Introduction
Following the process conducted in Sprint 1, a complete prototype of the toolkit was developed, which was again tested in the Sprint 2 cycle. This prototype mapped the different sections within the toolkit to the key components of the Indonesian Quality Policymaking Index (IKK), ensuring that the resource was directly aligned to nationally endorsed standards and designed to support policymakers in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) to operationalise them in practice.
Sprint 2 shifted the focus from development to refinement. Through structured iteration and user testing, we identified a critical design oversight: we had designed for the leaders and the doers, but we had overlooked the internal evaluators — those responsible for measuring policy quality against IKK standards before formal submission to the National Administrative Body (LAN).
Reflections and Lessons Learnt
Several important lessons emerged during Sprint 2 as the toolkit moved from prototype to a more practical and user-informed resource.
Iterative design of the evidence-based toolkit: Embedding context-relevant considerations to ensure seamless implementation and uptake
Anchored in a do–measure–learn cycle, the toolkit was intentionally designed as a modular, plug-and-play resource. Policymakers are not expected to move through it sequentially from start to finish. Instead, they can draw on the components most relevant to the relevant phase in the cycle, strengthening their approach at each step.
Direct engagement with the Ministry highlighted that for a toolkit to be truly “practical,” it had to address two systemic needs:
- Leadership buy-in was essential. To support this, the team created a high-level Leader’s Guide, helping policy leaders understand and champion an iterative, evidence-based approach. Since this way of working is still evolving within the ministry, leadership support plays a critical role in encouraging adoption.
- Contextual integration proved equally important. The toolkit was adapted to mirror the ministry’s existing language, workflows, and documentation structures. By aligning the resource with familiar processes, the team lowered barriers to entry and made the toolkit easier to use in everyday policymaking work.
Key learning: Leadership buy-in is key.
The toolkit’s value goes beyond guiding evidence-based policy design. Recognising the IKK’s role as a pre-verification tool helped us understand the wider scope of the toolkit as an accountability framework that depends on strong leadership support to be sustained.
Testing the prototype: Uncovering the hidden persona
After completing the first iteration, the team tested the prototype with intended users across key units. Early feedback revealed that while the toolkit clearly articulated what policymaking is and how it should be approached, there was less attention paid to mapping key users and the different ways these users would utilise the toolkit to design or support policy development.
This insight prompted further refinement to better reflect the diverse actors and roles within the policymaking process.
We identified that three types of primary audiences should be considered:
- Policy Leaders: Those guiding the process and setting the vision.
- Technical Teams: Those “in the weeds” developing the policy content.
- Internal Evaluators (hidden persona): The critical role responsible for conducting internal IKK measurements before official ministry submission.
Key learning: Intentionally design for a targeted audience
A process-oriented approach alone was insufficient. By initially overlooking the internal evaluator persona, undertaken by PSKP, we had missed the primary user responsible for ensuring the policy actually meets the rigorous criteria of the national index (IKK). Recognising this shifted our thinking. PSKP will likely advocate future adoption of the toolkit within the Ministry, so their needs must be central to the design from the beginning.
Refining the toolkit: Designing practical tools to better support policymakers and technical partners within the broader policy ecosystem
Testing gave us a clearer picture of how people were actually using the toolkit, not just how we expected them to use it. That insight helped the team rethink the overall user experience and interface, leading to targeted refinements that made it more intuitive, accessible, and easier to adopt in day-to-day practice.
We also incorporated feedback from our Ministry counterparts, who encouraged us to use existing examples and best practices from their own policymaking processes within each component of the toolkit. Grounding the content in familiar, internal references made it feel less theoretical and more immediately relevant.
Key learning: Structure matters, and familiarity builds trust
Using internal Ministry success stories and best practices as references strengthened user trust and made the toolkit immediately practical. At the same time, restructuring the content so that key users, including evaluators, can quickly find necessary references (i.e, IKK evidence requirements), which will help streamline and accelerate the formal process.
What’s Next
The MoPSE team is currently finalising the language to ensure it fully aligns with Ministry standards. Following this, we will develop a more general version of the toolkit so practitioners across the education sector can use it to support evidence-based policymaking in a way that is practical and easy to implement.
Watch out for our final consolidated sandbox report where you can learn more about.
Acknowledgements
The team is grateful for the collaboration, continuous feedback and support of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in Indonesia, primarily the team at the Centre of Education Standards and Policy (PSKP), primarily Dr Irsyad Zamjani, Andry Rihardika, Esy Andriyani, Tatik Soroeida and team, as well as the EdTech Hub supporting this work, Sangay Thinley, Gita Luz, Alice Carter, Sophie Longley and Jillian Makungu.
This work is part of the portfolio of projects delivered by the ASEAN-UK SAGE programme. The ASEAN-UK SAGE programme is delivered by the British Council and SEAMEO Secretariat, in partnership with EdTech Hub and Australian Council for Education Research (ACER). ASEAN-UK SAGE is an ASEAN cooperation programme funded by UK International Development.
