SOCIAL AUDIT REPORT OF GOVERNMENT’S ROLE IN …saatlas.org/uploads/files/Brief_Report_Social_Audit-BIGS.pdf · social audit report of government’s role in encouraging madrasah

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SOCIAL AUDIT REPORT OF GOVERNMENT’S ROLE IN ENCOURAGING MADRASAH DEVELOPMENT IN INDONESIA; A STUDY IN WEST BANDUNG AND KENDAL DISTRICTS

2014

BANDUNG INSTITUTE OF GOVERNANCE STUDIES

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary..................................................................................................................3

Social Audit Process.................................................................................................................4

Results of the Social Audit......................................................................................................8

Main Findings..........................................................................................................................10

Challenges and How to Deal With..........................................................................................12

Conclusions and Recommendation........................................................................................12

Advocacy.................................................................................................................................14

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Executive Summary

Social audit is institution performance measuring process for social aspect, which could

be approached by the objective, task and role of the institution. By the definition, BIGS

attempts to develop social audit by observing the government role in the development

of madrassa. Social audit is aiming at (1) assessing government role and identifying the

weakness in the development of madrassa, (2) formulating primary solution in solving

issues faced by madrassa through participatory approach which involving the

stakeholders ideas.

The social audit takes place in West Bandung and Kendal Regency which attended by

some of the madrassa stakeholders, and included the representatives from the province

and district Ministry of Religious Affairs, District Service of Education, District Legislature,

Teacher Organization, Parent-Teacher Foundation, and madrassa principals especially the

Madrasah Tsanawiah principals.

The social audit result indicates the madrassa condition is not well developed because of

the limited role of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. On the regulation side, the condition

is going well but still weak in the access and implementation area, especially the

unevenly distributed socialization for service information and provision. Besides, the

limited government role to support development of madrassa is caused by the lack of

regional level regulation that guarantees the government obligation that will definitely

support the madrassa.

In order to improve the development of madrassa, the social audit recommends some

points, namely (1) the government, in this case the Ministry of Religious Affairs,

guarantees the extent of service information from the grant, social support and DAK to

all madrassa, (2) government, in this case the Ministry of Religious Affairs, provides

extent support to all madrassa and doesn’t only focus to state madrassa, (3) provision

for regional level regulation which guarantees the local government obligation to

support the madrassa, (4) local government needs to allocate regional funds for

madrassa, (5) developing good cooperation between regional education service and

Ministry of Religious Affairs, by doing minimum once per month coordination meeting to

discuss the madrassa issues.

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Social Audit Process

BIGS has completed a research project on madrasah education in Indonesia, being

implemented in two areas, that is, West Bandung District of West Java Province, and

Kendal District of Central Java Province. The research uses two approaches: PETS and

CRC. Based on those approaches, there are some main findings to be the focus of

attention, among others: firstly, the government’s attention to madrasah is still lacking,

especially from funding aspect. All this time the government only provides routinely a

very limited amount of fund through School Operational Aid (Bantuan Operasional

Sekolah, BOS) scheme. The scheme cannot afford to fulfill the school’s ideal operational

needs because more than 50% of the aid is for paying teacher salaries. Secondly, the

lacking of madrasahs’ services quality for their students, especially teacher, structure and

infrastructure, and text-book services.

Two of the research’s main findings become the issues of advocacy activities. To

strengthen the issues in advocacy activities, Social Audit is carried out in advance. In the

Social Audit, the first thing to do is creating an audit frame work. The frame work will be

developed based on results of the previous researches and type of social audit will be

used.

Social audit is a process to measure an institute’s performance from social aspect.

The approach may be taken either from the institute’s objectives, works, or roles. A

social audit will measure whether an institute has fulfilled objectives/works/roles well.

Based on this definition, BIGS seeks to develop a social audit through looking at

government’s roles in developing madrasah. From the two main findings of the previous

researches it is alleged that the government have not yet to do its job well. To verify that

allegation, it is necessary to audit their roles.

