National Consultancy for an Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining Institutional Expert

Procurement Number: EPASL/GEF/GOPL/ RFP/2025/007

Date of First Issue: 22^nd May, 2025

Background

The Government of Sierra Leone through the Environment Protection Agency has secured funds from The Global Environment Facility (GEF) To “Enhance the Formalization and Mercury Reduction in Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) in Sierra Leone”. for Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) of Mercury Use, and for advocacy and policy interventions throughout the project implementation. The project implementation phase was officially launched in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 12 November 2024, by the Environment Protection Agency Sierra Leone (EPA-SL) – Execution Agency and the Conservation International (CI) – Implementing Agency.

Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) provides an essential livelihood for at least 80,000 miners in Sierra Leone. An increase in the international price of gold and a decrease in alluvial diamond deposits have attracted more people to engage in this sector, especially among rural communities. ASGM generates supplementary cash flows in the farming off-season.

However, this largely informal and unregulated sector poses severe negative impacts on both the environment and the health of people, and its contribution to the GDP is hard to quantify because of the informality. ASGM is the largest user and emitter of mercury into the environment, and this has devastating health and environmental consequences. ASGM operations also degrade land because they leave behind open mine pits, cause deforestation and pollute ground and surface water.

Objectives

The project aims to reduce the use of mercury in the ASGM sector through a holistic, multi-sectoral, integrated formalization approach, and increasing access to finance leading to the adoption of sustainable mercury-free technologies and access to traceable gold supply chains.

The Consultant(s) will work closely with the Project Management Unit (PMU), EPA-SL and CI to carry out the following specific objectives:

1. Assess existing ASGM policies, including license processes, land rehabilitation, and gender equality, to inform revisions of the legislative framework
2. Consult key local authorities and CSOs at the pilot sites to receive their inputs and needs related to the revision of the legislative framework regarding the challenges on the ground
3. An analysis of the effectiveness of existing policies I order to be able to answer the following questions:

1. Are the policies being implemented as intended? Do institutions have the capacity, resources, and coordination mechanisms to enforce them? Are miners aware of the laws and do they comply?
2. Outcomes/Impact – Has the policy led to increased formalisation, reduced mercury use, improved land rehabilitation, or strengthened women’s participation? Are there measurable changes in ASGM-related health, safety, or environmental outcomes?
3. Institutional Responsiveness – Are institutions applying these policies equitably? Do grievance mechanisms/systems exist and function?
4. Relevance and Coherence – Are the policies aligned with the realities of ASGM communities (e.g., customary land tenure, informal financing structures)? Are they harmonised with other national laws (e.g., Land Rights Act 2022, Environment Protection Act, 2022)?
5. Inclusivity and Gender Sensitivity – Do policies address the needs and rights of marginalised groups, particularly women, youth and indigenous people? Are licensing, training, and financing mechanisms accessible to female miners?
6. Policy Gaps and Bottlenecks – What important issues (e.g., illicit trade, mercury supply chains, taxation regimes) are unregulated or poorly addressed? What are the institutional, financial, or legal constraints to full policy implementation?

4. Provide technical support to key national stakeholders in Artisanal Mining (Ministry of Environment and Climate Change/EPA, Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources/NMA, Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Ministry of Social Welfare, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Parliament and the Law Officers’ Department) through training workshops. The workshops should include discussions on the following:

1. Redesign of AM licenses to reflect the new definition of AM in the amendment of the Mines and Minerals Act. The design may recognize the roles and responsibilities of several stakeholders of the gold supply chain: – the role of the license holder, of foremen in supervising mining activities, and of Supporters in financing gold production.
2. Harmonization of the rates paid in the licensing process, especially the fees (surface rent) paid to chiefdom mining committees and local authorities. The establishment of clear guidelines and procedures for license fees throughout the country.
3. Negotiations about harmonizing tax and royalty rates with Guinea and Liberia, who have significantly lower rates, to discourage smuggling and increase government revenues from the sector. NRA staff members trained on taxing ASGM miners and traders.
4. Mine safety and worker health standards and regulations.
5. Measures for environmental protection in compliance with the Minamata convention on mercury.
6. Gender equality

5. Support National stakeholders to develop two gender-sensitive policies, policy instruments, or regulatory frameworks to improve ASGM formalization and effectively capture ASGM issues including mercury reduction.

Specific Tasks:

National Consultancy for an Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining Institutional Expert will:

1. Review National ASGM policies and regulatory frameworks with regards to formalization and
2. build the capacity of relevant national stakeholders to revise/develop gender-sensitive ASGM formalisation policies/regulatory frameworks.

