Research Analyst (Public Finance Management)

Position Title	Research Analyst (Public Finance Management)
Engagement Type	Long-Term Personnel (Local)
Work Unit	Public Financial Management (PFM)
Grade / Level	B1
Reports To	Senior Adviser (Budget) - Acting PFM Lead
Location	Jakarta — Prospera Office
Duration	12 months, with possibility of extensions

Program Background

Prospera Phase 2 is Australia’s flagship economic development partnership with Indonesia, supporting the Government of Indonesia (GoI) to advance sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient economic growth. Building on nearly three decades of cooperation, the program delivers high-quality, demand-driven policy advice, institutional strengthening and Australian Public Service (APS) partnerships aligned with Indonesia’s national priorities and Australia’s economic diplomacy objectives.

The program is structured around two mutually reinforcing End-of-Program Outcomes:

• strengthened macroeconomic, financial and public financial management systems that support sustainable, climate-resilient and inclusive growth; and
• expanded markets, jobs, trade and investment through improved economic policy and reform implementation.

Across both outcomes, Prospera Phase 2 emphasises politically informed and evidence-based reform, sustained institutional capability, and locally led solutions rather than short-term technical fixes. Gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI), sustainability, climate and energy transition considerations, and localisation are embedded across all areas of engagement.

Purpose of the Role

The Research Analyst provides full-time analytical support to the PFM Team and, to some extent, the Fiscal portfolio team. The role focuses on PFM analytics, process and system, along with the corresponding regulatory and institutional framework. The Research Analyst delivers rigorous and relevant PFM analysis to support engagement with Government of Indonesia counterparts and Prospera's broader PFM work. This role contributes to Prospera's EOPO 1 by supporting improvements in budgeting, state assets, revenue, debt management, and broader fiscal management practices that align with Prospera's objectives.

Day-to-day, the Research Analyst combines technical expertise with a proactive approach, reporting to the Senior Adviser (Budget) - Acting PFM Lead and working alongside other team members. The position requires an analyst who can work with complex budget data and budgeting frameworks, analyse emerging PFM challenges, and support efforts to strengthen the link between PFM systems and effective spending frameworks. The analyst will also support PFM assessments and translate findings into practical recommendations, presentations, and implementation roadmaps to support reform and institutional improvement.

Key Responsibilities

A. PFM Regulatory Framework and Practice

• Maintain and regularly update a repository of Indonesia’s PFM regulatory frameworks, including regulatory developments, implementation progress, and gaps against established policies and practices.
• Develop and maintain comparative analysis of Indonesia’s PFM practices against international benchmarks and leading practices highlighting areas for improvement and reform opportunities.

B. PFM Architecture, Process, System and Analytics

• Develop, maintain and continuously refine a comprehensive mapping of PFM architecture, process and system and identify opportunities to strengthen PFM practices and expenditure management.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive understanding of Indonesia’s budget formulation, execution, monitoring and reporting process and identify opportunities to strengthen budgeting practices, expenditure management and broader PFM reforms.
• Work closely with Government of Indonesia counterparts to access, maintain and analyse budget data.
• Build and maintain budget databases and analytical datasets covering collected budget data from counterparts, budget estimates, appropriations, revisions, and realisation, along with relevant fiscal indicators.
• Undertake quantitative and qualitative analysis of government budgets at aggregate, functional, and economic classification levels.
• Conduct evidence-based analysis of public expenditure performance, including efficiency, effectiveness, costing methodologies, performance-oriented budgeting, medium-term budgeting, and other priority PFM issues.
• Contribute analytical insights and evidence-based recommendations to budget reviews, PFM assessments, and relevant fiscal reform initiatives across the Macro-Fiscal-Finance teams (EOPO 1) and other Prospera workstreams.
• Support stakeholder engagement, workshops, technical discussions, and policy dialogue through background research, analytical papers, briefing materials, presentations, workshop outputs, and follow-up analysis.

C. Fiscal and PFM Institutional Transformation

• Support analysis of institutional transformation including governance arrangements, institutional mandates, operating models, organisational design, business process, and relevant regulatory frameworks.
• Conduct comparative analysis of institutional and governance arrangements against relevant international practices and benchmarks to inform reform design and implementation.