BIGS’ research team has implemented the social audit activities twice, that is, at

May 26, 2014 in West Bandung District, and at May 28, 2014 in Kendal District. Some

activities the team carried out before the social audit forum taking place are:

1. Having an audience with Madrasah Director of the Ministry of Religious Affairs to

communicate how to implement the social audit.

2. Making approaches both in formal and informal to all of the social audit

participants, particularly to the governmental representatives, namely, Ministry of

Religious Affairs at provincial and district levels, Educational Service and

Educational Commission of Local Legislative at District level. Approaches have

been made in frequent times to give explanations on things from what the

intentions, objectives, the importance of having social audit, and to find the most

appropriate representatives to be invited to attend the social audit forum.

3. Conducting FGD twice, with School Committee and parent representatives and

with the MTs representatives. The objective is to build the participants’ self-

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confidence and to explain materials of the social audit to them so that there

would be no information discrepancy about government’s programs. Therefore,

they are able to give their own opinion and have the courage to make objective

assessment.

This project adopts Multi-Stakeholders Social Audit, abbreviated as MSSA. Using

multi-stakeholder perspective, this model is developed to audit certain aspects. It is said

as ‘multi-stakeholder’ because the stakeholders come from three elements, namely,

government, service providers, and final beneficiaries of a program. Social (non-financial)

aspect that developed within the frame work becomes the one assessed. Assessment to

the social aspect is carried out together by participants in the multi-stakeholder forum.

Based on the previous research’s results and the adopted model of the social

audit, then BIGS conducts a Social Audit by considering these two following things:

1. Performance of the MTs. The aspect to assess in particular is the teacher services,

that is, to what extent the MTs do teacher preparation in quantity and quality to

serve the MTs students.

2. Performance of Governmental Institutions. There are two governmental

institutions, namely, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Local Governments,

playing important roles in MTs development. Especially as for the former’s role,

the aspect to assess is to what extent the Ministry would play a role in providing

structures and infrastructures for MTs. As for the latter’s, to what extent their

roles could help with MTs funding.

Basically, the social audit that is developed during this project will look at three

roles, that is: (1) MTs’ roles in delivering teacher services, (2) the Ministry of Religious

Affairs’ in facilitating structures and infrastructures for the MTs, and (3) local

governments’ roles in helping with MTs funding. Those three said roles are variables to

assess within the frame work. The three variables are reduced respectively to three

indicators, namely, (1) existence of policy, (2) implementation of policy, and (3) access.

Combination of variables and assessment indicators is called as value chain. Frame work

within this social audit project is shown as below:

Table 1. Social Audit Frame Work on Government’s Roles in Developing Madrasah

Variable Indicator

Existence of Policy

Score Implementation of Policy

Score Access Score

MTs’ Roles 1

2 3

The Ministry of

4 5 6

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Religious Affairs’ Roles

Local Governments’ Roles

7 8 9

Source: Processed by Researcher, 2014

From the frame work above, there are nine cells. Every cell contains a key

question to ask to all of the participants in the social audit forum. The key questions are

below:

Table 2. Key Questions for the Social Audit

Cell Question

1. To what extent are the policies on MTs roles sufficient to increase teacher competence?

2. To what extent are MTs capable of increasing teacher competence?

3. To what extent is society’s access in encouraging teacher competence?

4. To what extent are policies on the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ roles sufficient to provide structures and infrastructures for MTs?

5. To what extent is the Ministry of Religious Affairs capable of providing structures and infrastructures for MTs?

6. To what extent are the MTs able to access information and mechanisms of channeling structures and infrastructures aid from the Ministry of Religious Affairs to the MTs?

7. To what extent are regulations on local governments’ duties sufficient to provide funding aids for MTs?

8. To what extent are local governments capable of fulfilling their duties to provide funding aids for MTs?

9. To what extent are MTs able to access information from local governments?


All of the present stakeholders assess indicators as stated within the frame work.

