INOVASI 3 - Sumba, NTT Ecosystem Officer

at  Palladium Group Inc

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

The Ecosystem Officer will possess the following qualifications and experience:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Education or a related field from an accredited institution. A Master’s Degree in a relevant field is preferred.;
• Three years of proven experience in educational development programs within non-profit or development organizations. Experience in key areas of INOVASI, such as engagement with government and stakeholders, community participation, primary education, teacher quality development, school management and leadership, foundational skills, and/or GEDSI, is preferred.
• Good understanding of the Indonesian educational systems, mechanisms and procedures;
• Demonstrated strong organizational and communication skills
• Proven ability to achieve tangible results ;
• Ability to innovate, improvise and solve problems;
• Fluency in written and spoken Indonesian essential. Basic proficiency in English is an advantage;
• Politically and culturally sensitive, possessing qualities of patience, tact, and diplomacy.;
• Ability to manage stress, prioritize tasks, and remain flexible and accommodating under challenging circumstances.;
• Strong understanding of the Indonesian educational systems, mechanisms and procedures;
• Computer literacy, including proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and email ;
• Experience with DFAT or another development agency, especially within the education sector, is an advantage;

PROJECT OVERVIEW AND ROLE:

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.
The Program is implemented by Palladium on behalf of DFAT.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Purpose of the Position: The Ecosystem Officer is responsible for supporting initiatives to activate and enhance engagement, collaborations and partnership among education stakeholders within the education ecosystem, in order to improve both national and local policy development. Utilizing the goals and principles of INOVASI III as a framework, this role is crucial for enhancing educational outcomes.

Duties: Under the direction of Ecosystem Coordinator, the Ecosystem Officer main duties will include:

• Establish and maintain close liaison with key partners such as Dinas Pendidikan, BPMP, BGP, MoRA’s BDK, Provincial and district MoRA, DPRD, Teacher Training Institutes, Civil Society Organizations (CSO), and other relevant stakeholders to facilitate implementation of activities and initiatives;
• Facilitate processes and 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, while promoting the use of disaggregated data and evidence
• Coordinate closely with other Ecosystem Officers to to exchange experiences and insights to refine sub-national strategies, in order to strengthen district ecosystems and the contextual application of national policies.
• Seek technical inputs from and support the Ecosystem Coordinator in strengthening district ecosystems;
• Support the implementation of INOVASI’s GEDSI and climate change strategies at the provincial level. Collaborate with relevant units to guarantee that support is technically sound and is responsive to institutional contexts and realities;
• Coordinate with colleagues to ensure that education ecosystem interventions align with MERL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning), Communications, GEDSI, and climate change principles. Similarly, ensure these interventions benefit from the robust support of MERL, Communication, GEDSI, and climate change teams
• Plan, manage, and monitor the implementation of approved educational ecosystem interventions in partner districts. Ensure compliance with the agreed budget, work plan, and both INOVASI and donor regulations;
• Support the implementation of MERL related activities if needed.
• Supporting Provincial Manager and Ecosystem Coordinator to ensure the timely submission of all provincial project documentation and reports, including work plans, budget revisions, and monitoring plan adjustments
• Perform additional tasks as needed to achieve the objectives of the INOVASI Program and inline with candidate qualifications, as directed by the Provincial Manager or Ecosystem Coordinator