Overview
Provide technical advisory and quality review for greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and carbon flux estimation in the AFOLU sector for evaluations.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide technical guidance on GHG accounting tools (EX-ACT, IPCC Inventory Software, NEXT) and their application.
- Conduct comparative analysis of GHG measurement results from different tools.
- Advise on harmonization of inputs, emission factors, and scenario assumptions.
- Identify and advise on corrective actions for methodological divergences, calculation errors, or data gaps.
- Stay current with updates to GHG accounting tools and IPCC Guideline revisions.
- Review and validate GHG estimates in FAO projects, ensuring consistency with IPCC Guidelines.
- Verify completeness, accuracy, transparency, and comparability of GHG accounting.
- Assess appropriateness of tier level and land representation.
- Apply cross-validation practices by re-running or spot-checking GHG estimates.
- Identify non-AFOLU components and advise on their accounting.
- Support development of standardized guidance documents for methodological choices.
- Maintain a decision log for methodological choices.
- Ensure clear documentation of differences between OED's re-estimated GHG figures and original project estimates.
- Provide technical training to OED staff and consultants on GHG accounting tools and standards.
- Serve as an internal helpdesk resource for technical queries.
- Contribute to training materials, methodological annexes, and guidance notes.
- Collaborate with evaluation teams on integrating GHG-related indicators into survey instruments.
- Liaise with FAO technical divisions, tool developers, and external institutions.
- Advise OED management on criteria for identifying projects requiring IPCC Inventory Software.
- Support OED's engagement with national partners for alignment of project data with national reporting needs.
- Contribute to OED’s participation in system-wide evaluation initiatives and development of methodological guidance for climate-related evaluations.
Required Experience
- At least seven (7) years of relevant professional experience in GHG accounting, carbon flux estimation, or climate change mitigation assessment, with demonstrated focus on the AFOLU sector.
- Demonstrated practical experience with at least two of the three tools covered in OED’s Comparative Study: EX-ACT, the IPCC Inventory Software, and/or NEXT.
- Experience working in or with a monitoring, evaluation, or quality assurance function within a development or multilateral organization is an advantage.
- Work experience in more than one country or regional context, particularly in countries with significant AFOLU sectors (Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, South and Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus), is desirable.
Qualifications
Advanced University degree/University degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in environmental science, climate change, natural resource management, forestry, agronomy, agricultural economics, or a closely related discipline relevant to the work of the Organization. Consultants with bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