Stakeholders who attend BIGS’ social audit forum come from several elements, namely,

(1) the Ministry of Religious Affairs, (2) Educational Service at District level, (3)

Educational Commission of Local Legislative at District level, (4) Five MTs

representatives, (5) Three School Committee representatives, (6) Three parent

representatives, (7) Teacher Professional Organization, and (8) umbrella

institution/organization for MTs. The assessment is carried out by referring to these

following rules below:

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Table3. Rules to Give Score

Condition

Score

If all of the appearing facts are negative or not very good 1

If majority of the appearing facts are negative, but still there is one or two facts are positive

2

If majority of the appearing facts are positive, but still there is one or two facts are negative

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If all of the appearing facts are positive 4


Below is sequence of process during the social audit:

Table 4. Sequence of Process during the Social Audit Forum

No. Activity Description of Activity

1. Opening the Forum Director of BIGS opens the forum and gives explanation about the intentions, objectives and the importance of the coming social audit activities. Furthermore, there is a welcoming speech from governmental representative, in this case from local Ministry of Religious Affairs.

2. The Forum Begins Introducing all participants and making the forum’s initial agreement about time

3. Contextualization Giving explanation to participations about what social audit is and what social audit activities to do and explanation on what frame work to use

4. Explanation on how to conduct discussion

Explanation on what fact exploration is, how to agree to the facts as consensus; explanation on how to give, and to agree to, score.

5. Conducting Fact Exploration

Asking opinion from all of the participants on facts at each cell within the frame work, and then agreeing to the fact list and the scores afterward.

6. Formulating Recommendation

Guided by facilitator, the participants formulate recommendations based on results of the finished audit.

7. Follow-Up Plan Formulating advocacy activities to champion the previously formulated recommendations.


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Results of the Social Audit

Table 5. Results of the Social Audit on Government’s Roles in Madrasah Development in

West Bandung District

MTs Roles (Teacher Services) Variable

Result Score

Existence of Policy Indicator

There are some regulations for teachers to improve the teacher competence, scholarship programs for teachers to have graduate/postgraduate degrees; MTs are obliged to improve their teacher competence. All of those are regulated in Law No. 20/2003 on national education system. There are regulations at local level as well, that is, Local Regulation No. 6/2012 on Education Administration

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Implementation of Policy Indicator

There are teachers who still do not have graduate/postgraduate degree, teaching more than one subject, which are not suitable with their specialties; there are many of them who still have not made the learning plans. Also, school funds allocated to teacher’s competence development is very little, and many teachers are recruited without considering their competences.

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Access Indicator Parents are given less opportunities to criticize teacher competence. Teacher competence is seldom to be discussed as the topic of conversation within school committee forum

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The Ministry of Religious Affairs Roles (Structure and Infrastructure Services) Variable

Result Score


There is a policy regulating that the Ministry of Religious Affairs may give structure and infrastructure facilities to MTs, derived from either Special Allocation Fund or Grant

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S0 many MTs is still lacking in such facilities as science laboratory, prayer room, conseling room, bathroom, gymnasium, language laboratory, and other equipment for laboratories. Structure-and-Infrastructure Aid (Bantuan Sarpras) for private MTs also lacks, because it is only less than 10%. Many MTs still lack of classroom as well.

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Access Indicator Little information on the structure-and-infrastructure aids

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Local Government Roles Variable (Funding Aid)

Result Score


There are regulations that local governments are responsible for funding educational institutions within their regions with 20% as a minimum allocation. A Regent Decree (SK Bupati) on School Operational Aid (BOS) is released

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Local governments’ funds for MTs is still minimal 2

Access Indicator Access to information on local governments’ funds for MTs is minimal.

