IP ONIPM Vacancy Announcement - National GHG Inventory TWG Coordinator

PUBLIC INSTITUTION “ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION OFFICE”, PROJECT MANAGEMENT UNIT OF THE SECOND BIENNIAL TRANSPARENCY REPORT AND SIXTH NATIONAL COMMUNICATION UNDER THE UNFCCC

  VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

I. Position Information

Project title:

“Moldova: Enabling Activities for the Preparation of Combined Second Biennial Transparency Report and Sixth National Communication (BTR2/NC6) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)”

Job title (part-time position):

National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Thematic Working Group Coordinator

Indicative workload:

Up to 10 working/days per month

Duration of employment:

June 2025 – December 2026, with possibility of extension until March 2027

II. Background

The project aims to support the Republic of Moldova (RoM) to prepare and submit its Combined Second Biennial Transparency Report and Sixth National Communication (BTR2/NC6) that complies with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Paris Agreement (PA) reporting requirements while responding to national development goals.

Under the UNEP/GEF Project “Moldova: Enabling Activities for the Preparation of Combined Second Biennial Transparency Report and Sixth National Communication (BTR2/NC6) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)”, Moldova will receive support to prepare its BTR2/NC6 report and submit it to the UNFCCC by December 2026, in compliance with UNFCCC and PA reporting requirements and in alignment to national development goals, with built-in flexibility provided in light of its capacities. Moreover, the country will be supported to undertake a self-assessment and stocktaking exercise for preparation of the project proposal for the subsequent BTR development.  

Thus, the two expected outputs under the BTR2/NC6 project are as following:

Output 1: BTR2/NC6 report prepared and submitted to UNFCCC by December 2026.

Output 2: Self-assessment and stocktaking exercise for preparation of the project proposal for subsequent BTR3 under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement completed.

The content of deliverables produced under the first output must follow the Modalities, Procedures and Guidelines (MPGs) for the transparency framework for action and support referred to in Article 13 of the Paris Agreement (FCCC/PA/CMA/2018/3/Add.2). Moreover, as adopted at COP 26 in Decision 5/CMA.3, the following will be observed: (i) outlines for the BTR & National Inventory Document (NID); (ii) the Common Reporting Tables (CRT) for reporting GHG Inventory and the Common Tabular Formats (CTF) for reporting the NDC progress, financial, technology development and transfer and capacity-building support provided and mobilized, as well as support needed and received (FCCC/PA/CMA/2021/10/Add.2). The BTR2/NC6 project will build on findings and recommendations from the technical expert review of the BTR1 and expert review of previous NCs and BURs.

The combined BTR2/NC6 Report is expected to include the following content:

·        National inventory report of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases; 

·        Information necessary to track progress made in implementing and achieving nationally determined contributions under Article 4 of the Paris Agreement;

·        Information related to climate change impacts and adaptation under Article 7 of the Paris Agreement;

·        Information on financial, technology development and transfer and capacity-building support needed and received under Articles 9–11 of the Paris Agreement;

·        Other relevant information, including: Research and Systematic Observation; Education, Training and Public Awareness; and Gender Mainstreaming into the Climate Policies;

·        Publication and submission of report, and other project execution support.

III. Organizational Context

The project is executed by the BTR2/NC6 Project Management Unit (PMU) established by the Public Institution “Environmental Projects National Implementation Office” (P.I. “EPNIO”) of the Ministry of Environment (MoEN), on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Moldova, and in consultation with the UNEP.

As national executing agency, the PMU established by the P.I. “EPNIO” is primarily responsible for the planning and management of the project activities, accounting, reporting, monitoring and evaluation of the project.  

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the National Project Manager (NPM), the National GHG Inventory Thematic Working Group Coordinator will lead the developing of:

·        ‘National Inventory Document: Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in the Republic of Moldova’ and the Common Reporting Tables (CRTs) for 1990-2024 years, as technical annexes to the BTR2/NC6;

·        Chapter 1: ‘National inventory report of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases’ of the combined BTR2/NC6 of the Republic of Moldova under the UNFCCC.

