International Forest Monitoring Specialist

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

Organizational Setting

FAO Country Office of Armenia (FAO Armenia) and the Environmental Project Implementation Unit (EPIU) are the Executing Entities (EEs) of the Green Climate Fud (GCF) project of GCP/ARM/008/GCF project “Forest resilience of Armenia, enhancing adaptation and rural green growth via mitigation (thereafter “the Project”)”. EPIU will enter the project execution acting as the Operational Partner (OP) under the FAO Operational Partners Implementation Modality (OPIM), whose obligations are detailed in the Operational Agreement (OPA).

Reporting Lines

The Specialist reports to the FAO Representative.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Designing the National Strategy for the setting up and implementation of the NFMS in Armenia
  1. With the support of the National Counterpart, produce a forest information stakeholder’s map that can be related with a NFMS.
  2. Carry on the assessment using the FAO-VGNFMS Tool with different stakeholders related with NFMS. Including an information needs assessment.
  3. With the support of the National Counterpart, Identify and analyse the elements contained in the legal-institutional forestry / environmental framework that supports or can support the operation of a National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) in the country, taking into account a participatory and decentralized approach, as well as its linkages with the national inventory greenhouse gas emissions, with an emphasis on the AFOLU sector and NDCs. In particular, identify the norms and provisions (of law and regulations) that establish the institutional framework and define the roles and functions of the NFMS institutional entities involved at the national and local levels. Identify necessary sources of law regulating the matter and data ownership.
  4. Analyse and evaluate the needs and gaps related to data accessibility procedures and uses by different entities with the mandate to implement forest monitoring tasks, with emphasis on the preparation of GHG inventories, MRV for REDD , and NDC ( institutional, legal, and process implications).
  5. Identify national information systems that might be linked to the NFMS which could provide technical information in order to strengthen NFMS functions. Identify the legal and institutional instruments that would enable the establishment of linkages between existing forest related monitoring systems, thus improving the management and generation of forest related data,
  6. Organize interviews with key stakeholders of the NFMS and previously identified national information systems to have a better understanding of what are the main challenges, barriers, and opportunities identified both in the implementation of the NFMS and in establishing links among different systems of information.
  7. Identify the main platforms, forums, and other existing mechanisms that can facilitate data exchange for the monitoring, measurement, and reporting processes of the NFMS.
  8. Organize with the support of national counter parts, a validation and dissemination workshop about the findings, with a mission to (5 days on mission to Armenia and 2 days for mission preparation, expected time of mission is March 2022)
  9. Prepare a report that includes a national strategy to set up and implement a NFMS, that includes the existing capacities and gaps, information needs, and the design of the NFMS for data collection and managemetn with a cost estimation.
  10. The design will be discussed at the national level during a workshop on which various stakeholders will participate. An updated version will be compiled taking the workshop experience into account.

• Designing a two stage sampling design for the National Forest Monitoring System in Armenia respond to the national and international information needs according with the information needs assessment

1. 1. Elaborate a two stage sampling design for Armenia. The design will incorporate the AFOLU sector in Armenia, and take into consideration NDCs, SDGs and other international reporting processes to which Armenia is reporting in relation to the AFOLU sector and National needs.
   2. It is expected that the sampling design will include FRA and IPCC land cover classes, and changes of these categories, achievable accuracy of estimates and a systematic sampling grid covering the whole territory of Armenia, which will be used for the first stage sampling design. This first stage will be used for the landuse/landcover assessment (high resolution imagery visual interpretation) using the FAO tool Collect Earth Online (CEO). After the visual interpretation, different strata will be defined and a subset of the sampling points in stage 1 will be selected for field surveys. The selection will take in consideration the first cycle of the national forest inventory (year 2-6 fo the GCF project). Apart from being statistically sound the density of the sampling grid has to correspond to the foreseen time plan for the CEO survey. A report concerning the Land Use/Land Cover will be drafted.
   3. Draft a sound methodology of the statistical evaluation of the CEO survey data and NFI data collection in order to produce estimates of total areas of FRA and IPCC land categories and their changes in the course of the past ten years and information on forest stocks, carbon, biodiversity, etc.
   4. During the mission Armenian technicians and counterparts will be trained in the application of these methodologies.
   5. Coordinate the technical preparation of the CEO survey and backstop its initial phases (5 days).
   6. Support the national counterpart (National consultant for forest monitoring) and supervise the International consultant for DB&IT with regard to the technical setup of the Collect Earth Interpretation (DB and IT infrastructure). Furthermore, liaise with the International RS consultant, whose task is to train a cadre of national technicians in the Collect Earth interpretation and supervise the initial stages of the CE) survey.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• An advanced university degree in forest inventory or management,
• At least twelve years of progressively professional experience on a leading position in the design and implementation of national forest inventories and monitoring systems including international collaboration projects;
• Working knowledge of English (level C) and limited knowledge of one of the other FAO official languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian), preferably Russian.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency