Program Officer for Urban Inclusivity Initiatives

Terms of Reference
Program Officer for Urban Inclusivity Initiatives
Kota Kita Foundation

Application Deadline: January 31, 2021
Employment Type: Program Officer, Full-time up to 1- year contract with potential extension
Location: Surakarta (Indonesia)
Language Required: Fluent in English and Indonesian

About Kota Kita
Kota Kita (KK) is a growing 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 ( https://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. Kota Kita received the Ford Foundation BUILD grant in 2019, a part of IDRC’s Think Climate Platform and has consultative status at the UN ECOSOC.

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 Banjarmasin as a disability-inclusive city which won the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI) Global Urban Mobility Challenge 2019 award. We are also part of the Assistive Technology 2030 programme.  Our project partners and donors include GIZ, ADB, Global Disability Innovation Hub, Sierra Leone Urban Research Center, and the University College London. Projects are carried out in a collaborative manner with our project partners.

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 accessibility of persons with disabilities in cities as well as community-based initiatives
• Inclusive urban design and planning
• Developing concepts to improve inclusivity 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 contents 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 program director. 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/researcher 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 practicing 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 be:

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in development studies, urban planning, social and political sciences, public policy or other relevant fields
• At least 1 – 2 years of working experience in the relevant fields

Competencies
We would love to work with you if you have experience in one or more of these themes (and are extremely passionate about it):

• Inclusivity and disability rights
• Collaborative and participatory design 
• Urban development/Development studies
• Assistive technology and its applications in developing countries
• Urban planning/design
• Placemaking
• Community development

And if you’re good at:

• 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 you 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 Suite: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, others or equivalent
• If you can do more or have more tricks up your sleeve, even better!

Because we work with a wide range of partners locally and internationally, the ideal candidate is bilingual in English and Indonesian.

What does Kota Kita offer you?

• 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 Banjarmasin or other cities in Indonesia.

Period of Engagement
February 2021 – January 2022

Application requirements

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