration with regional government organizations, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and CSOs, they are willing to reside in the partner district in Kab. Sidoarjo.

Working with children

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

Responsibilities

Under the direction of Provincial Manager East Java, the District Consultant will provide support to the INOVASI Program activities implementation in East Java:

• Establish and maintain close relationships with key partners Dinas Pendidikan, BPMP, BGP, BDK, MoRA, DPRD, CSOs, universities (LPTK), Organisation of People with Disability (OPDis), and other stakeholders to facilitate implementations of activities and initiatives that strengthen the ecosystem.

• Facilitate activities aimed at strengthening the commitment and collaboration of government bodies and stakeholders. The goal is to implement and devise new policies and regulations that enhance the attainment of inclusive Minimum Service Standards including Rapor Pendidikan, while promoting the use of disaggregated data and evidence.

• Plan and coordinate all logistical aspects of provincial events and activities under direction of the Provincial Manager, including invitations and follow up on confirmation of participation and resource persons and ensure that they receive needed information;

• Support the implementation of INOVASI’s GEDSI and climate change strategies at the district level to ensure stakeholders are working towards creating learning environment that is safe, inclusive and sustainable. Collaborate with relevant units to guarantee that support is technically sound and is responsive to institutional contexts and realities;

• Work closely with the Provincial teams to ensure that activity arrangements are prepared in timely and compliant with applicable Palladium and DFAT regulations and policies;

• Assisting Provincial Staff to facilitate and compile implementation reports of activities in schools and district level, as well as support publication and collecting data, especially for coordinating the implementation of possible piloting activities at the district level to improve teachers’ and principals’ capacities and practices in curriculum and assessment, literacy and numeracy

• Participate actively in INOVASI meetings, take notes and minutes at key program meetings when requested;

• Other duties as may reasonably be required by the Provincial Manager and other staff Jatim with the incumbent’s qualifications and experience.

Qualifications and Experience Required

District Consultant will possess the following qualifications and experience:

• Minimum of 2 year of experience in office management and/or administration, especially in support function of education program;

• Experience in at least one of the following areas: teaching and learning, community participation in education, community development, literacy, numeracy, primary education, continuing professional development, assessment, school management and leadership, educational inclusion, gender in education, disability inclusive development in education and second language learning

• Able to use technology effectively to support the operations of a large program or organisation;

• Contacts with provincial government bodies is advantageous;

• High level proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and web browsers;

• Fluent Bahasa Indonesia, some proficiency in English preferred;

• Sound problem solving and decision making skills;

• Ability to work independently and as a part of a team.

• Applicants domiciled in Sidoarjo District are strongly preferred.

Closing date: 30 October 2026 at 23:59 GMT+7 Jakarta time.

Core Capabilities

Palladium’s Core Capability Framework defines the skills, behaviours, and performance standards expected at each level of the organisation. It underpins recruitment, leadership, performance management, career progression, and organisational design, while supporting a sustainable and ethical approach to business through equity, diversity and inclusion, safeguarding, and environmental responsibility.

About Palladium
Palladium is a global development and consulting firm, part of the GISI Consulting Group, working alongside some of the world’s leading project management and engineering organisations. We partner with governments, businesses, investors and communities to design and deliver complex programs that create lasting impact. With a presence across more than 90 countries, Palladium offers the opportunity to work on meaningful challenges, alongside talented colleagues, in environments where your work can truly make a difference.

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.

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability, or you are a neurodivergent individual, or for any other circumstance, please email our team at [email protected] and we will be in touch to discuss.

Safeguarding
We define Safeguarding as all the actions taken by Palladium to protect our people, communities where we work and our clients from harm, including Sexual Exploitation, Abuse or Sexual Harassment; Child Abuse in any form; Trafficking for sexual exploitation of adults or children and any form of Trafficking of children. We have zero tolerance for all forms of child abuse as well as sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment and zero-tolerance for inaction to prevent, protect against, respond to and report harm. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process. Our Code of Conduct and Child Safeguarding and Protection against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Guidelines have additional details.