Organizational Setting
This position is located in the National Forest Monitoring team (NFM team), in FAO’s Forestry Division (NFO).
Reporting Lines
The consultant will report to the Forestry Officer Measuring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) in the NFM team, under the overall supervision of the Team Leader, Senior Forestry Officer (NFO). Depending on the assigned project, the consultant will work in close collaboration with the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) and/or Lead Technical Officer (LTO) of the projects it works for, and the consultant will work in close coordination with the country offices.
Technical Focus
The consultant will contribute to the operational success of FAO’s work on climate change, forestry and land use (change), and in specific on MRV for forests and initiatives such as REDD+ (https://www.fao.org/national-forest-monitoring/areas-of-work/data-reporting-transparency/en/). The objective of this consultancy is to develop the capacity of countries in MRV of forest-related emissions and removals. The consultant will support in the analysis of activity data, and combine area estimates obtained from Satellite Land Monitoring Systems, with emission factors obtained from analysing National Forest Inventory (NFI) data to obtain emission estimates, to be used in greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory reporting, in the construction of reference levels and the assessment of achieved emission reductions. The overall objective is to support countries on one or several of the following: i) improve climate change reporting to the UNFCCC, in specific supporting countries in LULUCF/AFOLU reporting in the BUR/BTR/NCs, and as related to the NDCs and the enhanced transparency framework (ETF), and ii) support countries to achieve high quality MRV that meets requirements in Carbon Accounting Standards. Where appropriate, countries will be familiarized and trained in the use of FAO’s open source tools and platforms, such as Open foris (https://openforis.org/), including Collect Earth, Collect Earth Online and SEPAL.
Tasks and responsibilities
• Support countries with technical advice on LULUCF GHG reporting to the UNFCCC (NCs, BURs, BTRs, NDCs), REDD+ reference levels and BUR/BTR technical annexes with REDD+ results
• Assist in the elaboration of guidance material to help build GHG emission estimates capacity in countries (for example, online learning courses or gap assessment tools)
• Support countries in their selection of appropriate Carbon Accounting Standards, where applicable
• Perform MRV gap assessments, where applicable against a Carbon Accounting Standard selected by the country, and/or in the context of the country’s NDC/REDD+ reporting to the UNFCCC
• Support countries with their analysis of activity data (from satellite land monitoring systems) and emission factors (from national forest inventories) for MRV in the context of a selected Carbon Accounting Standard or for REDD+ reporting to the UNFCCC
• Support countries with the implementation of the ETF with focus on the forest and land use sector
• Organize and/or facilitate meetings, workshops, technical trainings etc and coordinate with relevant units in FAO, e.g. the climate change team (OCB) in FAO
• Any other duties as required
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in Forestry, Environmental sciences or a related study (for Consultants) / University degree in Forestry, Environmental science or a related study (only for PSA)
• At least three years of relevant experience in estimating GHG emissions from forests / Measurement, Reporting and Verification for REDD+
• Working knowledge (level C) of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge (level B) of one of the other two or Arabic, Chinese, Russian for COF. Knowledge of only English, French or Spanish can also be considered for PSA.
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Extent and relevance of experience in REDD+ MRV
• Extent and relevance of experience in assessing and reporting GHG emissions from Forestry and Land-use change
• Work experience in/with developing countries
• Familiarity with ETF and NDCs under the Paris Agreement of the UNFCCC
• Familiarity with IPCC guidance and guidelines
• Knowledge of ART-TREES and VCS-JNR standard MRV requirements is an advantage
• Experience with FAO’s open source platforms or tools is an advantage, as well as experience with R or QGIS
Selection Criteria
• Extent of experience in MRV for REDD+
• Extent of experience of analysing remote sensing and/or national forest inventory data
• Extent of experience in supporting developing countries capacity development activities
Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
- Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
- Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
- For more information, visit the FAO employment website
- Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
HOW TO APPLY
• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
If you need help, or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org