D. Compliance and Quality Standards

• Ensure activities are designed and outputs delivered in accordance with Prospera's SOPs and standards, including technical quality standards, and donor requirements.

Key Relationships — Internal

Working at the heart of the Macro Fiscal Finance group (EOPO 1), the role works closely with:

• Portfolio Director (Macro-Fiscal, Finance, and Climate Resilience) — portfolio direction, performance management, prioritisation, resource decisions and escalation.
• Public Financial Management Lead — reporting and supervision line; direction, support and professional development.
• EOPO 1 technical teams — collaboration across budget, revenue, expenditure, state assets, financing, fiscal risk, macroeconomic, financial sector, and related areas.
• Other technical teams — collaboration on cross-cutting fiscal, economic, GEDSI and PFM issues.
• Monitoring and Evaluation Team — program accountability.

Key Relationships — External

The Research Analyst engages with:

• Indonesian Government counterparts — collaboration on budget data exchange, analytical works, technical dialogue and policy insights.
• Australian Government counterparts — alignment of budget analysis with broader program objectives and reporting, sharing of best practices and technical expertise in PFM and institutional transformation analysis.

Qualifications & Experience

The successful candidate will have:

Essential

• Bachelor's degree (S1) in Public Policy, Economics, Public Finance, Finance, Mathematics, Statistics, Public Administration, or another relevant discipline. A postgraduate qualification (S2/Master's degree) in a related discipline will be considered an advantage.
• At least three years of relevant professional experience in public financial management, budget analysis, public policy, economics, state asset management, fiscal policy or a closely related field. This may include internship experience.
• Experience working with Indonesian government institutions, particularly the Ministry of Finance, Bappenas, sector ministries, or other public sector agencies.
• Understanding of Indonesia's broader PFM architecture, including budget formulation, execution, reporting, treasury management, performance budgeting, and fiscal governance arrangements.

Desirable

• Demonstrated ability to source, clean, reconcile, validate, and analyse data from multiple sources and datasets.
• Strong quantitative and data-management skills, including proficiency in statistical software such as STATA, Phyton or equivalent tools and advanced use of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong qualitative research and stakeholder engagement skills, including experience developing surveys, focus group discussion (FGD) guides, workshop materials, and other research instruments to support evidence generation and policy analysis.
• Sound knowledge of fiscal institutional transformation, organisational governance, institutional design, operating models, and public sector change management.

Language Proficiency

Excellent written and oral communication skills in Bahasa Indonesia and English, with the ability to prepare concise analytical products and presentations.

Working Conditions

The Research Analyst is based in the Prospera Office in Jakarta, Indonesia. This role involves regular collaboration with government counterparts and may require some travel within Indonesia. The work pattern is standard office hours, with flexibility to accommodate meetings and deadlines as required.

Performance & Accountability

Performance will be assessed against:

• Quality of Analysis: The accuracy, depth, and relevance of analysis and insights provided.
• Timeliness of Deliverables: The ability to meet deadlines for reports, presentations, and policy briefs, ensuring timely support.
• Clarity of Communication: The clarity, conciseness, and effectiveness of written and verbal communications, including policy briefs, reports, and presentations.
• Adherence to Frameworks and Procedures: Compliance with established Prospera operational rules.

Core Competencies

This position is expected to demonstrate the following core competencies:

• Communicates clearly and effectively
• Works collaboratively with others
• Plans and organises work effectively
• Identifies and solves problems
• Demonstrates adaptability and flexibility

Ways of Working

Prospera Phase 2 operates in a transparent, accountable, and collaborative manner. All team members are expected to share information early, manage risk proactively, and maintain clarity about decisions, roles and responsibilities. The program values respect, professionalism, integrity, and a shared commitment to high-quality, timely delivery.

Ethics and Compliance

The postholder must uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct and comply with all DFAT policies, contractual obligations and Prospera operational requirements, including:

• DFAT Child Protection and Preventing Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment
  (PSEAH) policies;
• Fraud, bribery and anti-corruption prevention requirements;
• The Program Code of Conduct;
• Conflict-of-interest obligations; and
• Privacy, data-protection and confidentiality requirements.

Intellectual Property

All materials produced under this assignment will be the property of Prospera/DFAT.