| Description |
|
Management and Engineering Technologies International, Inc. (METI), in support of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Office of International Programs, is looking to hire a Vietnam Climate Fellow to provide long-term technical assistance for forest and climate change Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems.
The USFS works domestically and internationally to improve people’s lives. The Agency enhances economic opportunities and strengthens civil society, with a focus on local and community-level organizations, by promoting sustainable natural resource management, disaster management, and biodiversity conservation globally. For more information on the USFS Office of International Programs please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/international-programs.
International Programs is committed to the Forest Service’s core values and reaffirms its anti-harassment policy to ensure a work environment in which all people are treated with dignity, fairness, and respect; and prohibits behavior which discriminates on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. International Programs will hold any employee, contractor, partner, business associate, or program participant who engages in discriminatory behavior accountable. Furthermore, International Programs is dedicated to acknowledging, addressing and eradicating systemic racism and implicit bias at all levels of our internal and external decision-making and will pursue anti-racist, anti-discriminatory, and inclusive practices in all facets and representation of our work in the United States and globally.
Background
Climate Fellows is a U.S. Government (USG) technical cooperation program that promotes improved forest carbon and landscape outcomes through targeted technical assistance to selected developing country partners. Climate Fellows could also work across sectors to provide host countries with customized, long-term technical assistance for forest inventory and Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems, including one-on-one engagement with ministry officials and the development of technical workshops and training programs for regional experts and organizations.
The program places technical experts in host country government ministries to address priority technical needs related to national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, forest management, and/or forest monitoring. These experts work directly with host country counterparts to strengthen national capacities with respect to forest inventory, Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) MRV, and other systems for tracking and reporting changes in forest, agricultural, and other lands.
To the extent possible, the Climate Fellows program collaborates closely with the USG SilvaCarbon Initiative, which is focused on building capacity in measuring, monitoring, and reporting forest and terrestrial carbon.
Position Description
The Government of Vietnam has demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing climate change, and implementing REDD+ through increasing, improving, and protecting the nation’s forest resources. This commitment was confirmed with the submission of the updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) in September 2020, as a comprehensive climate change action plan. In October 2020, Vietnam became the first country in Asia to sign the Emissions Reduction Payment Agreement (ERPA) with the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) of the World Bank, under which Vietnam is expected to deliver 10.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions reductions from the North Central Region and to receive $51.5 million from FCPF. Vietnam is one of the few countries in the Asia region with a continuous National Forest Inventory Cycle (NFI), and is currently preparing for the 6th NFI cycle.
Vietnam’s Government has been active participant in the USG SilvaCarbon program since 2013. SilvaCarbon primary counterparts in Vietnam are: Forest Inventory and Planning Institute (FIPI), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment (MONRE).
Within the context of Vietnam, the Climate Fellow will support the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) to reduce emissions from forests and access result-based payments, including through the recently signed ERPA, as well as offer technical support to implement national strategies/ plans related to climate change action, including NDC implementation. The Climate Fellow will work under the USFS Asia Pacific Program, and will report on all technical matters to VNFOREST.
Responsibilities of the Climate Fellow could include, but are not limited to, working on a daily basis with designated counterpart staff in VNFOREST and other assigned government agencies on strenghtening the MRV system, through:
- Technical capacity building focused on enabling Vietnam specialists to meet reporting requirements under the FCPF ERPA, including uncertainty and sensitivity assessment by Monte Carlo simulations and developing guidelines on the implementation of Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC) processes;
- Capacity building for Vietnam speacialists to work with other potential carbon credit trading standards (REDD+ international standards such as ART/TREES, etc.);
- Documentation and development of technical guidelines to meet the MRV requirements of the FCPF ERPA, other international climate programs, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC);
- Support VNFOREST with the planning and monitoring of the NDC implementation and other activities related to the implementation of Paris Agreement in the forestry sector, including:
- Reviewing and assessing the feasibility of the NDC implementation plan,
- Proposing the monitoring, oversight, and reporting framework on the NDC implementation results,
- If necessary, providing recommendations for any adjustments or modification to the NDC implementation plan;
- As needed, support the development of project concept notes and additional climate finance proposals for attracting investments in emission reduction activities in forestry sector (Green Climate Fund and other donors);
- Support study of options for commercialization of forest carbon credits and establishment of quota registration system/ GHG reduction results in connection with the national registration system, and forest carbon credit market development
In consultation with VNFOREST, the Climate Fellow will facilitate additional technical expertise to specific MRV components, including but not limited to:
- Compiling, reviewing, and/or doing QA/QC of the GHG-Inventory in preparation of Biennial Transparency Reports and/or National Communication for the agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector;
- Support the management and updating on the National Forest Monitoring System database including:
- Designing and proposing criteria as well as monitoring and evaluation (M&E) indicators of the forestry sector at the national level, including the monitoring of forest carbon, forest environmental values, biodiversity values, etc.;
- Proposing to improvements to integrate monitoring criteria of the forestry sector into the existing systems, prioritize the application of information technology and meeting the country’s reporting requirements, and ensuring the transparency and updatability.
- In case the requested support extends beyond the areas of expertise of the Climate Fellow, the Climate Fellow will refer to USFS for identifying potential subject matter experts.
Position Requirements
The Climate Fellow should have the following skills and experience.
- A master's degree or doctorate (preferred) in natural resource management, environmental science, or a related field
- At least five years of international work experience in a natural resource or environment-related field, preferably related to REDD+
- Proven experience in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies for land use change estimation and monitoring forest cover change
- Proven experience in the implementation of MRV systems and inter-agency data-sharing systems
- Knowledge of core technical and policy issues pertinent to the development and implementation of REDD+ policies and programs, including familiarity with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2006 Guidelines, Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (GPG-LULUCF), and Paris Agreement reporting requirements
- Experience working on projects or programs related to REDD+ result-based payments
- Sound knowledge of existing and emerging carbon market opportunities
- Experience working with USG agencies and development organizations such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID) or the Department of State (DOS).
- Demonstrated ability to provide technical coordination and leadership with a broad range of interested parties, across cultures, languages, and varying capacity levels
- Strong inter-personal and communication skills
- Experience in living and working in Vietnam, Southeast Asia and /or another country with a similar level of development to Vietnam preferred
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Period of Performance: October 15, 2021 to September 30, 2023. The services may need to be extended through September 30, 2024. The starting date is contingent on COVID-19 related restrictions and can be negotiated.
Funding and Responsibilities: The U.S. Government will cover all costs for the Climate Fellow, such as salary, housing, travel, health insurance, relocation allowance, and other anticipated expenses. VNFOREST will provide a work space and will arrange visa and work permission for the Climate Fellow.
To Apply: Please submit your resume and cover letter to: asaracina@meticorp.com. Please include “Climate Fellow” in the subject line. Please note the application deadline is October 8th, 2021.
METI is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Visit us at: www.meticorp.com
METI is an Equal Employment Opportunity/M/F/disability/protected veteran status employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.
|
