Responsibilities
- Develop and implement a comprehensive literature search strategy across multiple academic databases including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and AGRIS
- Apply PRISMA guidelines to screen and document study eligibility, ensuring transparency and reproducibility
- Identify and collect grey literature from CGIAR centers, FAO, and development agencies such as GIZ and USAID
- Organize all references using Zotero and generate a PRISMA flow diagram to track study selection
- Catalog methodologies used in baseline soil carbon assessments, including sampling design, depth intervals, bulk density, and carbon stock calculations
- Assess the consistency of soil organic carbon measurements across studies and identify methodological limitations and uncertainties
- Examine how spatial variation in soil types, land use history, and climate zones is addressed in baseline carbon assessments
- Evaluate the integration of above-ground and below-ground biomass carbon data with soil carbon baselines, especially in agroforestry and restoration systems
- Identify longitudinal studies with repeated carbon measurements to assess changes over time relative to initial baselines
- Use field experience in carbon assessment—particularly in Afromontane restoration—to critically appraise study methods and detect inconsistencies
- Extract key variables such as study location, climate, soil type, regenerative practice, SOC stocks, sampling depth, and bulk density from eligible studies
- Record baseline carbon values and associated assessment methods as structured fields in a centralized database
- Convert soil organic carbon data into standardized annual sequestration rates (tC ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ or tCO₂e ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹)
- Develop and validate a clean, structured database suitable for statistical analysis
- Calculate effect sizes using random-effects models to estimate average soil carbon sequestration relative to baseline conditions
- Perform moderator analyses to explore the influence of baseline SOC, practice type, study duration, soil texture, rainfall, and sampling depth
- Quantify uncertainties in baseline carbon stock estimates and assess their impact on sequestration effect sizes
- Use R for statistical analysis and data visualization
- Contribute analytical insights to policy and methodological guidance documents
- Prepare a technical synthesis report with publication potential in peer-reviewed journals
- Support the development of policy briefs targeting climate finance and sustainable food systems stakeholders
- Present findings at internal and external meetings and conferences as needed
Other
- This consultancy is part of the CGIAR Climate Action Science Programme (CSAP) under the Carbon Corridors initiative (AOW4)
- The assignment supports the production of both scientific research and policy-oriented deliverables
- The role includes contributing to policy and methodological guidance documents
- The consultant will support knowledge dissemination through presentations at internal and external forums