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Table 6. Results of the Social Audit on Government’s Roles in Madrasah Development in

Kendal District

MTs Roles (Teacher Services) Variable

Result Score


There are some regulations on standardization for MTs teachers (Law No. 20/2003); at local level there is a Local Regulation No. 10/2012 on 9-Year Basic Education Administration; also there is a Regent Decree that all of schoolchildren must complete their schools.

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There are teachers who still do not have graduate/postgraduate degree, teaching more than one subject, which are not suitable with their specialties; teachers are recruited without considering their competences; school aid allocated to teacher development is less than 5%; the School gives chances for teachers to have education and training; the MTs through their inspectors carry out management development for their teachers.

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Access Indicator Schools give parents room to criticize teacher competence. School teachers’ qualifications are informed through wall magazine

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The Ministry of Religious Affairs Roles (Structure and Infrastructure Services) Variable

Result Score


There is a policy regulating that the Ministry of Religious Affairs may give structure and infrastructure facilities to MTs, derived from either

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Specially Allocated Fund or Grant; however, there is no regulation yet on MTs qualifications to deserve the said aids


Not many MTs receive the structure and infrastructure aid; there is fund from grant scheme but they are limited nonetheless.

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Access Indicator There is dissemination of information on the structure and infrastructure aid, in limited ways, however, the aid does not reach all MTs yet

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Local Government Roles Variable (Funding Aid)

Result Score


There are regulations that local governments are responsible for funding educational institutions within their regions with 20% as a minimum allocation. There is no regulation on School Operational Aid (BOS) yet

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Neither Grant Fund or Special Allocation Fund is allocated to MTs yet

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Access Indicator Information on any aids for MTs is very minimal 2


Main Findings

Table 7. Summary of Social Audit Scoring in West Bandung District

Variable Indicator

Existence of Policy Implementation of Policy Access

MTs Roles 3 2 3

The Ministry of Religious Affairs Roles

3 2 2


2 2 2

Source: Processed by Researcher

Table 8. Summary of Social Audit Scoring in Kendal District

Variable Indicator

Existence of Policy Implementation of Policy Access

MTs Roles 3 2 3

The Ministry of Religious Affairs Roles

3 3 3


2 2 2


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On the two summary of scoring tables above, the blue-colored cells show low

scores, taking place onto respectively the roles of the local governments and the Ministry

of Religious Affairs, particularly in implementation of policy and access indicators.

Main findings related to the minimal roles of the Local Governments in helping

MTs are:

1. Despite national regulations, stating that local education funding become local

governments’ responsibilities (the 1945 Constitution, Amendment to Article 33;

Laws No. 20/2003, Article 11; Governmental Regulation No. 48/2008, Article 2), the

supporting regulations at local level are still lacking. Consequently, local

governments seem still hesitant about allocating funds from their Local Budgets

to support madrasah.

2. From implementation of funding policy aspect, not many MTs receive the local

governments’ fund aids. They may get aid either from Grant Fund or Social Aid

allocated-posts, but in very limited amount. Usually the aid-receiving MTs are

close with a certain local officials.

3. Many MTs do not know what kinds of fund they may access from Local Budget.

On the other hand, local governments’ dissemination of information on the aid is

very minimal. School operational aid is available for MTs in West Bandung District,

but none in Kendal District.

Main findings related to the minimal roles of the Ministry of Religious Affairs in

helping MTs are:

1. From regulation aspect, the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ roles are already quite

good, as funds, coming from Grant and Special Allocation Fund, have been

allocated to MTs’ structure and infrastructure. Nevertheless from implementation

aspect, the Ministry’s roles still lack. Funds allocated to structure and

infrastructure aid are less than a minimum so that only a few of MTs receive them.

There is a tendency for only public MTs may receive the funds.

2. Information on structure and infrastructure aid is not published via website.

Hitherto the information goes directly to the Ministry of Religious Affairs at

District level; however, dissemination of the information from the said District

Ministry through schools is lacking.

