Senior Adviser - Digital Strategy

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.

Prospera Phase 2 supports the Government of Indonesia to advance sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient economic growth through high-quality policy advice, institutional strengthening and partnerships with the Australian Public Service. Digital transformation is a cross-cutting reform priority that underpins Indonesia’s ambitions to strengthen economic competitiveness, modernise the public sector and improve outcomes for citizens and businesses.

Indonesia’s national digital agenda is organised around four pillars: digital infrastructure, digital government, digital economy and digital society. This agenda is set out in Indonesia’s own instruments, including the Digital Indonesia Roadmap, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) Strategic Plan 2025-2029, the National Strategy for Indonesia’s Digital Economy Development 2030, and the national digital government architecture and services integration regulations (Presidential Regulations 132/2022 and 82/2023). The next phase of reform is increasingly an institutional and governance challenge rather than a technology challenge, requiring stronger whole-of-government coordination across these pillars.

Prospera supports this agenda through partnerships with Komdigi, the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (KemenPANRB), the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas), the Ministry of Finance, the Digital Transformation Acceleration Committee and the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs.

As Prospera’s second phase begins, the Program requires a clear and coherent strategy for how it will support Indonesia’s digital agenda, together with the delivery structures needed to carry this work forward. Prospera therefore requires a Senior Adviser to develop Prospera’s digital strategy and approach and the corresponding delivery structures, and to lead consultation with DFAT and the Government of Indonesia to shape and validate them. The strategy will be grounded in Indonesia’s own priorities and institutional arrangements, and will draw on recognised international frameworks, including the World Bank Digital Economy Assessment, ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, OECD guidance on digital government and digital public infrastructure, and G20 and United Nations norms for digital public infrastructure, adapted to Indonesia’s context. 2. Objective

The objective of this assignment is to develop Prospera’s strategy, approach and delivery structures for its work on digital transformation. The strategy will provide a clear direction of the priority areas of Prospera’s digital program over a three-year period, which will feed into annual work plans. The strategy will also identify priority activities and their sequence for the Program’s first year.

The strategy will span Indonesia’s four digital pillars (digital infrastructure, digital government, digital economy and digital society) and will be developed and validated through consultation with DFAT and the Government of Indonesia.

3. Key responsibilities

The Senior Adviser will lead the development of Prospera’s digital strategy, approach and delivery structures. Responsibilities include:

• Develop Prospera’s digital strategy and approach, setting out how Prospera will support Indonesia’s digital agenda across its four national pillars: digital infrastructure, digital government, digital economy and digital society.
• Review digital activity outputs and analytics from Prospera’s first phase, including the Completion Report; and Embassy-led analytics (Access Economics paper, Komdigi digital transformation report)
• Ground the strategy in the Government of Indonesia’s own priorities and instruments, including the Digital Indonesia Roadmap, the Komdigi Strategic Plan 2025-2029 and the national digital economy and digital government frameworks.
• Draw on recognised international frameworks, such as the World Bank Digital Economy Assessment, OECD guidance on digital government and digital public infrastructure, ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement and G20 and United Nations norms, and adapt them to Indonesia’s political economy context.
• Define the scope, priorities and value proposition of Prospera’s digital portfolio for over a three-year period. Identify priority activities and their sequencing for the Program’s first year.
• Design the corresponding delivery structures for the portfolio, including the coordination mechanisms, resourcing and governance required for Prospera to deliver coherently across its directorates and partnerships.
• Lead a structured consultation process with DFAT (Australian Embassy Jakarta), Australian Public Service partners and Government of Indonesia counterparts to co-develop, test and validate the strategy, approach and structures.
• Consult key development partners and relevant DFAT programs that work on digital issues in Indonesia, identifying coordination priorities and opportunities for collaboration.
• Advise Prospera leadership and DFAT on strategic positioning, sequencing of activities and the key risks and opportunities across the portfolio.
• Support alignment between the digital strategy and Prospera’s broader program strategy, results framework and partnership arrangements, and the Australian Government’s broader digital cooperation with Indonesia.
• Undertake other related strategic tasks as required to deliver the assignment.

