Job Description

INOVASI 3 - MERL Officer West Java

• Duration: 1 year with possibility of extension
• Location: Cirebon, West Java with travel to provincial offices
• This position is open to Indonesia nationals and permanent residents with authority to live and work in Indonesia. This is a full-time national position

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.

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 the
Position:
The Provincial MERL Officer is responsible for the implementation
of the MERL plans at the provincial and district levels. INOVASI’s MERL Strategy described (i) the
program’s approach to assessing and reporting progress towards and achievement
of End of Program Outcomes (EOPOs) and Intermediate Outcomes (IOs), (ii) how
evidence generated by the MERL system will be used in program decision making,
adaptation, communications, and policy dialogue, (iii) the program’s research
agenda and how it will contribute to and support assessment of progress and
achievement of IOs and EOPOs, and (iv) the resourcing and roles and
responsibilities of the Performance and Learning (PNL) team. INOVASI’s MERL
will also support key
partners in the monitoring and
evaluation areas to ensure accountability and provide evidence for better
policy-making, system, and practice. Implementation
of the MERL Strategy will involve the Jakarta PNL team as well as MERL
personnel in each provincial team.

Under the supervision and direction of the Provincial Manager, and in
close coordination with the PNL team, the MERL Officer works with the provincial team to collect and generate
robust evidence of how district education ecosystem works and improves, what
interventions work, what does not, and under which circumstances, in support of
assessing and reporting progress towards achievement of EOPOs and IOs, as well
as of learning for the program improvement.

In addition, s/he is also responsible for ensuring that data is
adequately stored in the Program Data Management System (PDMS), training the team
to use the PDMS, coordinating the analysis, and facilitating utilisation of the
findings. Overall, the MERL Officer ensures an integrated and practical MERL
practices across programs, districts
within the province, and across provinces.

Duties: Under the
direction of the Provincial Manager and
in collaboration with the Monitoring and Learning Specialist, the Provincial
MERL Officer will:

1. Support the implementation of MERL Strategy and coordinate the provincial MERL plans across the province and all the targeted district partners.
   - Support the Provincial Manager in developing the annual provincial MERL plan, covering the aspects of monitoring, evaluation (supporting national evaluation and local evaluation if relevant), research (supporting national research and local research if relevant), and learning. The plan should cover both the province, in areas such as collaboration with BPG/BPMP, and all targeted districts.
   - In consultation with the Provincial Manager and through discussion with the broader team, set up the process and mechanism for implementation of the annual provincial MERL plan. This includes, but not limited to, streamlining and integrating the processes and mechanisms across the province and districts, and utilizing PDMS.
   - Ensure the implementation aligns with INOVASI ToC and Result Framework, capturing data and evidence on inputs, activities, outputs, and their contributions to Intermediate Outcomes (IO) and the achievement of the End of Program Outcomes (EOPO) Including the GEDSICC results as a cross-cutting issue; including how INOVASI contributes to those results and how the partner education ecosystem is enhanced..
   - Provide relevant data and information for the Provincial Manager and collaborate with the other provincial team members to analyse and synthesize the data, and collaborate with the Ecosystem Coordinator to facilitate regular reflection and learning within the internal INOVASI team and with the external parties (particularly at the district ecosystem level), using MERL findings to adjust program implementation. The outputs are agreed progress updates and follow up actions by the provincial team.
   - Coordinate the process in extracting findings from the provincial monitoring activities, and collaborate with the Provincial Manager and Ecosystem Coordinator to use the findings for reflection, iteration and adaptation.
   - Provide a comprehensive program progress update in responding to Key Question 1 – 4 as outlined in the MERL Framework for feeding the whole program reflection. The outputs are confirmed progress updates that will feed the Whole Program reflection.
   - Developing appropriate reports in various formats, such as PowerPoint presentations, fact sheets, flyers, or other reporting forms, in close coordination with the communication team.
   - Work alongside education and/or policy team members and communication staff, to help the provincial team facilitate the dissemination of learning activities to partners, aiding them to adjust program implementation based on their own monitoring and/evaluation results or those from INOVASI or other sources.
   - Support dissemination and sharing of MERL-related information and data across the provinces, districts, sub-districts or schools, including supporting the development of success stories, good/best practices and lesson learned.
   - Oversee the application of Program Data Base Management (PDMS) across the province and all targeted districts. This includes training designated personnel to enter data into PDMS (including grant partners), generating findings, and identifying relevant and useful results. Regularly review PDMS to ensure it is adequately updated by both internal INOVASI staff and targeted partners.
2. In collaboration with the Evaluation and esearch Specialist, support Evaluation and Research activities as needed at both provincial and district level.
3. In coordination with the Monitoring and Learning Specialist, support dissemination and implementation of learning activities at provincial and district level as required.
4. Serve as rapid response unit to collect quick performance-related data as required.
5. Contribute to INOVASI reporting tasks, such as monthly updates, semester reports, or PAF-DFAT reports by providing relevant districts and provincial data.
6. Ensure compliance with DFAT monitoring, evaluation and learning standards, which includes, but is not limited to, monitoring assumptions through the provincial risk register, child protection risk assessment, and maintaining proper practice in performing data collection (as required).
7. Facilitate and serve as a resource person, participating in any external supervision and evaluation missions as required by the Provincial Manager or Monitoring and Learning Specialist.
8. Assist in developing other Program activities and deliverables as required by the Provincial Manager or Monitoring and Learning Specialist.
9. Perform other tasks as reasonably required by either the Provincial Manager or the Monitoring and Learning Specialist, consistent with the incumbent’s qualifications and experience.

