Institutional Development Strategies of the Ciamis District Education Office: A Study on the Achievement of School Life Expectancy Rates

Abstract

This study is motivated by the ongoing ineffectiveness in institutional development of education services within the Ciamis Regency Education Office, particularly concerning the achievement of the Expected Years of Schooling indicator. This issue is evident in the relatively low increase in the average years of schooling. Therefore, this research aims to analyze institutional development strategies for the Ciamis Regency Education Office. Adopting a qualitative approach, this study employs a descriptive method. Data were collected through observation, interviews, literature review, and focus group discussions (FGDs), while the data analysis utilized Miles and Huberman’s interactive model of qualitative analysis. The findings reveal that institutional capacity development efforts by the Ciamis Regency Education Office, aimed at improving the average years of schooling as a means to achieve the Expected Years of Schooling target, have generally been implemented in accordance with established goals. However, in qualitative terms, the improvement remains relatively low. The root causes of the low average years of schooling include limited access to both formal and informal education services—particularly for low-income or impoverished populations—and the suboptimal implementation of equivalency education programs (Packages A, B, and C), largely due to insufficient funding. The recommended strategies to address these issues include capacity development at the individual level, at the organizational level, and at the environmental level.