Indonesia : Supporting the Advanced Knowledge and Skills for Sustainable Growth Project

Sovereign Project | 50395-007

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved the transaction technical assistance (TA) on 11 December 2018 for $1.15 million, financed on a grant basis by the Japan Fund for Poverty and Reduction. The TA supports the implementation of Loan 3749-INO: Advanced Knowledge and Skills for Sustainable Growth Project (AKSI). The project loan aims to improve Indonesia's higher-education system to support sustainable economic growth. It will upgrade four public universities: the university of Malikussalleh, the university of Jambi, and the University of Riau in Sumatra; and the Indonesia University of Education in Bandung, West Java to provide high-quality and demand-based programs. The loan project's impact will be increased income and productivity of the working age population, and the outcome will be strengthened access, relevance, and quality of targeted universities.

Project Details

  • Project Officer
    Wiryono, Sutarum
    Southeast Asia Department
    Request for information
  • Country/Economy
    Indonesia
  • Sector
    • Education
Project Name Supporting the Advanced Knowledge and Skills for Sustainable Growth Project
Project Number 50395-007
Country / Economy Indonesia
Project Status Closed
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Technical Assistance
Source of Funding / Amount
TA 9678-INO: Supporting the Advanced Knowledge and Skills for Sustainable Growth Project
Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific US$ 1.15 million
TA 9678-INO: Supporting the Advanced Knowledge and Skills for Sustainable Growth Project
High Level Technology Fund US$ 500,000.00
Strategic Agendas Inclusive economic growth
Regional integration
Drivers of Change Gender Equity and Mainstreaming
Governance and capacity development
Knowledge solutions
Partnerships
Sector / Subsector

Education / Tertiary

Gender Gender equity theme
Description

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved the transaction technical assistance (TA) on 11 December 2018 for $1.15 million, financed on a grant basis by the Japan Fund for Poverty and Reduction. The TA supports the implementation of Loan 3749-INO: Advanced Knowledge and Skills for Sustainable Growth Project (AKSI). The project loan aims to improve Indonesia's higher-education system to support sustainable economic growth. It will upgrade four public universities: the university of Malikussalleh, the university of Jambi, and the University of Riau in Sumatra; and the Indonesia University of Education in Bandung, West Java to provide high-quality and demand-based programs. The loan project's impact will be increased income and productivity of the working age population, and the outcome will be strengthened access, relevance, and quality of targeted universities. The TA supports the following innovative elements of the loan project: (i) linking universities with industry in research and education, (ii) measuring and monitoring quality and relevance of education and research, and (iii) collaboration with international partners and stakeholders. The TA outputs are: (i) initial phase of the loan project implementation supported, and (ii) entrepreneurship and technology pilot assessments in higher education prepared.

On 13 March 2020, ADB approved $0.5 million funding for the TA financed on a grant basis by the High-Level Technology Fund (with Government of Japan as financing partner) and administered by ADB, along with a change in scope and implementation arrangements. This brought the total TA amount of $1.15 million to $1.65 million. This increase in TA amount will support MOEC in (a) designing a digital credentialing system for tertiary education in Indonesia which would employ blockchain technology and (b) further development of the Indonesia Cyber Education (ICE) Institute's system design, business process, quality assurance mechanism, business model, online courses registration, and users registration infrastructure. This aligns with the government's priority to advance the next generation of online education in Indonesia and will be included in the medium-term investment plan for higher education. MOEC has assigned the Universitas Terbuka to lead the development of ICE Institute together with partner universities from all over Indonesia. The ICE Institute would become the marketplace where students could obtain online courses for their study, under the new academic regulation that allows these credit-bearing online courses to be part of their study programs in their respective universities. Deploying blockchain technology will enhance tracking and recording tertiary education student credentials and assure trust amongst the stakeholders including the universities, students, parents, employers, government and industry. The ICE Institute will provide the quality assurance system for online learning in Indonesia and will facilitate the registration of online courses from Indonesian universities, as well as online courses from international universities and global massive open online courses platforms.

Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy The proposed scope and scale of the innovations included in the initial stages of the loan project include implementation of national and international best practices, and collaboration between ministries and other stakeholders to develop a medium-term higher-education investment plan and a medium-term strategy to educate TVET teachers. Therefore, transaction TA is required to ensure the successful implementation of the loan project. The transaction TA will support implementation of innovative elements in the loan project, including the development of a medium-term higher-education investment plan and a medium-term strategy to educate TVET teachers. The TA will also support the assessment of pilots in entrepreneurship and technology that will benefit higher education.
Impact
Project Outcome
Description of Outcome
Progress Toward Outcome
Implementation Progress
Description of Project Outputs
Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues)
Geographical Location Bandung, Jambi City, Lhokseumawe / Malikussaleh, Riau
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects
Environmental Aspects
Involuntary Resettlement
Indigenous Peoples
Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation
During Project Design
During Project Implementation
Business Opportunities
Consulting Services

ADB recruited three consulting firms: (1) The Project Implementation and Medium-Term Planning consulting firm was recruited using quality- and cost-based selection (QCBS) method (quality-cost ratio of 90:10) with simplified technical proposal. Mobilized in June 2019, this firm supports: (i) at the policy level, preparing the medium-term investment plan for higher education, and medium-term technical-and-vocational-education-and-training teacher strategy; and (ii) at the project level, knowledge management and communication, and capacity development for universities on accreditation, tracer study, centers of excellence, and governance. (2) The Entrepreneur Development Program Evaluation consulting firm was recruited using a biodata technical proposal for QCBS method (quality-cost of 90:10) and has completed its assignment (evaluation of entrepreneurship development and university-industry linkage programs and develop lessons learned for higher education institutions and future entrepreneurship training programs). (3) Coaction Indonesia (a non-profit think tank) was recruited using the single-source selection method and has also completed its assignment (the demand and supply of skilled labor in the electricity sector study).

