Jl. Melon Raya I No.

53, Karangasem, Laweyan

Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia - 57145

Terms of Reference
Program Officer for Urban Inclusivity Initiatives

Employment Position : Program Officer

Employment Type : Full-time, up to 1- year contract
Employment Period : March 2023 - February 2024
No. of Vacant Positions : 1 position
Location : Surakarta, Indonesia
Language Required : Fluent in English and Indonesian
Application Deadline : 14 February 2023

About Kota Kita

Kota Kita (KK) is a non-profit organization based in Indonesia with expertise in urban
planning and citizen participation in the design and development of cities. We build
bridges between citizens and government towards a shared vision. We facilitate citizen
participation and collaboration, influence urban policies, encourage open access to
information, and provide civic education to empower active urban citizens. We take on
issues such as governance, inclusivity and climate change resilience. We have an
interdisciplinary team with a design-driven approach to develop tools and methods for
city-making. For almost a decade, KK has worked in more than 20 cities in Indonesia on a
diverse range of projects from small scale urban interventions, city-wide assessments to
large-scale strategic planning and visioning. We build platforms for new voices for change
in our cities by organizing events such as the annual Urban Social Forum
(urbansocialforum.or.id) - a civil society-led forum in Indonesia that brings together civil
societies, civil servants, practitioners and students that work towards improving our cities.

Program Summary:
Urban Inclusivity Initiatives
Kota Kita recognizes inclusivity and accessibility as some of the most pressing issues
facing our cities today and into the future. In the coming years, we are working to
strengthen our urban inclusivity team and expand our practice in the issues of inclusivity
and accessibility through action research, urban design, community-based planning,
public critical dialogues, as well as policy advocacy. In the near term, we are engaged in a
number of diverse projects within the theme of urban inclusivity and accessibility,
including an initiative to promote inclusive low-carbon transportation, urban mobility,
development of inclusive care hubs for older people and persons with disabilities, and
development of multi-sectoral urban programming strategies for children in the cities.
The projects are carried out in a collaborative manner with our project partners and
donors, which include Global Disability Innovation Hub, the United Kingdom’s Foreign,
Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Asian Development Bank, and
UNICEF.
Our engagements in the near term include:
● Multi-city assessment on policy and regulatory framework related to urban inclusivity
● Developing action-research on urban inclusivity, including issues related to the
mobility and accessibility of vulnerable groups (i.e. persons with disabilities, children,
women, older people) in cities as well as community-based initiatives
● Inclusive urban design and planning
● Developing concepts to improve inclusivity, mobility and accessibility in cities
● Developing communications and advocacy strategy to promote inclusivity in cities
● Advising local and national government for more inclusive development policies

Activities include:
● Urban design and planning
● Mapping
● Conducting qualitative and quantitative research with participatory approach
● Data collection i.e. site visits, observations, interviews, surveys, workshops, and focus
group discussions
● Stakeholder engagements with communities, civil society organizations, disabled
people organizations, practitioners, experts, and local governments
● Analysing data using relevant analytical frameworks
● Writing, contributing, and developing comprehensive reports, policy briefs, guidelines
● Developing communications content and campaign materials to promote the work
of Kota Kita
● Supporting Kota Kita in identifying and making the most of emergent research
opportunities on inclusivity

Responsibilities
Kota Kita seeks a Program Officer who will support the action research. The program
officer will report to the program manager, as well as regular check-ins with the wider
team. The program officer will be working with an international team of researchers and
organizations as well as local communities and civil societies.The program officer will need
to be a creative problem solver, multi-tasker with the ability to learn new skills and
processes on the go; be able to work in a fast-paced collaborative environment; be able to
engage with stakeholders at the community level and local government level; is thorough
and analytical with datasets.

Working together as a team, the key responsibilities of the program officer will be:
● Developing participatory methodology and writing up guidelines for research
activities
● Contributing to inclusive urban design and planning strategies
● Conducting qualitative and quantitative research to understand challenges and
opportunities related to urban inclusivity issues
● Establishing close engagements with communities (particularly vulnerable groups),
local government and stakeholders
● Facilitating various data collection processes, which includes ensuring that the
process is in line with the ethical conducts of research, such as informed consent
collections, as well as practising disability etiquette and appropriate data handling
● Analysing and translating findings into ideas and recommendations that will directly
benefit the target communities/audiences
● Supporting advocacy of inclusive policies and practices in the city and beyond
● Developing campaign materials regarding inclusivity and accessibility with
evidence-based method
Qualifications
The candidate should have:
● A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in urban planning, architecture, or other relevant
fields
● At least 1 - 2 years of working experience in the relevant fields (i.e. transportation,
mobility, inclusivity, urban design)

Competencies
We are looking for a candidate who has relevant experience and is passionate about one
or more of the following areas:
● Inclusivity rights for persons with disabilities, children, older people, and women
● Collaborative and participatory design
● Urban development / development studies
● Urban planning/design
● Urban mobility
● Placemaking
● Community development

In addition, these skills are highly valued:

● Action research (mixed method, participatory approach)
● Writing, communication, and reporting
● Working with different stakeholders: communities, governments, CSOs, DPOs
● Stakeholder engagement / community facilitation
● Project management
● Data visualization, presentation and communication skills
● Public campaign and advocacy

We would be thrilled if the candidate can use one or more of these:

● GIS software (ArcGIS/QGIS or equivalent)
● Data analysis software (SPSS, NVivo or equivalent)
● Digital data collection tools (KoBo Toolbox, ODK Collect)
● Microsoft Office: Word/Excel/Powerpoint/Others
● Adobe: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, others or equivalent

As Kota Kita works closely with a diverse range of local and international partners, the
ability to communicate effectively in English and Indonesian is crucial for this role.

Benefits
● The opportunity to work on some of the most pressing urban challenges in Indonesia
● The opportunity to work across a variety of programs and initiatives
● The chance to work with friendly, talented team members and diverse partners, from
international development organizations, local governments, academics, research
institutions, civil society organizations, youth groups, and many others in a
collaborative and innovative work culture.
● A high degree of responsibility, but also autonomy
● Competitive salaries
● Regular training opportunities
Location
Our office is primarily based in Surakarta (Solo), Indonesia but currently operating in many
cities. The project will require the applicant to be based in Solo with regular visits to or
long stays in Semarang, Surabaya, Makassar, or other cities in Indonesia.

Period of Engagement
March 2023 - February 2024

Application requirements
To apply for this position, you must submit the following materials to work@kotakita.org
and use the email subject: [Applicant Name]_PO Urban Inclusivity by 14 February 2023.

1. Your most recent CV, including salary requirement

2. A short 2-min video about yourself
3. Writing samples: 1 in English and 1 in Indonesian. Submit samples that not only
best represent your linguistic skills but also writings that best represent your
qualifications for the work.
4. To be included in your cover letter, and no more than 750 words:
a. Describe yourself - a brief profile, why we should consider you to be Urban
Inclusivity Program Officer
b. What you consider as an inclusive city

For more information about us and our work, find out more on:
Website : www.kotakita.org
Instagram : @kotakitaorg
LinkedIn : Kota Kita Foundation
Twitter : @kotakitaorg