4. Deliverables

• A short inception plan (draft work plan), submitted within the first two weeks, to align with DFAT on the timeframes for deliverables and the stakeholders to be consulted.
• A Prospera digital strategy paper, structured around Indonesia’s four digital pillars (digital infrastructure, digital government, digital economy and digital society) over a three year period, and a set of sequenced activities over the first year.
• A recommended operating model and delivery structure for Prospera’s digital portfolio.
• A consultation report summarising the consultations undertaken with DFAT and Government of Indonesia counterparts, including key input received and how it has informed the strategy, approach and delivery structures.
• A prioritised roadmap for establishing and sequencing Prospera’s digital activities.
• A 5-page summary report for DFAT outlining proposed objectives for broader bilateral digital cooperation with Indonesia, key modalities (programs, APS agency partners), priority partners (Indonesian, other development, private sector) and Prospera’s potential contribution. This can build on the Australian Embassy Jakarta’s Access Economics paper and Prospera’s short draft digital strategy completed in 2023–2024 (see reading list).

5. Selection criteria

• Postgraduate qualifications in digital government, information systems, technology policy, public policy, public administration, economics, or another relevant discipline.
• Experience in leadership positions providing advice on digital transformation, digital government or public sector reform.
• Demonstrated experience developing digital transformation strategies and operating models spanning digital infrastructure, digital government, digital economy and digital society.
• Familiarity with digital public infrastructure, data governance, cybersecurity and recognised international frameworks such as the World Bank Digital Economy Assessment and OECD digital government guidance.
• Proven ability to design institutional, organisational and governance structures for complex, cross-cutting programs.
• Demonstrated experience leading multi-stakeholder consultation and building alignment across government and development partners.
• Excellent strategic thinking, analytical and facilitation skills, with the ability to translate international experience into practical and context-appropriate advice.
• Familiarity with Indonesia’s digital transformation, public sector reform or institutional landscape is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience advising ministers, senior executives and central government agencies on complex reform agendas is desirable.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

6. PSEAH and child protection obligations

The personnel must read, understand and comply with all organisational and DFAT requirements relating to Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) and child protection. Any suspicion, allegation, incident or concern must be reported as soon as possible and within a maximum of 24 hours of becoming aware of the matter, in accordance with approved reporting procedures. Completion of required safeguarding training and adherence to reporting obligations is a condition of engagement.

7. Ethics and compliance

The Adviser must comply with all DFAT policies, contractual obligations and Prospera operational requirements. All intellectual property developed under this assignment will be the property of Prospera and DFAT. The Adviser must comply with:

• DFAT child protection and PSEAH policies
• fraud, bribery and corruption prevention requirements
• the program Code of Conduct
• conflict-of-interest obligations
• privacy and confidentiality requirements.

8. Ways of working

Prospera Phase 2 operates as a trusted policy partnership between DFAT, the Government of Indonesia and APS partners. All personnel are expected to work collaboratively and professionally, maintain high analytical standards and integrate GEDSI, climate and sustainability considerations across their work. Personnel must respect clear lines of accountability, comply with DFAT policies and safeguards, support locally led development and contribute to achieving the program’s EOPOs and IOs.

9. Performance management

Performance will be assessed against:

• delivery of agreed deliverables to schedule
• quality, practicality and coherence of the strategy, structures and recommendations
• effectiveness of consultation and engagement with DFAT and the Government of Indonesia
• timeliness and responsiveness
• stakeholder feedback.

10. Intellectual property

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

11. Reading list

Key reference materials for this assignment include:

• Prospera Phase 1 Completion Report (digital-related sections).
• Australian Embassy Jakarta’s Access Economics paper on Australia-Indonesia digital cooperation.
• Komdigi digital transformation report.
• Prospera’s short draft digital strategy (completed 2023–2024).
• Digital Indonesia Roadmap.
• Komdigi Strategic Plan 2025-2029.
• National Strategy for Indonesia’s Digital Economy Development 2030.
• National digital government architecture and services integration regulations (Presidential Regulations 132/2022 and 82/2023).