Tonga CBIT Forestry Sector Greenhouse Gas Inventory Consultant

Please note that the deadline is based on Korean Standard Time Zone (KST, UTC+9)

INTRODUCTION TO GGGI

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. To learn more please visit about GGGI web page. 

BACKGROUND

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is co-executing the Tonga Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) Project with the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Communications, Climate Change and CERT (MEIDECC), with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as the GEF Implementing Agency.

The CBIT project's objective is to build a robust, transparent system for climate data management and reporting, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of national GHG inventories and the tracking of NDC implementation. The project focuses on addressing key barriers identified in Tonga's national communications, including inadequate institutional arrangements, lack of robust data management systems, and insufficient capacity and awareness among stakeholders.

Tonga has received prior support for forest inventory development through initiatives such as FAO’s Technical Support for National Forest Inventory (2019–2022) and the Regional Pacific NDC Hub project supporting Tonga to conduct a National Forest Inventory. These initiatives have strengthened technical capacity among government staff and identified appropriate forest inventory methodologies and technologies. However, regarding GHG inventory compilation for the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector, gaps remain in consolidating GHG activity data and institutionalizing Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) processes.

Building on this foundation, the CBIT project seeks to further strengthen the AFOLU sector’s contribution to national GHG inventory preparation by consolidating forestry sector activity data, establishing AFOLU sector QA/QC guidelines, and delivering targeted capacity building to ensure data integrity and consistency over time.

The overall objective of this consultancy is to strengthen Tonga’s Forestry sector data systems and capacities to support accurate, transparent, and sustainable GHG inventory preparation in line with ETF requirements.

The specific objectives are to:

• Develop a forestry sector data mapping report for GHG estimation.
• Develop activity data collection templates and protocols for the forestry sector.
• Develop GHG Inventory templates and standard operating procedures for Forestry GHG Inventory estimation.
• Establish QA/QC guidelines for the Forestry sector to ensure data integrity and consistency.
• Strengthen national capacity through targeted training on Forestry sector GHG inventory data preparation and Forestry sector QA/QC implementation.

Under the overall guidance of the CBIT Project Manager and in close coordination with MEIDECC, relevant line ministries and agencies, the Consultant will undertake the following tasks and deliverables:

Deliverable 1: Develop forestry sector data mapping report and activity data collection templates and protocols for GHG inventory preparation

Building on the existing work by previous and ongoing support initiatives such as NDC Hub projects, the Consultant will first conduct a comprehensive data mapping exercise to establish a clear understanding of Tonga's existing forestry-related data landscape. The data mapping report will systematically identify and document all relevant data sources across key institutions and agencies. It will assess the availability, frequency, format, accessibility, and quality of existing data against IPCC forestry sub-category requirements, identify data gaps and overlaps, and map data custodianship and reporting responsibilities across institutions. Crucially, the assessment will also evaluate how existing national forestry methodologies and datasets can be utilized to generate activity data and conversion factors that can be directly applied to IPCC inventory equations for estimating GHG emissions or removals. The findings of the data mapping report will directly inform the design of the activity data collection templates and protocols.

Building on the data mapping findings, the Consultant will prepare standardized activity data collection templates for Tonga’s GHG inventory preparation. Furthermore, the Consultant will develop protocols for activity data collection tailored to the Tongan context. The template and protocols must comprehensively cover all sub-categories relevant to Tonga’s forestry sector aligned with IPCC guidelines.

Deliverable 2: Develop GHG estimation templates for the Forestry sector

The Consultant will develop an Excel-based GHG estimation template for the forestry sector GHG inventory estimation tailored to Tonga’s context. The GHG estimation template shall provide calculation tools that utilize the applicable IPCC methodologies, enabling consistent and transparent emission and removal estimates in the forestry sector in the context of Tonga. The GHG estimation templates will be supported by standard operating procedures (SOP) governing their use. The SOP will include standardized procedures for data entry, selection and documentation of emission factors, methodological tier selection, and uncertainty documentation, ensuring that all estimation steps are transparent and reproducible.

Deliverable 3: Develop QA/QC guidelines for the Forestry sector

The Consultant will develop detailed QA/QC guidelines designed to ensure the integrity, transparency, and continuous improvement of Tonga’s forestry sector GHG inventory. The guidelines shall provide dedicated, standardized QC checklists and step-by-step procedures tailored to the unique data sources, activity data, and emission estimation methods of the forestry sector in Tonga. The guidelines shall also specify sector-specific QA arrangements, including independent expert review of calculations and methodological assumptions, ensuring that both quality control and quality assurance are systematically and rigorously applied at the sectoral level throughout the inventory preparation process.

Deliverable 4: Capacity building and training Workshops

The Consultant will design targeted capacity-building activities related to the forestry sector activity data collection and GHG emissions/removals estimations. These activities will be delivered through training workshops for relevant government staff and stakeholders to strengthen understanding and application of forestry inventory activity data collection and management, as well as the GHG inventory estimation.

In addition, the consultant shall facilitate at least one forestry sector QA/QC workshop targeting both data providers and lead inventory coordinators. This workshop shall address, but not be limited to, the overarching QA/QC concepts, standardized sectoral QC checklists, as well as internal and external QA review arrangements.

All training materials shall be developed and submitted for review prior to the workshop. Upon completion of all workshops, the consultant shall submit training workshop reports documenting participant attendance, key discussions and outcomes, and feedback received.

Notes:

• The Consultant will use their own resources to produce all deliverables.
• All deliverables must be submitted in English.
• Any data and information collected as part of this consultancy must be submitted to GGGI and the Department of Climate Change Tonga, MEIDECC, ensuring confidentiality of unpublished government information and complying with GGGI’s and the Government of Tonga’s data protection, ethics and safeguarding policies.
• All reports must be approved by GGGI and the Department of Climate Change Tonga, MEIDECC before finalization. The Consultant shall consider all comments and necessary revisions proposed and provide a final version of the reports reflecting the revisions within 10 working days of the receipt of feedback.
• Electronic versions of deliverables must be compatible with Microsoft Office applications and adhere to GGGI's font and style guidelines.

The Consultant will report to the Project Manager of the Tonga CBIT project and work in close coordination with the Project Management Unit (PMU) & the Department of Climate Change Tonga, MEIDECC.

The Consultant is expected to have the following qualifications:

• Advanced university degree in Forestry, environmental science, natural resource management, climate change, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in forest inventory, land use data management, or AFOLU sector-related GHG inventory development.
• Demonstrated experience with the application of IPCC Guidelines for AFOLU sectors.
• Practical experience in the use of geospatial data and GIS tools to support forest inventories is desirable.
• Experience supporting National Forest Inventories and working with government institutions is highly desirable.
• Experience working in SIDS/Pacific contexts and familiarity with Tonga government data systems and forestry sector institutions are preferred. 
• Proven experience delivering technical training and facilitating workshops.
• Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills in English.

Interested consultants shall submit the following documentation:  

• Curriculum Vitae with a maximum of four pages.
• Cover Letter with demonstration of ability and experience in the deliverables outlined in this TOR.
• Proposed two-page detailed workplan, indicating the applicant’s understanding of the scope of work and approach for the completion of the assignment.

Applications will close on xx September 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Korean Standard Time (KST). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. Applications including cover Letter and CV must be sent in English. A consortium, or a firm may not be engaged for the individual consultant assignment.

Duty Station: Remote/Tonga

Contract Duration: 10 months

Consultant Level: Individual Consultant 4

Total Fees: USD 29,500

Child protection – GGGI is committed to child protection, irrespective of whether any specific area of work involves direct contact with children. GGGI’s Child Protection Policy is written in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.