National Safeguards Expert Lao PDR

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Result of Service

1. A detailed workplan for assignment. 2. An assessment of Lao PDR's safeguards information against selected forest carbon standard safeguards requirement completed, integrating stakeholder feedback, and information on forest carbon standards shared with GoL partners. 3. Safeguards & SIS knowledge has been increased within DoF and the Safeguards Technical Working Group (STWG), and STWG ToR and membership confirmed. 4. LNSIS operationalisation is advanced, with review of information structure and action plan completed. 5. Report from the LNSIS workshop, including inputs by DoF and documentation of stakeholder feedback.

Work Location

Vientiane

Expected duration

7 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. Under the UN-REDD Technical Assistance to Lao PDR, UNEP and UNEP-WCMC is currently providing technical support on REDD+ safeguards to the Department of Forestry (DOF) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR. This consultancy is needed to assess Lao PDR's safeguard information against carbon standard requirements and to further strengthen the LNSIS, as well as facilitate related capacity building activities. Under the supervision of the UN-REDD Asia Pacific Coordinator and in close coordination with DoF, the national UN-REDD Coordinator, and with technical guidance by UNEP-WCMC, the consultant will be working closely with key government staff and other stakeholders. In more detail, the national safeguards expert is expected to: • Conduct preparatory work for safeguards assessment and capacity building tasks. o Review the existing information related to the REDD+ readiness and implementation phases in Lao PDR and the progress made in safeguards processes in the country, including the National REDD+ Strategy, SOIs, and any other relevant documents (e.g., FCPF GFLL Social and Environmental Assessment, SESA). o Review and share information with DoF and other key partners/stakeholders on previous assessments and the requirements of different forest carbon standards. o Review the safeguards requirements of relevant forest carbon standards for further assessment (e.g. the TREES Safeguards Guidance Document). o Review and refine template for ART-TREES safeguards assessment developed by UN-REDD Programme. o Agree workplan covering all activities to be carried out under the consultancy. o Liaise with DOF to ensure preparation of ToR and proposed membership of STWG, and attend meetings of STWG as needed. o Work with DoF and UN-REDD partners to help design and organise capacity building related to safeguards (e.g. workshop sessions on safeguards of forest carbon standards). • Conduct and finalize safeguards assessment. o Gather and compile the available information on the safeguard indicators/requirements (e.g. required for ART-TREES registration) (from sources such as country reports and documents listed under 1.1, as well as through communication with key actors). o Prepare draft assessment table (based on UN-REDD template) showing extent of conformance with the selected standard, identifying gaps and proposing measures to fill gaps, and highlighting any missing information / questions for discussion. o Present draft findings (e.g. through the STWG) and facilitate discussion with stakeholders (e.g., from relevant government departments, NGOs, REDD+ programs and projects) to gather further information and refine the draft findings. o Finalize the assessment integrating stakeholder feedback, and comments from UN-REDD experts. • Refine information structure for the LNSIS. o Compile documents and review information in Lao PDR's SOIs on the LNSIS, National Forest Monitoring System, FRGM, registered projects’ reporting and related processes. o Building on an initial review of the LNSIS information structure carried out by UN-REDD in 2023, prepare a more detailed review of the LNSIS ‘’principles, criteria and indicators’’ underlying the LNSIS, as well as proposing ‘’means of verification’’ and feasible data sources. o Share the draft PCI review with DOF and UN-REDD partners for review and integrate feedback. o Help to prepare and facilitate a multi-stakeholder workshop covering SIS capacity building, the proposed PCI and data sources (see below). • Prepare a SIS action plan and technical support to the multi-stakeholder workshop. o Linked to the PCI review, and building on the existing LNSIS design, develop a proposed action plan to further operationalize the LNSIS. This could cover: preferred institutional arrangements for the system (e.g. hosting, stakeholder engagement, etc); expected information flow; schedule for updates; IT arrangements, etc. o Help to prepare and facilitate a multi-stakeholder workshop to be organised by DOF, covering safeguards & SIS knowledge, the proposed PCI and data sources, and institutional/IT arrangements for the SIS, including providing inputs to draft agenda and participants list; preparing materials/presentations on the LNSIS and related topics; presenting, participating in and helping to facilitate workshop sessions as needed. o Following the workshop and further review by DOF and UN-REDD partners, integrate stakeholder feedback from the workshop into the refined PCI and action plan and share with Government for review. o Finalize the workshop report from the LNSIS workshop, including inputs by DoF and documentation of stakeholder feedback.

Qualifications/special skills

Education: • A minimum bachelor’s degree in natural resource management, information management, or a related field is required. Experience: • A minimum of nine years of working experience in forestry and climate change policymaking is required. • Experience in the development/application of environmental and social safeguards, standards, impact assessments, and/or monitoring and evaluation is desirable. • Experience in social and environmental data collection and analysis, and/or establishing/operating information systems and database management is desirable. Skills: • Up-to-date knowledge of forestry, REDD+ and of broader climate change issues in Lao PDR is required. • Command in writing, facilitation and communication skills is required.

Languages

• Excellent written communication skills in Lao and English is required. • Command in writing, facilitation and communication skills is required.

Additional Information

Not available.

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.