[Hiring] Consultant - District Research Support @Save the Children International

Role Description

The External Collaborator will support the KREASI team to ensure that the research agendas carried out by local partners across the 8 districts produce credible, methodologically rigorous evidence that can be used for both program learning and policy advocacy. The specific objectives are:

• Align the understanding of all partners and researchers with KREASI research quality standards through a research induction.
• Mentor and safeguard the quality of partners' research across all research stages.
• Ensure research meets ethical standards, including safeguarding, informed consent, and child protection.

The External Collaborator is expected to perform the following key tasks:

• Research induction: Conduct one online research induction session to build a shared understanding of KREASI research quality standards among all partner researchers.
• Research clinics/mentoring: Deliver online research mentoring sessions and quality checks of research products to help all partners meet quality standards at each stage:

• Stage 1: Ideation & Formulation - Ensure the research purpose and intended use are specific and clearly defined, and that research questions are framed at the outcome level as well as aligned with advocacy objectives.
• Stage 2: Design & Methodology - Ensure methods are appropriate and sufficiently rigorous, data sources and collection methods are relevant, samples are adequate in size and representativeness, and research activity follows ethics.
• Stage 3: Data Collection & Processing - Ensure instruments fully address the research questions, enumerators are competent in instrument use and data-collection ethics, and data are complete, accurate, triangulated, and well documented.
• Stage 4: Analysis & Interpretation - Ensure analysis is in-depth and grounded in credible evidence, with each finding well elaborated and triangulated.
• Stage 5: Conclusions & Recommendations - Ensure conclusions address all research questions on a credible evidence base, and that recommendations are specific, traceable to evidence, and actionable.
• Stage 6: Dissemination & Utilisation - Ensure research outputs (reports, presentation decks, and other knowledge products) meet Save the Children and KREASI quality standards and are ready to support disseminations.

The number of sessions and timeline will be customized based on each partner's research activity timeline and specific needs.

Deliverables and Timeline

• 1. Agreement on workplan: Discuss and map research timelines to develop a research induction and mentoring plan. Estimated Timeframe: 19-20 October 2026, Estimated Working Days: 2 days
• 2. Research Induction: Develop research induction materials and conduct an online induction session. Estimated Timeframe: 21-27 October 2026, Estimated Working Days: 2 days
• 3. Research Clinic/Mentoring: Conduct online research clinic/mentoring sessions and quality checks of research products. Estimated Timeframe: 28 October 2026 – 28 February 2027, Estimated Working Days: 28 days

Total estimated working days: 32 days.

Reporting Line and Coordination

This assignment must be completed in close coordination with the KREASI team (Save the Children).

• Direct Supervisor: KREASI Research Consultant
• Reporting Requirements: The External Collaborator must meet regularly (biweekly) with the Direct Supervisor to report progress after agreement on workplan.
• Documents related to this consultancy must be stored in a Google drive that is accessible to both Save the Children and the External Collaborator.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in social research, education, public policy, statistics, or a related field, with at least 7 years of experience in applied quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research.
• Strong knowledge of methodologies and the full research process, including gap analysis, research design, sampling, instrument development, triangulation, data analysis, and evidence synthesis.
• Sound knowledge of Indonesia's education sector, including literacy, numeracy, character education, teaching practice, school leadership, child protection, and national curriculum and standards, with the ability to identify priority issues for evidence-based advocacy.
• Proven experience guiding, supervising, and coaching researchers, with strong facilitation and feedback skills.
• Excellent writing and reporting skills in Indonesian and English, with the ability to turn research findings into products for diverse audiences.

Application Requirements

Interested individuals should submit an application with the following materials:

• Proposal outlining consultant experience and qualifications, with reference to the required qualifications above.
• CV with at least 2 references listed.

Applications can be in Indonesian or English language.