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Introduction: Since two years ago, DBE1 continues to implement District Planning Information Support System program (DPISS) to assist stakeholders in gathering and analyzing data such as population, poverty, and number of students in the district and use the results to develop district strategic plan (rencana strategis) for education sector. Currently, there are more than 30 DBE1 district partners in seven provinces in Indonesia that used DPISS.
Kota Tanjungbalai, North Sumatra, is one of DBE1 district partners and has taken part in the DPISS training. Ms. Salmiah Pane, member of Tanjungbalai Education Office, was one of the participants and wrote the following piece to share her experience and lessons learned so far. Enjoy!
“The data entry person’s note”
Tanjungbalai Education Office, like other district government offices, has the responsibility to regularly compile and produce data. For district’s education office, the process is started by requesting schools to fill out several questionnaires and then processing the collected data by using certain computer program or application. Results of this data compilation are then used to support reports such as District Strategic Planning, Education Profile, District Primary and Junior Secondary Education Development Plan, and others.
Ibu Salmiah Pane (left) reviewing SIPPK data to support Tanjungbalai renstra document
Since 2009, in addition to Ministry of National Education’s Padati-Web program, Tanjungbalai Education Office has been using DPISS program to process education-sector data. With DPISS, raw data is inputted into the input template which is then processed by the program to get basic information, such as, students’ enrollment and transition rate. This information is then used as one of decision-making tools and to measure the progress of education program and activities in Kota Tanjungbalai.
To allow a more inclusive process, this information is also presented to stakeholders such as Head of Education Office and schools’ supervisors. This process proves to be useful because some ideas and suggestions to improve Tanjungbalai quality of education were expressed in this session recently. For example: responding to the high number of first grade repetition rate in 2008/2009 school year, participants agreed that students’ age requirement should be raised to seven year old. This was supported by the numbers produced in DPISS that 45.6 of first grade students age was below seven year old and 41.4 of the students did not graduate from kindergarten.
When education stakeholders see first-hand how available data could be used to support education-sector planning, they agree that data validity is an important factor as well. As a result, participants agree that data processing must be handled carefully and data entry should be done in a timely manner.
Accordingly, a more effective data collection system is needed, i.e. an integrated system that allows data to be collected in a timely manner and produce results as requested. With this system, data could be gathered from schools all at once, covers a specific time period, and one data criteria. This system will reduce significantly the possibility of margin of error and data overlap
Bapak Rudy Zamrudin, DBE1 Provincial Coordinator for Sumatra Utara, discussed plans to support renstra development process for Deli Serdang and Tanjungbalai. Next to him was Head of North Sumatra Education Office, Bapak Drs. Bahrumsyah, MM
Data validity is essential for data end-users. In Tanjungbalai, for example, Central Statistics Agency (BPS) uses Education Office data to support its Book of Tanjungbalai in Figures, Health Office, Cooperative and Small Medium Enterprise Office, Labor Office. Institutions such as these use Education Office data under the assumption that the information is accurate.
In conclusion, it is hoped that with the increased awareness of the importance of data validity and the need to produce data in timely manner, personnel who are in charge of data processing will be more inclined to do so. In addition to knowing that data that is valid and up-to-date will be used to support education sector policy making process, it will be helpful for those in Education Office to know that the results of their hard work will be beneficial for other people.