Methodological Approach

Clearly outline your research methodology to address the points in Section 2 above. The methodology should also cover:

1. Geographic Focus | Operates within Sierra Leone, both in the seat of Government and at the regional pilot sites (Kailahun, Bo and Tonkolili Districts); Addresses challenges specific to artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector.
2. Multi-Source Review | Identifies key national policies and regulatory documents related to the ASGM sector, Maps key institutions and groups, local and indigenous communities, private sector actors, NGOs, and their interests; Ensures inclusive decision-making and equitable benefit-sharing.
3. Sustainability Goals & Capacity Building | Aligns with CI-GEF’s goals of building the capacity of national institutions to ensure project actions can continue after the project ends.
4. Governance and Policy Frameworks | Implemented in line with CI-GEF Policies and National Legal and Institutional frameworks. Encourages transparency, accountability, and enforcement of regulations. Promotes sustainable practices to meet environmental and socio-economic goals, including gender empowerment.

Academic qualifications:

Education:

Advanced degree in environmental science, natural resources management, socio-economic development or related fields.

Experiences:   

Applicants should have strong evidence of knowledge and a minimum of Five (5) years of experience in policy and legislative review, collection, analysis and National environmental and land management policies.

1. Demonstrated expertise in policy and legislative review, collection, analysis, and reporting of data specifically for men and women in the ASGM sector as well as in explaining complex issues to diverse stakeholders.
2. A demonstrated understanding of CI-GEF’s Policies and principles
3. Strong communication, institutional stakeholder engagement skills.
4. Knowledge of National environmental and land management policies and regulations, including land tenure, land rehabilitation and gender-related aspects
5. Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, work well independently, and manage work with minimal supervision
6. Strong team player with collaborative approach, excellent interpersonal, organizational, prioritization, and time management skills.
7. Ensuring equal access to services for women and men

Language Requirements:

Fluency in written and spoken English. All documents are expected to be produced in English.

Evaluation method and criteria

Technical Criteria weight 70%

Financial Criteria weight 30%,

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% of the total technical points (49 points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Financial Proposal:

Financial proposal that indicates all-inclusive fixed total contract price supported by a breakdown of costs (including professional fee, and specified other costs if applicable.

The National consultant/firm is requested to prepare and submit their technical and financial proposal to be submitted to the address not later than 18^th June at (1:30 Pm).

Note: The consultant/firm shall be ranked and the first ranked on the list shall be selected for the proposed assignment given that, their fee rates are within the budget.  The selection process will be based on the Least Cost Selection

Service Required: The Environment Protection Agency Sierra Leone (EPA-SL) is seeking a competent expert with experience in “Enhancing the Formalization and Mercury Reduction in Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) in Sierra Leone”., and for advocacy and policy interventions throughout the project implementation. The Agency has secured fund and is therefore inviting consultants who can provide a statement of capability and experience indicating that they are qualified to perform the service (description of similar assignment, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc.) to submit Technical and financial proposals for the assignment. The Technical Proposals will be publicly opened on [18^th June, 2025] at [1:35 pm], in the presence of the bidders’ designated representatives and anyone who chooses to attend, at the address below.

This advertisement is open to all National Consultants.

Kindly submit the following documents;

1. Technical proposal
2. Financial Proposal, that indicates all-inclusive fixed total contract price supported by a breakdown of costs (inclusive professional fee and specify other costs if applicable.
3. A Cover Letter
4. Personal CV indicating educational background/professional qualifications. contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;
5. Individual / firm Profile
6. Samples of previous work/ experience from similar project.

Duration of work:

The assignment is expected to be undertaken within 120 days from the date of signing the contract. Spreading over a period of 18 Months, up to December 2026.

Duty Station: Home Base

Interested consultant may obtain further information and collect the terms of reference (TOR) at the address below between [9am to 4pm Mondays to Fridays] or send an email to the below email address.

Technical and Financial proposals must be delivered either by hand or mail to the address below on or before [18^th June, 2025] at [1:30 pm],

Proposals along with relevant documents must be submitted in sealed envelope boldly marked: “National Consultancy for an Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining Institutional Expert’’ at the address below.  Late proposal will be rejected and returned unopened. In addition to the original of the proposals, the number of copies required is 2.

WOMEN ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

Proposals must be delivered to the address below or by email to kamara.isatu2000@gmail.com/isatu.kamara@epa.gov.sl and copied to massaquoiabubakar@gmail.com no later than 18^th June,2025.

Executive Chairperson

Environment Protection Agency-SL;

2^nd Floor

38 Freetown Road, Wilberforce Village

Freetown