School data collection involved interviews with the principal and two teachers from the school, inspection of documents and a walk around the school to assess the physical condition. Again, some objective data are relatively straightforward to collect (e.g., number of toilets for boys and girls) but some data require a professional judgment to be made (e.g., Is the school safe and clean?). Many of the items in the questionnaire require provision of a document or record (e.g., the school curriculum plan).

The Indonesian Ministry of National Education (MONE) decided to revise the Ministerial Decree on the National Education Minimum Service Standard (MSS), known as Kepmendiknas 129a/2004, to better align with other current legal arrangements. The draft MSS to the Decentralization Advisory Board (DPOD) required accompanying information on the budget impact of the proposed MSS as an integral part of the evaluation process.

The study aimed to collect data pertinent to MSS costing such that MSS cost calculation could be performed in the sample 15 districts. In addition, there is a need to better comprehend the actual condition of schools relative to the standard use in the MSS draft, even if relative condition has no direct cost consequence to district budget. (SM)