INTERNATIONAL MRV SPECIALIST

Source: World Bank — Ethiopia-FCPF REDD READINESS

REQUEST FOR EXPREESION OF INTERST

(For Consultancy Service - Individual Consultant)

Country:        Federal Democratic Republic Of Ethiopia

Project:           Ethiopia's REDD+ Readiness Project, Ministry of Agriculture (MOA)

Grant No:      GRANT NO. TF 013450-ET

AssignmentTitle: INTERNATIONAL MRV SPECIALIST

 (Reference No. RPPR/IC- 07/13)

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has received financing from theWorld Bank toward the cost of Reducing Emissions from Degradation andDeforestation (REDD+) under the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and it intends to apply part of the proceeds for recruiting a Senior MRV specialist for one year and renewable for two more years upon satisfactoryperformance.

Objective of the assignment

The work of the specialist will focus on developing a national forest monitoring system (NFMS) with a Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system, as well as building national capacities to ensure its sustainability. The NFMS and MRV system developed under the guidance of the specialist shall feed in and build upon the experience and MRV specificities of sub-national REDD+ initiatives such as REDD+ pilot projects.

In addition, the NFMS and MRV System developed by the expert shall bein line with the national MRV road map, and aligned with other national forest resources inventory initiatives, and agree with requirementsthat are developed as part of the CRGE, and coordinate with pilot REDD+ programs and other forest projects that are being developed in Ethiopia.

Apart from assisting in identifying appropriate tools and methodologies for MRV operations, the MRV specialist would also provide capacity building at the national and sub region levels to support and maintainREDD+ MRV operations. The MRV specialist is also expected to support and work closely with the National REDD+ Technical Working Group, and particularly with the REL/MRV Technical Focus Group.

The Scope of the assignment

Specifically, theInternational MRV specialist, under general supervision of theREDD+ Coordinator and the technical guidance from the REDD+ MRV/REL Technical Focus Group will be responsible for the following activities:

1. Development of the REDD+ NFMS and MRV System and the RL/REL

•         Lead national level work on REDD+ NFMS and MRV andon RL/REL;

•         Provide support to the national Technical Focus Group on Reference Level/ Reference Emission Level (REL) and MRV;

•         Guide and facilitate the implementation of the MRV roadmap, including providing suggestions on how toimprove the document;

•         Identify the most appropriate methodologies for the establishment of the national NFMS and MRV systemand for the development of a national and/or sub-national RL/REL, given the country's capacity and needs;

•         Assess under field conditions, the feasibility, scalability and cost-effectiveness of the proposed NFMS and MRV system, methods and techniques;

•         Assist in the development of a MRV Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for REDD+ activities/projects;

•         Support the development and implementation of REDD+ pilot initiatives, particularly on issues relatedto MRV methodologies to be tested and linkages to the national system;

•         Support development of the MRV system for the Oromia Region REDD+ Program in line with the emerging national-level REL and MRV system.

2. Regarding the REDD + projects registration system

•         Lead the establishment of a monitoring system for the registration of REDD+ pilot projects and initiatives in the country;

•         Lead the developments of a database on REDD + pilot projects in Ethiopia.

•         Participate in the development of the institutional and legal framework for the registration of REDD+ pilot projects at national level, in close collaboration with the REDD+ National Coordinator.

3. National monitoring system of REDD+ results and impacts

•        Supportthe establishment of a framework for monitoring and managing the impacts of the implementation of REDD+ activities, policies and measures, particularly on monitoring emissions/removals linked to the implementation of REDD+ activities;

•        Collect all the existing land cover, shape files and satellite imageries from various sources including forest/REDD+ implementing projectsand Ethiopian Mapping Agency, and establish needs in terms of technology and capacities;

•        Define the monitoring approach (i.e. type of sensors, temporal and spatial frequency for data acquisitions, field survey, etc); and

•        Establish a clear and realistic roadmap for implementation of the MRV system.

4. Capacity building activities

•         To identify capacity building programs required to support scientific/technical activities related to MRV, targeted at the technical specialists responsible for implementingREDD+ MRV System within the Ministry of Agriculture and other entities, in the following areas:

•         Identify capacity needs and provide capacities needed for its sustainable implementation of national monitoring system for REDD+;

•         Capacity building on Satellite Land Monitoring Systems to assess activity data on forest area and forest area changes;

•         Provide capacity development to identify Activity data (AD) and Emission Factors (EFs) for the generation of the national GHG inventory, and ensure linkage of operational LMS and National Forest Inventory (NFI); and

•         Establish needs in terms of technology and capacities, including institutional arrangements to manage the GHG inventory process.

5. General Activities

•         The MRV specialist will be responsible for organizing the meetings, providing the technical guidance and act as convener for the REL & MRV Technical Focus Group;

•         To support, participate or facilitate meetings, workshops and other consultative events related to public consultation regarding the REDD+ MRV system, and develop information material for these events and brief reports on their outcome; and

•         Ensure that the emerging REDD+ MRV System is consistent with national requirements (particularly those related to the CRGE and other forest information needs) and well-integrated with other pilot projects and national strategies and action plans; and

•         Assists the REDD+ Secretariat + with all organisational and management issues.

The Ministry of Agriculture, REDD+ secretariat now invites eligible individual consultants to indicate their interest in providing the services.  Interested consultants should provide information demonstrating that have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services.

The individual consultant should have the following qualification requirement.

•         Master's or Advanced degree in forestry, environmental, natural resource management, climate change sciences or similar degree;

•         At least 10 years of relevant working experience in forestry/climate change, ecosystem management, forest carbon credit programs, payment for ecosystem services, and/ or monitoring, reporting, and verification projects;

•         Excellent knowledge of the concepts and issues of REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), especially MRV (Measurement, Reporting, Verification)and REL;

•         Knowledge and experience on the IPCC Good Practice Guidelines and their implementation for national GHG inventories;

•         Experience with remote sensing, forest inventories or assessments;

•         Experience with the planning, implementation and monitoring of forest projects, including capacity to liaise with government ministries, stakeholders, communities, and organizations to coordinate REDD MRV efforts;

•         Experience with the design, preparation and organization of technical workshops and other national/regional meetings;

•         Extensive analytical and practical experience in land survey and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) tools and others;

•         Understanding of evolving REDD+ policies and readiness mechanisms, national forestry policy, fire management, natural resource management and conservation, and forest restoration, climate smart and sustainable agriculture;

•         Understanding of the national REDD+ strategies, drivers and implications for designing demonstration activities based on national priorities

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank's guideline: Selection and Employment of Consultants [under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants] by the World Bank Borrowers [January 2011) ('Consultants Guidelines"), setting forth Bank's Policy on conflict of interest.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the IC (Individual Consultants) selection method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.

Further information canbe obtained at the address below during office hours 8:30 am to 12:00am and 1:30 pm -5:30 pm local time, Monday through Friday.

Expression of interest must be delivered in written form to the address below by October 7, 2013, 4:00 PM.

REDD+ Secretariat

Ministry of Agriculture,

 Ministry of Agriculture Building Block B 3rd floor office Number 3-1

Bole Sub-city, District 06

(Behind Ministry of Mines)

E-mail: yitebitumoges@yahoo.com,

Tel. 251-912-865584

E-mail wondwosenadefris@yahoo.com

251-911- 33-90-57

P.O. Box 62347 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia