Organizational Setting
Viet Nam maintains an ambitious forest monitoring system which has been instrumental in achieving forest transition, accessing climate finance, and meeting emerging environmental and social requirements. This system underpins critical national programs such as the LEAF, a jurisdictional REDD program operating under the framework of the LEAF Coalition and the Architecture for REDD Transactions (ART) through its TREES framework. The LEAF program is led by VNFOREST within the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), with a core objective of securing Results-Based Payments (RBPs) for emission reductions from the forestry sector.
This consultancy is part of a work plan to further strengthen the forest monitoring system, specifically focusing on its relevance to the Payments for Ecosystem Services (PFES) system and transparent commodity value chains, both of which are integral to the broader REDD and LEAF initiatives.
Viet Nam has been implementing a robust Payments for Forest Ecosystem Services (PFES) scheme, collecting fees from beneficiaries of forest ecosystem services (e.g., hydropower and water companies) and distributing these payments to forest owners. PFES is a strategic and comprehensive REDD Policy and Measure (PAM) in Viet Nam, which has already accessed significant results-based payments (RBPs) from the FCPF Carbon Fund and is considered a key mechanism for delivering on LEAF's RBP goals. There is an ongoing interest in exploring the full potential of the PFES mechanism to further enhance its design and ensure sustained REDD results that contribute to the LEAF program's overall objectives. This requires acquiring and analyzing data on PFES payment sources, distribution, forest management impacts, and ultimately, carbon impacts.
Reporting Lines
Under the overall supervision by the FAO Representative, technical supervision by the Forestry Officer, Forestry Division in FAO Rome, day-to-day management by Assistant FAO Representative (Programme) and in collaboration with the Project Coordinator at FAO in Vietnam and the international consultant for the project.ย
The specialist will report to the FAO Representative, in close collaboration with Forestry Officer NFO.ย
Technical Focus
This assignment will therefore support Viet Nam in reviewing and analyzing the implementation of its PFES program to better understand its contribution to REDD emission reduction targets and to design a robust monitoring system to systematically track PFES impacts on REDD within the context of the LEAF program's success and RBP achievement.
Tasks and responsibilities
โข ย ย Identify relevant data sources related to PFES payments, distribution, and reinvestments at the national and sub-national levels.
โข ย ย Acquire the identified data for LEAFโs provinces through engagement with relevant government agencies, PFES funds, and other stakeholders.
โข ย ย Organize the collected data into a suitable database format (e.g., spreadsheet, database) to facilitate analysis.
โข ย ย Prepare a comprehensive Data compilation report detailing the data collected, including raw data in digital format and a summary of key data elements and sources.
โข ย ย Conduct a thorough analysis of the compiled PFES data for LEAF project province.
โข ย ย Assess the contribution of the PFES program to forest management and REDD impacts, including potential emission reductions and carbon sequestration.
โข ย ย Document the methodologies used for data analysis and impact assessment.
โข ย ย Prepare a Data analysis and impact assessment report presenting the findings, quantifiable results (where possible), clear explanations of methodologies, and limitations of the data and analysis.
โข ย ย Review the findings from the data analysis and impact assessment to identify key indicators for a PFES monitoring system.
โข ย ย Support designing a practical and cost-effective monitoring system for PFES, considering existing national forest monitoring frameworks and capacities.
โข ย ย Define the data flow, data management protocols, reporting mechanisms, and institutional responsibilities for the proposed monitoring system.
โข ย ย Support development of a phased implementation plan for the monitoring system for subsequent years (beyond 2025), including clear implementation steps, timelines, resource needs, and institutional responsibilities.
โข ย ย Produce a detailed Action plan for Monitoring system design
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements ย ย
โข ย ย Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in Forestry, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, or a related field.
โข ย ย Minimum 10 yearsโ experience in forestry, environmental economics, natural resource management, environmental science, or a related field.
โข ย ย This overall experience must include at least 5 years of relevant experience in forest management, payment for ecosystem services, REDD , climate change mitigation, and/or monitoring and evaluation specifically in Viet Nam.
โข ย ย Working knowledge of English and Vietnamese
โข ย ย National of Viet Nam or resident in the country with a valid work permit
FAO Core Competencies
โข ย ย Results Focus
โข ย ย Teamwork
โข ย ย Communication
โข ย ย Building Effective Relationships
โข ย ย Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
โข ย ย Strong understanding of the PFES program in Viet Nam, its implementation mechanisms, and its linkages to REDD .
โข ย ย Proven experience in data compilation, database management, statistical analysis, and impact assessment.
โข ย ย Experience in designing monitoring and evaluation systems, preferably in the forestry or environmental sector.
โข ย ย Proficiency and flexibility in using statistical software, such as Excel, R, Stata, SPSS, SAS or similar (preferably open-source) software.
โข ย ย Excellent report writing and communication skills in both Vietnamese and English.
โข ย ย Familiarity with the national forest monitoring system and relevant government agencies in Viet Nam.
โข ย ย Good oral and written communication skills.
โข ย ย Demonstrated ability work in team, take initiatives and ability to deliver results within deadlines.