Inclusive Digitalization in Eastern and Southern Africa (IDEA) ( - Тендер #62447170)

NOTICE AT-A-GLANCE

• Project ID

P502532

• Project Title

Inclusive Digitalization in Eastern and Southern Africa (IDEA)

• Country

Eastern and Southern Africa

• Notice No

OP00346699

• Notice Type

Request for Expression of Interest

• Notice Status

Published

• Borrower Bid Reference

ZM-COMESA -449316-CS-QCBS

• Procurement Method

Quality And Cost-Based Selection

• Language of Notice

English

• Submission Deadline Date/Time

Mar 24, 2025 17:00

• Published Date

Mar 19, 2025

• CONTACT INFORMATION
• Organization/Department

COMESA

• Name

Silver Mwesigwa

• Address

Ben Bella Road, P. O. Box 30051, Lusaka

• City

• Province/State

Eastern and Southern Africa

• Postal Code

• Country

Eastern and Southern Africa

• Phone

+260211229725

• Email

DMaimbo@comesa.int

• Website

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

COUNTRY: Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

NAME OF PROJECT: Inclusive Digitalization for Eastern and Southern Africa (IDEA)

Contract No.: ZM-COMESA - 449316-CS-QCBS

Grant No.: E349-3E

Assignment Title: Consultancy to Conduct a Study and Development of Policy and Regulatory Frameworks for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Other Emerging Technologies

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa has received a grant from the World Bank for the cost of Inclusive Digitalization for Eastern and Southern Africa (IDEA) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

The Overall objective of the consulting services (“the Services”) include carrying out of a Study on the AI landscape in the region, and subsequently develop a Regional AI Strategy, Policy and Principles that could form the basis of a model Regional Regulatory Framework, based on international standards. The study will also share high impact use cases to facilitate COMESA member states in enabling and promoting the safe and responsible development, deployment and use of AI and other emerging technologies. In particular, the objective is to:

1. Carry out a study to identify major technical, commercial, policy and regulatory constraints and opportunities regarding the responsible and safe development, deployment and use of AI and other enabling emerging technologies in the region. The study should:

1.1 conduct a comprehensive literature review on the AI ecosystem, including existing Policies and Regulations, Investment and relevant infrastructure for AI and identify best practices globally and in the Africa Region;

1.2 identify key areas of concern related to AI, such as data protection and privacy, security, transparency, accountability, and other governance considerations; and

1.3 conduct a baseline assessment on existing AI Strategies, Policies, Regulations in the region, analyse and identify gaps and compare the existing landscape with best practices.

2.0 Engage with stakeholders, including government agencies of COMESA member states, AI ecosystem representatives, end-users, international and regional organizations, academia, and civil society, to gather insights and perspectives on AI and governance:

2.1 identify, profile, and share high-impact use cases of AI in priority sectors, including for climate adaption and mitigation, integrated infrastructure planning, education etc. Priority areas will be limited to not more than five; and

2.2 give a set of recommendations and draft an AI Regional implementation work programme.

3.0 Develop a regional AI Strategy for enabling the safe and responsible development, deployment and use of AI, including guiding principles and objectives that fit with the regional context. This should consider mitigating risks (e.g., data privacy, cybersecurity, algorithmic bias, and other governance concerns) and be flexible enough to adapt to ongoing technological advancements;

4.0 Design “fit-for-purpose” AI policy and regulatory frameworks

5.0 Requisite general qualification for the firm and experts.

In general, the firms and/or consortiums of firms, will have requisite qualifications listed below:

5.1 proven experience in developing policies and regulations related to emerging technologies, particularly AI;

5.2 strong understanding of AI technologies, their applications, and associated risks;

5.3 experience in stakeholder engagement and conducting consultations;

5.4 excellent research, analytical, and writing skills;

5.5 knowledge of international best practices and standards related to AI governance;

5.6 experience in developing legal and policy frameworks and instruments in Sub-Saharan Africa; and

5.7 experience working on World Bank-funded projects and/or with regional economic communities is desirable.

The Expected start date of the project is 1 July 2025

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) are below this Request for Expressions of Interest (REoI).

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their 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 shortlisting criteria are:

The Qualifications and Experience of Key Experts shall not be included in the shortlisting criteria. Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.

