The Process of Formulating A Strategic Plan for The Implementation of Vocational Education in Indonesia

Abstract

Strategic planning is a central governance mechanism for translating national development priorities into sectoral policies, programs, budgets, and performance accountability. In Indonesia, vocational education reform requires coherent planning because it involves labour-market responsiveness, institutional coordination, curriculum relevance, teacher capacity, and industry partnership. This study examines how the Directorate General of Vocational Education, Ministry of Education and Culture, formulated its 2020–2024 Strategic Plan and how the process connected national development priorities with vocational education governance. Using a qualitative case-study design, the research drew on policy and regulatory documents, institutional planning materials, observations of planning-related processes, and in-depth interviews with actors involved in or knowledgeable about strategic planning. The data were analysed thematically to identify the main stages and governance dimensions of strategic plan formulation. The findings show that the formulation process consisted of three interrelated stages: technocratic analysis, political alignment, and formal determination. The technocratic stage provided an evidence-based basis for identifying sectoral challenges and development priorities; the political stage aligned the draft plan with the RPJMN and presidential priorities; and the determination stage institutionalized the plan as an authoritative reference for annual work plans, budgeting, and performance reporting. The study contributes to vocational education governance literature by showing that strategic planning is not merely an administrative requirement, but a negotiated policy-translation process that links evidence, political legitimacy, institutional coordination, and implementation accountability.