Land Tenure Specialist (Short-term Consultant)

Contractor Terms of Reference (TOR)

Location: Indonesia

October 2025

About Landesa

Grounded in the knowledge that having legal rights to land is a foundation for prosperity and opportunity, Landesa partners with governments and local organizations to ensure that those experiencing the most extreme forms of poverty have secure rights over the land they steward.

Founded as the Rural Development Institute in 1967, Landesa has helped more than 100 million families living in poverty gain legal control over their land. Landesa works closely with Landesa Indonesia, an Indonesia-based foundation, headquartered in Jakarta and established in 2023, that promotes social and humanitarian efforts related rural development and poverty alleviation focused on land rights and other natural resources, in addition to promoting the participation and social standing of women and marginalized communities. With secure land rights, especially for women, these families can eat better, earn more, educate their children, practice conservation, and achieve dignity for generations. For additional information, visit the Landesa

website at www.landesa.org and www.landesaindonesia.org.

Landesa Indonesia, as part of the Landesa Global, through the Mangroves and Coastal Project, supports sustainable coastal and mangrove management, tenure security, and improved livelihoods for coastal communities in Indonesia. The project’s primary goals are to: (1) protect coastal mangroves, (2) strengthen tenure, livelihoods, and participation of local and adat communities, and (3) contribute to climate action through inclusive governance reforms.

To achieve these objectives, Landesa Indonesia seeks a qualified and experienced Land Tenure Specialist to provide technical assistance focusing on customary (adat) communities and mangrove protection, with fieldwork primarily in East Nusa Tenggara, Papua, and East Kalimantan.

Objective of the Assignment

The consultant will provide policy advisory and technical assistance to advance Landesa’s Indonesia tenure and mangrove initiatives, with a focus on strengthening policy and governance related to land and coastal tenure, community land and resource rights, and adat (customary) systems. This includes promoting the formal recognition of ulayat (customary) land rights for adat communities, particularly for their women and youth members, as a mechanism for protecting coastal and inland ecosystems and advancing tenure security. The consultant will work closely with Landesa Indonesia’s -based team and collaborate with the U.S. and Southeast Asia regional teams to strengthen policy advocacy, contribute to national and local dialogues on ulayat land registration and coastal land governance, and support field-level implementation aligned with project goals. In addition, the consultant will contribute to the development of monitoring and evaluation instruments to track progress and inform policy and programmatic decisions.

Scope of Work

Under the supervision of the Indonesia Programme Director, the Land Tenure Specialist will:

1. Site-level Implementation:

• Support pilot site implementation of Regulation of the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (Peraturan Menteri Agraria dan Tata Ruang/Badan Pertanahan Nasional) No. 14 of 2024 on ulayat land administration and registration.
• Capture and analyze pre-registration processes (e.g., participatory mapping, socialization, FPIC) and ensure inclusive participation of adat communities, particularly women and youth.
• Strengthen community capacity to understand registration options, decision-making structures, and inclusive administrative systems.
• Ensure that site-based work bolsters government ownership of scalable models for inclusive ulayat land recognition and mangrove/ecosystem conservation.

2. Policy, Legal, and Technical Assistance:

• Contribute to the development and implementation of gender-responsive and socially inclusive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) instruments for the Ulayat Land Registration Program, in collaboration with Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN).
• Analyze laws and regulations related to adat communities, land tenure, agrarian reform, coastal and mangrove management, and environmental conservation.
• Prepare policy briefs, reports, and recommendations on land rights, FPIC, and gender inclusion for government audiences and other stakeholder.
• Support the drafting of protocols, training materials, and guidance documents integrating Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) principles in the promotion of tenure security and mangrove/environmental conservation.

3. Stakeholder Engagement and Advocacy:

• Collaborate with government agencies, CSOs, and adat communities to strengthen multi-stakeholder engagement and inclusive ulayat land rights recognition.
• Participate in meetings, presentations, and advocacy efforts promoting policy reforms and field-level learning replication.
• Represent Landesa Indonesia in external events, technical meetings, and internal coordination sessions.

Additionally, the Contractor will:

• Provide written advice and inputs to Landesa and participate in Landesa Indonesia team meetings, when requested;
• Ensure compliance with Landesa policies, practices, procedures, and regulations, including the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA); and
• Perform other related duties as required or needed.

Deliverables

• Systematic site assessment reports from East Nusa Tenggara, Papua, and East Kalimantan.
• Drafts or inputs for monitoring and evaluation instruments and policy recommendations.
• Policy briefs or memos on FPIC, adat land rights, and gender-inclusive tenure.
• Documentation of capacity-building and stakeholder engagement activities.

Duration and Work Schedule

1. Contract Period : 01 December 2025 – 31 March 2027
2. Extension : May be extended annually based on performance and program needs, within the five-year project framework.
3. Work Arrangement : Short-term consultancy with approximately 60% travel to East Nusa Tenggara, Papua, and Kalimantan.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Law, Land Management, Agrarian Studies, Environmental Policy, or related fields.
• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in land tenure, community rights, or related development work.
• Proven expertise in customary (adat) land tenure systems and community-based resource management in Indonesia.
• Solid understanding of Permen ATR/BPN No. 14/2024 and related regulatory frameworks.
• Strong policy analysis, stakeholder coordination, and technical writing skills.
• Experience applying Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) principles in field and policy contexts.
• Excellent interpersonal and facilitation skills.
• Fluency in Bahasa Indonesia and professional proficiency in English.

Application Procedure

Interested applicants should submit the following documents to recruitment.idn@landesa.org by November 10, 2025, with the email subject line:

Subject: Application – Land Tenure Specialist – [Your Full Name]

Please attach:

• A cover letter describing your motivation and relevant experience.
• A detailed CV (maximum 3 pages).
• Contact information for at least two professional references.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further selection processes.

Management and Reporting

The Land Tenure Specialist will report directly to the Indonesia Programme Director and work closely with the Senior Site Manager, site-based teams, and the broader Landesa Indonesia and Landesa program staff.