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” July 2016 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection method set out in the Procurement Regulations.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours from 09:00 to 17:00 (GMT+2 time) hours.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form by e-mail to the address below by 20 March 2025 at 17:00 Zambian Time (GMT+2:00).

Mr Silver Mwesigwa

Head of Procurement

Attn: Daniel Maimbo

COMESA Centre

Ben Bella Road

P.O Box 30051

LUSAKA 10101

Zambia

Telephone: +260 211 2297226/29; Web: http://www.comesa.int Facsimile: +260 211 227318;

E-mails: S.Mwesigwa@comesa.int;

cc. DMaimbo@comesa.int; procurement@comesa.int;

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONSULTANCY FOR A STUDY AND DEVELOPMENT OF POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS FOR AI AND OTHER EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.

for

Inclusive Digitalisation for Eastern and Southern Africa (IDEA)

1. Project BACKGROUND

Inclusive Digitalization for Eastern & Southern Africa (IDEA) is a regional Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) for Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) programme, which includes three focus areas: (i) building the foundations for affordable and quality broadband connectivity and data hosting capability, which can give citizens, firms, and governments access to digital technology; enabling digital services including (ii) interoperable and safe data platforms and trusted online transactions at the national and regional level; (iii) advancing high-impact digitally-enabled applications in priority sectors (with an initial focus on social protection and financial services), digital skills and competencies to increase productive digital usage and enhance economic and social activities. The IDEA Program will consist of parallel and sequential phases including Fragile and Conflict-Affected States (FCV), Lower Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) countries at different stages of development, and regional entities in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Phase 1 of the IDEA Program will include four operations, including a US$10m regional IDA grant to COMESA to set up the IDEA MPA’s regional program coordination unit (PCU) and oversee the implementation of the MPA throughout the eight years of project implementation.

The Project Development Objective (PDO) for the COMESA operation is to enhance the enabling environment for increasing access to and inclusive usage of the Internet and digitally enabled services in Eastern and Southern Africa. This operation will monitor progress toward the overall Program Development Objective (PrDO) indicators.

Project Components under the operation with COMESA include:

component 1: Regional Harmonization and Planning Platform: This component aims to enhance the enabling environment for regional digital market development and integration and create a platform to inform and mobilize investments for regional digital infrastructure;

component 2: Regional Knowledge and Capacity Building: This component aims to support holistic knowledge transfer throughout the program cycle, to build capacity and support institutional strengthening for participating countries in a sustainable manner and to increase the efficiency and impact of the program activities by leveraging regional synergies between countries; and

Component 3: Regional Project Coordination and Management: This component will set up the IDEA’s regional Program Coordination Unit (PCU) to (i) coordinate with participating countries; (ii) validate and report on the Program"s results framework; and (iii) oversee the implementation of the regional grant to COMESA, including fiduciary, E&S and other functions.

2. ASSIGNMENT RATIONALE

2.1 AI and Emerging Technologies Overview

Emerging technologies have the potential to contribute to transformational gains in health, energy, climate, smart cities, food systems and biodiversity. However, these technologies also carry inherent risks to privacy, security, equity, the environment and human rights. This double-faced nature of emerging technology requires the development of policies that consider anticipated disruptions and enable technology development for economic prosperity, resilience, security and to address societal challenges.[1] The distinguishing features of digital transformation have been the growth in machine-readable information, or digital data, over the Internet. All the countries are affected by this transformation, though the pace of digitalization varies, with many developing countries lagging behind, thus presenting both opportunities as well as challenges.

Transformative digital infrastructure is expected to have an impact on almost all industries.

These emerging technologies include but are not limited to Block Chain Technology, Internet of things (IoT); 5G mobile broadband Fifth Generation (5G) Wireless Technology; Cloud Computing, Automation and Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Emerging technologies have the potential to accelerate the economic growth of developing countries. Most developed economies are already taking initiatives for “responsible” and “safe” implementation of these technologies, such as capacity development, infrastructure enhancement, and establishing governance standards. IoT and AI technologies are being used in digital governance for environmental sustainability, smart cities, health, transportation, agriculture, education etc. AI applications are also anticipated to transform governments and societies by solving challenges yet to be addressed by governments such as timely response to citizen requests and participatory decision making. Furthermore, emerging technologies can help in predicting and better managing of natural disasters and calamities and farmers can practice smart farming through leveraging machine learning tools to predict crop diseases and conduct weather forecasting.[2] Thus as cities around the world continue to struggle with the complexities of urbanization, integrating various smart solutions across multiple sectors will help address urban and rural challenges and improve overall well-being of the populations.

