Programmers to develop a digital environmental certificate platform

Result of Service

The objective of the consultancy is to hire specialized software developers to improve and implement Subsystems for the SIAM that allows the registration of processes of entry, monitoring, and transaction of abbreviated CSA sales online and with lower costs. The Subsystems will allow the registration of the purchase/sale of environmental certificates and facilitate communication between buyers and sellers with the Department of Environmental Services. The Subsystems developed will be an integral part of the SIAM and must be linked to the modules of the affected addresses, and the information processed will be viewed on the public portal. The final product will enable the collection, analysis, access, monitoring, and visualization of all the information pertinent to the status of CSA transactions and the legal situation of the properties with CSA.


¿ Review the flows and approval processes of the CSAs, clearly identifying the departments of the Environmental Services Directorate, DSA, and other MADES directorates, as well as other institutions involved. During the review, the consultants must outline their roles and the added value each directorate and other institutions play in each process. They need to identify the information required to carry out the monitoring and the situation of each CSA and the corresponding rural properties.

¿ Develop flows and processes to correct current errors in the DSA-SIAM platform according to the procedures established for the DSA, achieving better functionality of operations.

¿ Prepare detailed reports with diagrams or graphs, and descriptions of the architecture, functional flows, and processes of all affected departments, according to institutional organization charts and the necessary technical specifications.

¿ Develop, test, verify and validate the subsystems with the detailed flows of functionalities and links for the Environmental Services platform. It must contain at least the transaction modules, bidders' database, a connection of the database with the map portal of said properties, interactive forms, and viewer of referential amounts by ecoregions, viewer, or outlet of maps of bidders and applicants. Additionally, the consultants will develop layers established by the DSA, a portal for the acquisition of environmental services certificates, integrated MADES fee payment and settlement tools, reports on transactions carried out, and other necessary characteristics for the platform's operation to be defined with the DSA.

¿ Prepare a final report that contains user guides and technical documentation of the system for the following, user roles, administrator manual, internal user manual, and external user manual. Prepare additional reports with technical specifications of the developed system, the system's final design using UML tools and relational, entity and relationship diagram, class diagram, and diagram of system components and their relationships.

¿ Prepare an executive summary containing the main activities carried out during the consultancy, the achievements obtained, the lessons learned, and recommendations to guarantee the sustainability and success of implementing the actions.

¿ Coordinate permanently with MADES directors, namely the DSA, and other MADES teams to avoid overlapping work, implement, maintain, solve issues, and provide support for SIAM or another system in force at MADES.

Work Location

Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development - Asunción, Paraguay

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

The UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office (LACO), located in Panama City, works closely with the 33 countries of the region and its activities are integrated into the Medium-Term Strategy and the Programme of Work approved by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).

In 2017, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) approved its REDD+ policy worth a $500 million funding envelope, accompanied by a detailed and comprehensive process for countries to request results-based payments (RBPs). In November 2019, and with the support of UNEP as Accredited Entities (AEs), Paraguay received USD 50 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions between 2015 and 2017.

The project Results-base Payment, now named Paraguay + Verde project, has two objectives, to support the implementation of the National Forest Strategy for Sustainable Growth (ENBCS) and the capitalization of the Climate Change Fund (FCC). The ENBCS and FCC aim to reduce the GHG emissions from land-use change and apply financial resources to support the implementation of climate change action. The project is implemented jointly with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADES for its acronym in Spanish) and the agencies of the UN-REDD Programme (UNDP, UNEP, and FAO) in Paraguay. The project foresees the strengthening of the capacities of state institutions for forest monitoring and management, including the development and implementation of early warning systems for fires and deforestation, territorial planning and the participation of indigenous peoples, the private sector and rural communities, and the promotion of sustainable forest management agricultural and livestock practices. Additionally, the project provides inputs to the National Climate Change Fund as financial instruments for financing initiatives that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and strengthen the institutions involved

In 2006, Paraguay enacted Law 3001/06, "Valuation and Compensation of Environmental Services," which aims to promote the conservation, protection, recovery, and sustainable development of the country's biological diversity and natural resources. The compensation is done by issuing forest certificates which allow certificate holders to sell them to the local market. However, certificate holders and buyers need access to information that makes the transaction market functional, such as the certificate holder's name, transaction price, and certificate balance. The current information system does not allow them to communicate efficiently. That situation makes certificate transactions inefficient and does not encourage other forest owners to participate in the compensation scheme.

Adjustments to the Environmental Information System (SIAM), an online portal created in 2019 by MADES (Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development), are necessary to simplify the certification processes and revitalize the market for environmental services certificates. Through SIAM, information about legal procedures and the situation of Environmental Services Certificates, CSA, is available. With these objectives, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADES) Environmental Services and Information Technology departments and the Project Management Unit (UGP) agree to expand the SIAM Environmental Services Module to implement a transactions submodule that links and interconnects the existing modules to the different thematic areas of MADES and INFONA, National Forestal Institute. In this way, the proposed adjustments will facilitate connections with other public institutions to enable the meeting between suppliers and applicants. The project will hire two (2) software developers to make the adjustments.

The two (2) consultants will be supervised by the Latin American Regional REDD Program Officer of the UNEP and will workfull-time in the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, MADES offices. For daily work, they must coordinate with the authority designated by MADES and Project Coordinator.

Qualifications/special skills

• Bachelor´s degree in computer engineer, computer science, programmers or similar, (required)
At least 2 years of experience in software development is requiered
Knowledge of the technologies mentioned: PostgreSQL, Java, MAVEN, JBOSS o WILDFLY, Boostrap, CSS3, HTML5 and other tools for efficient management (required)
Knowledge of: Postgre SQL(version 10 or higher), Java(JDK1.8 version), server management (desirable)
Experience with international cooperation projects, governmental and non-governmental organizations in the development of data base and technology management systems, is desirable
Work experience or knowledge of the SIAM (Environmental Information Systems from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development from Paraguay) or similar platform in Paraguay. (desirable

Languages

• Fluent in Spanish is required

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.