Information to be provided in Chapter 1 includes but is not limited to:

·      A description of national circumstances and institutional arrangements related to GHG inventory;

·      A brief description of methodologies and data sources used;

·      Brief description of key category analysis (KCA);

·      Brief general description of QA/QC activities and their implementation;

·      Time-series consistency and recalculations; 

·      General uncertainty assessment, including data pertaining to the overall uncertainty of inventory totals;

·      General assessment of inventory completeness;

·      Metrics for the 100-year time-horizon global warming potential;

·      Summary of any flexibility provisions applied; 

·      Trends in direct greenhouse gas emissions and removals;

·      Description of emission and removal trends by gas;

·      Description of emission and removal trends by sector;

·      Trends in indirect greenhouse gas emissions.

Relevant project activities that will involve the services of the National GHG Inventory Thematic Working Group Coordinator are as following:

The above proposed scope of work is categorized into the following three main deliverables, with a sample list of activities below:

1.1.1. The section on national circumstances and institutional arrangements related to GHG inventory compiled:

-        Describe national inventory arrangements, including institutional, legal, and procedural arrangements for the continued estimation, compilation, and timely reporting of NIRs;

-        Compile information related to inventory planning, preparation and management - that includes information on national focal points responsible for inventory and inventory preparation process, data archiving of all information and processes for the official consideration and approval of the inventory.

1.1.2. The section on methodologies and metrics, including: methodologies, parameters and data sources used, KCA, QA/QC, time series consistency and recalculations, uncertainty assessment, inventory completeness, metrics for the 100-year time-horizon global warming potential and summary of any flexibility provisions applied compiled:

-        Compile information on the methodologies parameters and data sources used in the GHG inventory process;

-        Design surveys and forms to collect activity data, identify research needs and undertake the required actions for generating on regular basis activity data, developing national emission factors and country specific methodologies in a scientific sound and consistent manner, provided that they are more accurate than the IPCC defaults and are documented transparently;

-        Collect, review and compile data and conduct the national GHG inventory for the 1990 – 2024 periods;

-        Recalculate the existing national GHG inventory for the years 1990 – 2022, if needed;

-        Conduct key category analysis, uncertainties assessment, and assessment of inventory completeness;

-        Carry out QA/QC activities (e.g., at sectoral and key categories level) for the national GHG inventory for the years 1990-2024,

-        Update the GHG inventory archive for the inventory in a way that is consistent with the National System for Monitoring and Reporting (NSMR);

-        Technical capacity building, including participation of project staff, sector leads and national consultants in regional/international workshops and trainings on GHG inventory.

1.1.3. The National Inventory Document (NID) and the Common Reporting Tables (CRTs) compiled:

-        Compile the ‘Executive Summary’ of the NID;

-        Compile Chapter 1: ‘National circumstances, institutional arrangements and cross-cutting information’ of the NID;

-        Compile Chapter 2: ‘Trends in greenhouse gas emissions and removals’ of the NID;

-        Compile sectoral chapters of the NID: Chapter 3: ‘Energy’ (CRT sector 1); Chapter 4: ‘IPPU’ (CRT sector 2); Chapter 5: ‘Agriculture’ (CRT sector 3); Chapter 6: ‘LULUCF’ (CRT sector 4); Chapter 7: ‘Waste’ (CRT sector 5); Chapter 8: ‘Other’ (CRT sector 6) (if applicable);

-        Compile Chapter 9: ‘Indirect carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions’ of the NID;

-        Compile Chapter 10: ‘Recalculations and improvements’ of the NID, including information on the areas of improvement and/or capacity-building in response to the review process;

-        Compile the annexes to the NID, including: Annex I: ‘Key categories’; Annex II: ‘Uncertainty assessment’; Annex III: ‘Detailed description of the reference approach (including inputs to the reference approach such as the national energy balance) and the results of the comparison of national estimates of emissions with those obtained using the reference approach’; Annex IV: ‘QA/QC Plan’; Annex V: ‘Any additional information, as applicable, including detailed methodological descriptions of source or sink categories and the national emission balance’; Annex VI: ‘Common Reporting Tables’;

-        Finalize the National Inventory Document (NID) and the Common Reporting Tables (CRTs), pursuant to the modalities, procedures and guidelines for the transparency framework for action and support referred to in Article 13 of the Paris Agreement, for submission with the BTR2/NC6;

-        Translate the NID from Romanian to English;

-        Publish the NID in Romanian and English;

-        Draft in Romanian language Chapter 1 ‘National inventory report of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases’ of the combined BTR2/NC6 Report;

-        Translate Chapter 1 ‘National inventory report of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases’ of the combined BTR2/NC6 Report from Romanian to English;

-        Organize a national workshop to present the results on the national inventory of the greenhouse gas sources and sinks for 1990-2024 periods, to all interested partners and relevant stakeholders, policy makers, decision makers and with participation of the representatives of civil society and environmental NGOs.

