Hiring Consultants to Strengthen and Update ESIA Guidelines and Screening Pro…

Request for Expressions of Interest for Consulting Service

Country: The Republic of the Gambia

Project Title: The Gambia Public Administration Modernization for Citizen Centric Service Delivery (PAMP) Project

Assignment Title: Recruitment of TA for the Strengthening, Updating and Preparation of ESIA Guidelines and procedures for Screening

Grant Number: IDA-E3820

Project ID NO: P176924

Procurement Method: Individual Consultant Selection Method (IC)

Reference No. GM-CPCU-MOFEA-516921-CS-INDV

• Background: The Gambia Public Administration Modernization for Citizen Centric Service Delivery Project (PAMP) supports the implementation of the Government program, the Recovery Focused National Development Plan (RF-NDP) 2023-2027. In January 2024, the GoTG approved and adopted the RF-NDP 2023-2027, i.e., program implementation is currently in its infancy. The RF-NDP aims to consolidate gains in democratic governance, accelerate green economic and social transformation, and build resilience to shocks and crises. It has three major strategic objectives: (1) building household and community resilience to address shocks and crises arising from climate change and economic volatility and to counter the effects of pandemics like COVID-19; (2) consolidating gains and addressing critical development gaps in governance and economic and social transformation; and (3) strengthening accountability, building partnerships and setting up robust and sustainable resource mobilization strategies for effective delivery of development actions and expected outcomes. The RF-NDP is organized across seven pillars.

The proposed PforR focuses on a subset of RF-NDP priority actions related to enhancing domestic resource mobilization and financial reporting, human resources management, and citizen engagement in the education sector. These include the second pillar on Governance Reforms priority actions to “enhance governance and management of civil society organizations” and “professionalize and instill meritocracy, ethical conduct, transparency and accountability in the public service and personnel management” and the third pillar on Macroeconomic Stability and Inclusive Growth priority action to “enhance Public Financial Management (PFM) for macro-fiscal stability and strengthening democracy.”

• Sectoral Context and Objective of The Assignment: Environmental and Social Impact Assessment is a major planning tool being implemented globally and primarily aimed at foretelling the possible negative impacts whilst enhancing the positives and promoting sustainable development. At Rio Earth Summit in 1992, state parties have been enjoined to put in place policy, legislative and institutional framework to ensuring environmental management. Also, state parties have been enjoined in implementing EIA as a planning tool to ensuring sustainable development.

Following through on this international commitment, The Gambia, has in 1992, developed it her premium policy on the environment- the Gambia Environment Action Plan (GEAP), which sought to engender an integrated approach to natural resources management, with a strong emphasis on the need to ensure that environmental considerations are factored in all national plans and projects for sustainability. The NEMA Amendment Bill 2025 PART VII requires the completion of environmental and social screening for all development projects with environmental and social impacts before implementation starts. The objective is to predetermine the extent of potential negative impacts, which in turn determines whether specific projects can be implemented at specific sites.

The EIA Guidelines 1999 and EIA Procedure 1999, are subsidiary instruments aimed at enhancing the requirements of Part V of the Act, as mentioned above, in the implementation of the EIA process in The Gambia. These documents, as the names imply, are guidance tools utilized by both the agency and ESIA consultants to guide the implementation of ESIA process in The Gambia. The tools outlined steps to be followed in screening, scoping, determination of categorization and undertaking of the impact study itself. Together with the NEMA Amendment Bill 2025 cited above, these instruments have proven essential to enabling the ESIA processing taking roots in The Gambia since inception in the early 1990s.

• Scope of Work:
• Scope of Services:• Review of the existing instruments – the EIA Procedures (1999) and EIA Guidelines (1999) – to identify gaps.
• Carry out a literature review of similar instruments implemented in the sub-region and beyond, with a view to identifying and adopting best practices for implementation in The Gambia.
• Conduct stakeholder engagement to capture valuable suggestions and inputs.
• Prepare updated instruments: the EIA Procedure and EIA Guidelines.
• Update the ESIA Guidelines and Procedures, including the screening form.

• Key Tasks:• Inception report:
• Review of documents:
• Stakeholder mapping:
• Stakeholder engagement and consultations:
• Updated instruments:

• Qualification and Competency
• A relevant Master's degree (or higher) from a recognized university in Environmental Law, Environmental Management, Environmental Policy, Environmental Science, or a related field.
• Minimum 12 years of relevant professional experience in environmental assessment, regulatory review, or environmental governance, of which at least 7 years must involve leading assignments of a similar nature, specifically the review or revision of ESIA guidelines, procedures, or equivalent regulatory instruments.
• At least 2 completed assignments with demonstrable outputs involving the review or development of national EIA/ESIA regulatory frameworks, guidelines, or procedures. Brief descriptions of these assignments, including client, date, and scope, should be provided with the application.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in stakeholder mapping and participatory consultation, with demonstrated capacity to develop and execute a detailed strategy for engaging NEA, line ministries, the private sector, civil society organizations, and traditional authorities.
• Proven drafting capacity, with ability to produce ESIA guidelines and procedures that are operationally practical, legally sound, and institutionally feasible for implementation in a public agency context.
• Familiarity with the NEMA Amendment Bill 2025 and relevant Gambian environmental regulations is an advantage. Familiarity with World Bank Environmental and Social Standards (WB ESS) is also an advantage. Candidates are expected to review relevant instruments prior to commencement.
• Ability to facilitate stakeholder engagement in local Gambian languages (Wolof, Mandinka, Fula, or others) is an advantage. Candidates without this capacity should demonstrate a clear and costed plan for working with qualified interpreters. Full TOR Availability Notice

The full Terms of Reference (TOR) will be made available upon request. Please send your request via email to the addresses provided below. The assignment is expected to be completed within 3 months from the date of signing the contract.

Submission of Expressions of Interest:

The National Environment Agency (NEA), through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA) and the Gambia Public Administration Modernization for Citizen Centric Service Delivery (PAMP) Project, now invites eligible individual consultants to express interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” dated February 2025 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with Individual Consultant Selection Method (IC) method set out in the Consultant Guidelines. Further information and Terms of Reference can be obtained at the address below during office hours from 09:00 to 16:00 Monday to Thursday and 09:00 to 12h30 on Friday.

Expressions of interest should be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail) on or before 05th August 2026 at 12:30 GMT

Central Project Coordination Unit

Royal Insurance Building

2nd Floor, Kotu Bertil Harding Highway

The Gambia

Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]