The TA has the following individual consulting requirements: (1) a national civil engineer (3 person-months), mobilized in December 2019, ensures that the four project universities benefitting from the project apply quality assurance for civil works and innovative building design principles. (2) an international gender and labor market expert (3 person-months), mobilized in April 2020, provides technical advice to the four project universities on: (i) research works regarding university-to-work transition and labor market barriers, and (ii) gender action plan implementation. (3) an international team leader and education program architect (7.4 person-months), mobilized in April 2020, leads and coordinates with the government counterparts in designing the national digital credentialing system and supporting the system design and business model development of the Indonesia Cyber Education (ICE) Institute. (4) an international blockchain/digital credentialing design specialist (5.6 person-months), mobilized in July 2020, prepares the technical design of the digital credentialing system, in collaboration with the blockchain specialist engaged by ADB's Digital Innovation and Architecture Division. (5) a national senior information technology specialist (4.5 person-months), mobilized in August 2020, supports the credentialing system design. (6) a national senior education specialist (4.5 person-months), mobilized in August 2020, prepares the ICE institute detailed assessment and will provide recommendations for further development. (7) the international data science specialist, who will identify data sources and prepare forecasting of jobs and skills demand in Indonesia and in the region, is expected to be fielded by end of September 2020. All consultant recruitment follows ADB Procurement Policy (2017, as amended from time to time) and its associated staff instructions.

Responsible ADB Officer Wiryono, Sutarum
Responsible ADB Department Southeast Asia Department
Responsible ADB Division Human and Social Development Division, SERD
Executing Agencies
Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology
Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education
Timetable
Concept Clearance -
Fact Finding -
MRM -
Approval 11 Dec 2018
Last Review Mission -
Last PDS Update 29 Oct 2020

TA 9678-INO

Milestones
Approval Signing Date Effectivity Date Closing
Original Revised Actual
11 Dec 2018 16 May 2019 16 May 2019 31 Dec 2020 30 Sep 2021 10 Dec 2021
Financing Plan/TA Utilization Cumulative Disbursements
ADB Cofinancing Counterpart Total Date Amount
Gov Beneficiaries Project Sponsor Others
0.00 1,650,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,650,000.00 17 Jun 2022 1,406,349.38

Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.

The Access to Information Policy (AIP) recognizes that transparency and accountability are essential to development effectiveness. It establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced.

The Accountability Mechanism provides a forum where people adversely affected by ADB-assisted projects can voice and seek solutions to their problems and report alleged noncompliance of ADB's operational policies and procedures.

In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of, or reference to, a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.

Title Document Type Document Date
Supporting the Advanced Knowledge and Skills for Sustainable Growth Project: Technical Assistance Report Technical Assistance Reports Dec 2018

Safeguard Documents See also: Safeguards
Safeguard documents provided at the time of project/facility approval may also be found in the list of linked documents provided with the Report and Recommendation of the President.

None currently available.


Evaluation Documents See also: Independent Evaluation

None currently available.



The Access to Information Policy (AIP) establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced in its operations to facilitate stakeholder participation in ADB's decision-making. For more information, refer to the Safeguard Policy Statement, Operations Manual F1, and Operations Manual L3.

Requests for information may also be directed to the InfoUnit.

Tenders

Tender Title Type Status Posting Date Deadline
National Senior Education Specialist Individual - Consulting Closed
International Blockchain Design Specialist Individual - Consulting Closed
International Data Science Specialist Individual - Consulting Closed
National Senior Information Technology Specialist Individual - Consulting Closed
International Team Leader and Education Program Architect Individual - Consulting Closed
Gender and Labor Market Specialist Individual - Consulting Closed
National Civil Engineer Individual - Consulting Closed
Project Implementation and Medium-Term Planning Firm - Consulting Closed
Evaluation of Entrepreneurship Development Programs Firm - Consulting Closed

Contracts Awarded

Contract Title Approval Number Contract Date Contractor | Address Executing Agency Total Contract Amount (US$) Contract Amount Financed by ADB (US$)
Capacity Development Technical Assistance 9678 18 Jun 2019 Australian Council for Educational Research Ltd., (AUSTRALIA) | 19 PROSPECT HILL ROAD CAMBERWELL, VICTORIA 3124 AUSTRALIA Ministry of Research, Technology & Higher Educ 827,563.00
Capacity Development Technical Assistance 9678 16 Aug 2019 Coaction Indonesia (INDONESIA) | Jl. Abdul Madjid Raya No. 23, Cipete, Ja Indonesia Ministry of Research, Technology & Higher Educ 102,577.00

Procurement Plan

None currently available.