IV. Key Tasks / Results Expected

Key Tasks:

·        Assist the NPM in preparation of a work plan as part of the relevant activity;

·        Advise on selection and application of appropriate inventory methodologies;

·        Assist in data quality assurance and quality control activities;

·        Assist in key category analysis;

·        Assist in uncertainty assessment;

·        Recommend the ways of improvement / development of country specific emission factors;

·        Identify relevant GHG inventory follow-up activities;

·        Assist the NPM in arrangement of the national review and training workshops on improving quality of the national GHG inventory;

·        Suggest on technical capacity building and participate in the sub-regional, regional and international trainings on GHG inventory;

·        Contribute substantially to development of Chapter 1: ‘National inventory report of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases’ for inclusion in the compilation of the BTR2/NC6 of the RoM to the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement;

·        Contribute substantially to development of the technical annex of the BTR2/NC6 of the RoM to the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement – ‘National Inventory Document: 1990-2024, Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in the Republic of Moldova’.

Key Deliverables:

·        Chapter 1 ‘National inventory report of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases’ of the combined BTR2/NC6 of the RoM to the UNFCCC;

·        Contribution to the developing pf the List of Acronyms, Abbreviations and Units, Executive Summary and Bibliography of the combined BTR2/NC6 of the RoM to the UNFCCC;

·        ‘National Inventory Document: 1990-2024, Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in the Republic of Moldova’, as a technical annex to the combined BTR2/NC6 Report;

·        Common Reporting Tables (CRT) for the electronic reporting of the information in the national inventory report of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases for 1990-2024 periods.

V. Recruitment Qualifications

Education:

Master’s Degree in Environmental Sciences, Biology, Agriculture, Forestry, Energy, or another relevant field. Additional trainings and certifications in project related activities would be an advantage.

Experience:

·       At least 7 years of work experience in project implementation, including management of experts’ team in national and international organizations is required;

·       At least 6 years of demonstrated experience in projects with similar tasks (elaboration of national communications, biennial update reports, biennial transparency reports and national inventory reports; establishing domestic monitoring, reporting and verification systems; elaboration of low emissions development strategies and programmes; elaboration of nationally determined contributions of the RoM to the Paris Agreement);

·       At least 5 years of professional experience in technical activities related to GHGs emission accounting and analysis;

·       Experience in analysis and use of data sets using various tools and instruments (e.g., MS Excel, IPCC reporting guidance and software) demonstrated by previous assignments;

·       Excellent knowledge of GHG inventory, GHG baseline determination, MRV systems, carbon budgets, etc. demonstrated by previous assignments;

·       Knowledge of principles, legal and normative framework regulating the MRV systems under the UNFCCC, other relevant international conventions and protocols demonstrated by previous assignments will be a strong advantage;

·       Strong analytical and report writing skills demonstrated by previous assignments;

·       Strong communication and teamwork/coordination skills demonstrated by previous assignments.

Language Requirements:

Good command of Romanian, Russian and English languages.

Interested individuals must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

1.    Proposal, explaining why incumbent is the most suitable for the work, including past experience in similar assignments, providing a brief information on above qualifications and methodology on how he/she will approach and conduct the work.

2.    Financial proposal (in USD), specifying a fee per day.

3.    CV, including past experience in similar projects.

Financial proposal

The Financial Proposal shall specify a daily lump-sum fee (indicating if it is negotiable). Payments will be made quarterly, based on the actual number of days worked, subject to the submission and approval by the National Project Manager of the activity reports around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables specified in the TOR. 

Documents should be submitted by email on cancelaria@onipm.gov.md, no later than Tuesday, 27 May 2025, by 5:00 PM. Only those shortlisted will be contacted.