Qualifications:
The Provincial MERL Officer will possess the following qualifications:

1. Technical expertise in monitoring complex development program at subnational level; with a preference for experience in education sector, adaptive programs, and/or donor-funded programs.
2. Knowledge of education sector is preferred.
3. Proven ability to apply inclusive perspectives in monitoring, analysing findings, and covering aspects of gender equality, disability equity, and social inclusion. Experience is applying the three lenses is preferred.
4. Demonstrated ability in developing monitoring processes, collaborating within a team, overseeing implementation, and translating the MERL Framework into monitoring instruments and reports.
5. Proven ability in analysing monitoring, evaluation and research findings.
6. Strong computer proficiency, particularly in Excel, and ability to work with data-based platform; familiarity with other analysis software is an advantage.
7. Understanding of climate change issues is an advantage.
8. Demonstrated adaptability and ability to perform in a fast-paced, high-pressure, dynamic and ambiguous context.
9. Capacity to work both independently and as part of a team.
10. Demonstrated experience in managing and/or facilitating M&E staff/teams in various locations.
11. Strong interpersonal skills.
12. Ability to express opinions in English, verbally and/or in written is an advantage
13. Willingness and ability to travel at short notice.

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

Application closes on 17 August 2026 at 23:59 Jakarta Time.

Core Capabilities
Palladium’s Core Capability Framework for APAC Projects outlines the standard of performance and behaviours expected at each level within the organisation. It also provides a benchmark for assessing areas of potential strength as well as the identification of potential skill gaps or areas for development and improvement.
The Capability Framework forms the basis of how we recruit, how we lead and the behaviours we exhibit, how we manage performance excellence and develop our future workforce.
Our capabilities link to a number of other processes, policies and guidelines including:

• Performance management/ performance excellence - setting and maintaining standards and helping employees excel and develop
• Career Pathways including our Career Progression Framework
• Organisational design – identifying any skills gaps, outlining job roles and responsibilities
• Development, growth, learning, and training
• Sustainable business – going beyond compliance to ensure sustainable and ethical considerations are woven throughout everything we do.This aligns equity, diversity and inclusion; safeguarding; and environmental objectives

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity and inclusion across all activities. We promote a diverse and inclusive workforce and ensure all applicants and employees are treated fairly and equally, regardless of background or personal characteristics. We encourage applications from all individuals and provide reasonable adjustments or accommodations where required.

Safeguarding
Palladium maintains a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of harm, including sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, child abuse, and human trafficking. We are committed to protecting our people, partners, and communities and ensuring safe and respectful environments. All personnel are expected to uphold safeguarding standards, with successful candidates subject to enhanced screening, including safeguarding-focused assessments and due diligence, in line with Palladium’s Code of Conduct and safeguarding policies.