National LPIS Specialist

Albania's land administration system is undergoing a critical transformation to enhance land governance, transparency, and economic development. Despite progress in digitalizing ownership records and making land services accessible online, Albania continues to face challenges in data accuracy, incomplete property registration, and legal inconsistencies.

The EU accession process for Albania also includes the implementation of the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) under Chapter 11: Agriculture and Rural Development. The LPIS is a critical tool for agricultural land management, subsidy allocation, and monitoring land use.

The modernization of cadastral records, first-time property registration, and the implementation of an EU-compatible Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) are essential to improving property rights, ensuring legal certainty, and aligning with EU accession requirements.

The project will be implemented by UNOPS over a duration of three and a half years, ensuring a structured and efficient approach to capacity building, system development, and service enhancement. UNOPS will collaborate closely with national authorities and stakeholders to facilitate sustainable improvements in land administration.

Key activities under this project include:

1. Capacity building for the State Cadastre Agency (SCA) and relevant institutions to ensure effective system integration and service delivery.
2. Digitization of cadastral maps to improve data accessibility and reduce discrepancies.
3. First-time property registration in priority cadastral zones to strengthen land tenure security.
4. Enhancing cadastral data quality through systematic data correction and verification.
5. Developing a Land Parcel Information System (LPIS) framework aligned with EU standards to improve land use monitoring and subsidy allocation.

The principal beneficiaries of the project are the State Cadastre Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

By improving land governance, legal certainty, and service efficiency, this project will foster a transparent and accountable land administration system, increase investment opportunities, and enhance Albania’s readiness for EU accession. Ultimately, it will contribute to economic growth, sustainable land management, and improved public trust in property rights.

For Key activity 5 (Developing LPIS framework), UNOPS is recruiting two consultants (local and international). This Terms of Reference is for the local Expert.

For the "EU for Property Rights" project, reporting to the UNOPS Senior Project Manager and in close collaboration with the International LPIS expert, the local Expert will be essential for the coordination of tasks related to Activity 5.

The Expert will support in the development and implementation of a fully functional LPIS that supports agricultural land mapping, subsidy compliance, fraud prevention, and environmental monitoring, providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Agriculture (MARD) and the Agricultural and Rural Development Agency (ARDA) and its working group, as well as other key stakeholders. They will ensure the LPIS system is fully compatible with EU requirements and support its integration with national systems such as the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS).

• Contribute in refining the project implementation plan related to the LPIS component, based on actual needs
• Provide strategic support the Project Manager in stakeholder management and coordination ARDA, and other stakeholders
• Contribute to the definition of LPIS objectives and ensure alignment with existing national plans and EU requirements.
• Responsible for the setting-up of one or more LPIS pilots in selected areas and coordinate their implementation including preliminary activities, such as setting up establishment of data-sharing agreements and MoUs with relevant institutions to create a collaborative framework for LPIS implementation.
• Provide technical input on technical specifications and operational requirements for the LPIS, ensuring alignment with EU accession criteria and taking into account the results of the pilot as well as best practices implemented in other EU Member States. This includes contributing to the preparation and drafting of the related Terms of Reference, as well as providing recommendations for system design to ensure compliance with EU standards and CAP requirements.
• Contribute to the mapping of existing data sources (cadastre, land maps, satellite imagery) and assess the integration needs for LPIS.
• Support the LPIS model selection based on national requirements, cadastral status, legal framework, and technological capacity.
• Undertake other related technical assistance tasks, as required and agreed with the Project team

Required

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) preferably in Agricultural Engineering, GIS, Geography, IT, or related fields.
• A first-level university degree with 2 additional years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of an advanced degree.

Desired

• Additional certifications in LPIS or cadastral systems.

Required

• At least 5 years experience in working on agricultural policies is required
• At least 5 years experience in working with national authorities and government agencies is required.
• Familiarity with EU agricultural regulations, IACS, and LPIS is required.

Desired

• Experience in the area of digitalisation processes in regards to property rights and land administration is a strong asset.
• Experience working with EU and international donors is an asset

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.