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Challenges and How to Deal With

There are some challenges of carrying out the social audit, among others:

No. Challenge How to Deal With

1. Disseminating information of social audit to stakeholders, particularly government. The challenge is stakeholder’s resistance against the word “audit”.

The term “social audit” is modified to “stakeholder forum”

2. Convincing participants that the social audit is important.

Combining approaches, namely combining formal and informal approaches

3. Convincing all of the participants to attend the social audit forum, especially the governmental representatives.

Combining formal and informal approaches is one of the strategies. Another strategy is making several visits to ensure whom to send (the representative) to the forum

Conclusion and Recommendations

Conclusion

From the finished social audit sosial, some conclusions may be drawn as follows:

1. Madrasah is not able to develop well yet because the very minimal roles of the

Ministry of Religious Affairs. The related regulations are already quite good but

the implementation is not going properly yet, especially dissemination of

information on aids and the uneven distribution of the aids.

2. Local governments’ roles in helping madrasah development is still very minimal,

one of the main reasons is that there is no local regulations yet to ensure the said

local governments will fulfill their duties to support madrasah without fail.

Recommendations

Below are some recommendations for policies:

1. Government, in this case Ministry of Religious Affairs, should ensure that

information on aid or madrasah (which come from grant, social aid, and Special

Allocation Fund) reaches all madrasah.

2. Government, in this case Ministry of Religious Affairs, should give aid to all

madrasahs equally, instead of focusing to public madrasah only.

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3. It is necessary to make local regulations that guarantee local governments’ duties

to support madrasah

4. Local government needs to allocate regional funds for madrassa.

5. Developing good cooperation between local education service and Ministry of

Religious Affairs, by doing minimum once per month coordination meeting to

discuss madrassa issues.

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Advocacy

Aspect Description

Desirable change Madrasah can grow and develop well through adequate funding from central government/Ministry of Religious Affairs and local government

Obstacles to deal with Political : 1. Madrasah is considered a part of vertical instance,

therefore local government does not pay much attention to madrasah

2. There is no regulation at local level that can guarantee that local government must help madrasah

Economic: 1. Almost all madrasahs are managed by foundations that

are not well-established yet 2. Majority of madrasah students come from poor families,

hence it is unlikely to expect financial participation from parents

Social : 1. Madrasah is identical to Islamic school, hence it pays less

attention to general knowledge 2. Madrasah is considered traditional, not modern school

Target of Campaign Ministry of Religious Affairs 1. Disseminating information of aid to all madrasahs 2. Giving aid to all madrasahs equally

Local Government 1. Making regulation that ensures local government has

obligation of addressing madrasah issues 2. Making aid programs, such as Local Operational Aid for

madrasah Local Parliament

1. Facilitating meeting between MoRA and local government to discuss on similar roles among them

2. Encouraging local-level rules that regulate local government’s obligation of helping madrasah

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How to influence the Target of Campaign

1. Organizing audience with MoRA and local government (Regent, Head of Education Service of District Level) and Local Parliament, by sending policy brief on policy on madrasah

2. Involving representatives of madrasah, teacher organization, and school committee when doing audience with government

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3. Writing results of research (that has been conducted) in media, in order to shape public opinion

4. Building informal communication with government officials who have concern on madrasah issue

Results of the Campaign

1. Ministry of Religious Affairs, particularly at local level, starts to improve their programs on madrasah

2. Local government, in this case Education Service, starts to open themselves and make dialog with madrasah, and to have willingness of helping madrasah

3. Some Local Parliament members are ready to help facilitating MoRA with Education Service at local level on discussion on madrasah issues

4. Commitment from Commission Four district legislature to optimize regional funds for madrassa

Lessons to Learn 1. Informal dialog and approach is more effective to encourage policy change

2. Policy change will be better if we do not seek to find government’s mistakes, instead we should try to help government identify the problems

Documents

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