National Forest Inventory (NFI) Specialist

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• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
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• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

The Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU) is responsible for leading FAO's response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities in the region. It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the Region and, in collaboration with departments and divisions at Headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO's strategic response to regional priorities. REU also advises on the incorporation of regional priorities into the Organization's Programme of Work and Budget and implements approved programmes and projects in the region, monitors the level of programme implementation and draws attention to problems and deficiencies. The Regional Office supports regional policy dialogue on food security, agriculture and rural development issues, facilitates the emergence of regional partnerships, and supports capacity development and resource mobilization for food security, agriculture and rural development in the region.

The Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU) is looking for technical specialists in the area of National Forest Monitoring (NFM) to create a pool of experts for short- and long-term assignments, capable to assist FAO in addressing NFM-related issues in specific countries of the region.

Reporting Lines

The technical specialist will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia, under the direct supervision of Lead Technical Officer, and in close coordination with National and International Specialists.

Technical Focus

The Consultant will support the establishment of National Forest Monitoring (NFM) systems and guide the implementation of the related National Forest Inventory (NFI) cycles through his/her technical assistance. He or she will be the focal point for national stakeholders, the institution(s) in charge of NFI implementation, and the relevant Ministry. The Consultant will facilitate communication among all national stakeholders, collect and process their feedback and provide this feedback to the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) for further consideration.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Consultant will need to perform some of the following tasks\:

Preparatory works for NFM and NFI\:

• Assess the feasibility of a repeated survey on the NFI plots of the previous NFI cycle.
• Identify information needs and expectations from the NFM system through an Information Needs Assessment Workshop and direct communication with national stakeholders.
• Support the FAO team in the preparation of the design of the new NFI cycle.
• Elaborate working instructions for the two-phased NFI (Collect Earth survey and field data collection) and deliver related trainings.

Implementation of the two-phased NFI\:

• Supervise the quality of the Collect Earth as well as the field survey.
• Oversee the selection of plots for field survey in the respective year of the NFI cycle.
• Oversee the processes of data management and quality-control.
• Conduct annual trainings on field data collection – before survey start in given year.
• Compile quarterly reports and support the analysis of data at the end of the field data collection in a given year.
• Support the national team in the evaluation of NFI results and their interpretation and publication at the national and international level.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced University degree (preferably PhD) in forestry, natural resource management or related fields with specialization in inventory and monitoring of forest resources;
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in forest inventory and/or monitoring of forest resources;
• Working knowledge of English.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Experience with up-to-date methods and techniques in relation to remote as well as terrestrial assessment and monitoring of forest resources;
• Demonstrated commitment to participatory and bottom-up approaches;
• Track record experience in developing manuals and training materials for remote sensing and field surveys;
• Experience in multi-stakeholders coordination, communication and collaboration;
• Skills in report writing and compilation of reports;
• Ability to work in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams is essential.

Selection Criteria

• Candidates will be assessed against the requirements listed above.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

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