INOVASI 3 - Children's Book Ecosystem Development and Strengthening Local Book Policy

Duration:12 months, up to 180 days
Location: Kalimantan Utara, 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, 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.
The Program is implemented by Palladium on behalf of DFAT.
Working with children
Is this position likely to come into contact with children? ☒ Yes ☐ No
Purpose of Position
The STP Children's Book Ecosystem Development and Strengthening Local Book Policy is responsible for providing strategic technical leadership in the development of regional literacy ecosystems, with a particular focus on the production of high-quality children's reading materials. The position plays a key role as a mentor and facilitator for local writers and illustrators, while also bridging local government priorities with national publishing standards. Based at the provincial level, this position oversees capacity strengthening in writing and content development, supports the enhancement of local book policies and regulations, and promotes book distribution through community reading networks.
Responsibilities
Under the direction of the Provincial Manager, the STP Children's Book Ecosystem Development and Strengthening Local Book Policy will:
Capacity Development for Local Writers and Illustrators
Facilitate training programs, workshops, and technical mentoring sessions (coaching clinics) for aspiring children's book authors, teachers, and illustrators in the region.
Strengthen the capacity of local authors to develop children's reading materials that meet pedagogical principles, child development psychology standards, and content quality requirements.
Children's Book Content Production and Curation
Guide the manuscript development process through to the finalization of children's books that are ready for publication or distribution to schools.
Engage professional illustrators to ensure that children's books feature appealing visual content that is culturally relevant to the local context of North Kalimantan.
Support for Publishing Policy Development
Provide technical assistance to Provincial and District Education Offices, as well as relevant institutions, in developing regulations or local policies related to book management, book procurement, and school library standards.
Ensure that all regulations and policies are aligned with National Education Standards and the policies of the Center for Books and Publishing.
National Strategic Partnerships
Establish and maintain close coordination with the Center for Books and Publishing (Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education), the Language Development and Fostering Agency (Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education), and the National Library of Indonesia (Perpusnas) to synchronize programs, facilitate access to book catalogues, and adopt national best practices.
Facilitate the participation of local authors and regionally produced books in national platforms, events, and initiatives.
Strengthening Reading Community Networks
Build and strengthen collaboration with regional and national reading communities, including Community Reading Garden Forums (Forum TBM), literary collectives, and other literacy organizations.
Design and implement book distribution and promotion strategies through community reading networks to reach children in remote and underserved areas.
Education Ecosystem Coordination
Serve as a liaison with key stakeholders, including Education Offices, BPMP, KGTK, MoRA Training Centers (BDK), Regional Legislative Councils (DPRD), Teacher Training Institutions (LPTK), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partners to support the implementation of literacy initiatives.
Collaborate with District Officers to strengthen the book and literacy ecosystem at the district and municipal levels.
Integration of GEDSI and Climate Change Principles
Ensure that children's books developed under the program are sensitive to Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) principles and incorporate climate change education and awareness messages.
Advocate for the inclusion of GEDSI and environmental issues in children's reading materials among relevant stakeholders.
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting
Support MERL personnel in monitoring and assessing the impact of book and literacy interventions on students' reading engagement and literacy outcomes.
Ensure that project documentation, including book manuscripts, training modules, and activity reports, is completed and submitted in a timely manner.
Other Duties
Undertake additional tasks and responsibilities as required to support the achievement of the INOVASI Program objectives, as directed by the Provincial Manager.
Qualifications And Experience Required
The STP Children's Book Ecosystem Development and Strengthening Local Book Policy will possess the following qualifications and experience:
Education
Bachelor’s degree (S1) in Literature, Language Education, Communications, or a related field from an accredited institution. A Master’s degree (S2) in a relevant discipline is preferred.
Key Professional Experience
Active Author: Demonstrated track record as an active writer for more than 20 years, with a portfolio of published children's books and general-interest publications.
Children’s Book Development: Extensive experience in writing, editing, and producing high-quality children's reading materials.
Training Facilitation: Proven experience facilitating training programs, workshops, and capacity-building initiatives for writers, particularly children's book authors and illustrators, at the regional level.
Support to Local Governments: Experience assisting local governments in the development, writing, and publication of locally produced books.
Policy and Regulatory Development: Experience supporting local governments in the development of regulations or policies related to publishing, books, and library services.
Networks and Partnerships
Strong and active professional networks with children’s book authors and illustrators across Indonesia.
Established working relationships with the Center for Books and Publishing (Pusat Perbukuan) and the National Library of Indonesia (Perpusnas).
Extensive connections with regional and national reading and literacy communities.
Specific Competencies and Personal Attributes
Passion and Advocacy: Demonstrates a strong passion and commitment to advocating for and supporting local governments in the areas of children's literature, literacy, and publishing.
Understanding of Strategic Issues: Strong knowledge of Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and Climate Change Education within the education sector, with the ability to integrate these themes into children's reading materials.
Comprehensive understanding of quality standards for textbooks and non-textbook materials, as well as child reader psychology and development.
Excellent communication, public speaking, and facilitation skills.
Fluency in written and spoken Bahasa Indonesia. Basic English proficiency is an advantage.
Politically and culturally sensitive, with demonstrated patience, tact, and diplomacy.
Ability to work both

Work arrangement
Yes