To fully take advantage of the opportunities presented by AI, there is a need to have reliable digital infrastructure with high internet speed and storage, sufficient and stable power supply, and enabling policies for digital development and investments. Though having reliable infrastructure connectivity is a must it is not an end on its own. There is also a need to have citizens who are digitally literate with sufficient skills for participation in the global AI value chain.

2.2 Policy and Regulations Developments for AI and Emerging Technologies

On the policy and regulatory front, a growing number of countries have enacted legislation establishing a governance framework for AI – these can take various forms, including horizontal laws that apply broadly across all sectors, technology-specific laws targeting particular types of AI applications or systems, or sector-specific laws addressing AI deployment within specific industries.[3] According to the latest ITU survey, some 18 countries have prepared specific strategies on AI by 2019, rising to 49 countries by 2021. Countries also must consider the management of data flows now generated by IoT and sensor networks which are used to train ML models and AI technologies.[4]

Developing countries,[5] including several countries in Eastern and Southern Africa do not have the requisite legal, regulatory or institutional frameworks nor capacity in place yet to effectively enable the safe development, deployment and use of AI and other emerging technologies. For AI to deliver on its transformational promise for development, end-users and other stakeholders must trust those systems.

3. ASSIGNMENT OBJECTIVES

Overall objective of the assignment

The overall objective of the assignment is to carry out a Study on the AI landscape in the region, and subsequently develop a Regional AI Strategy, Policy and Principles that could form the basis of a model Regional Regulatory Framework, based on international standards. The study will also share high impact use cases to facilitate COMESA member states in enabling and promoting the safe and responsible development, deployment and use of AI and other emerging technologies.

Specific Objectives

The specific objectives are as follows:

(i) Carry out a study to identify major technical, commercial, policy and regulatory constraints and opportunities regarding the responsible and safe development, deployment and use of AI and other enabling emerging technologies in the region. The study should:

a) conduct a comprehensive literature review on the AI ecosystem, including existing Policies and Regulations, Investment and relevant infrastructure for AI and identify best practices globally and in the Africa Region;

b) identify key areas of concern related to AI, such as data protection and privacy, security, transparency, accountability, and other governance considerations;

c) conduct a baseline assessment on existing AI Strategies, Policies, Regulations in the region, analyse and identify gaps and compare the existing landscape with best practices;

d) engage with stakeholders, including government agencies of COMESA member states, AI ecosystem representatives, end-users, international and regional organizations, academia, and civil society, to gather insights and perspectives on AI and governance;

e) identify, profile, and share high impact use cases of AI in priority sectors, including for climate adaption and mitigation, integrated infrastructure planning, education etc. Priority areas will be limited to not more than five; and

f) give a set of recommendations and draft an AI Regional implementation work programme.

(ii) Develop a regional AI Strategy for enabling the safe and responsible development, deployment and use of AI, including guiding principles and objectives that fit with the regional context. This should consider mitigating risks (e.g., data privacy, cybersecurity, algorithmic bias, and other governance concerns) and be flexible enough to adapt to ongoing technological advancements.

iii) Design “fit-for-purpose” AI policy and regulatory frameworks.

4. DETAILED SCOPE OF WORK

4.1

Activity 1: Carry out a study to identify major technical, commercial, policy and regulatory constraints as well as opportunities regarding the development, deployment and use of AI and other enabling emerging technologies.

This activity is a study on AI and enabling emerging technologies landscape both globally and in the region. The study shall focus on identifying the potential opportunities and challenges of developing, deploying and use of AI and enabling emerging technologies in the region. The study shall explore the implementation of AI in the region by collecting primary and secondary data and document analysis. The study should further explore the application of AI in the region by looking into demonstrated, piloted, and implemented areas (i.e. existing use cases) and pointing out the challenges hindering their full implementation at scale.

4.1.1 Sub-activity 1.1: Literature Review; Assessment of the existing market information pertaining to AI and enabling emerging Technologies.

This sub activity shall focus on AI market development trends.

Task 1: Describe the AI, and enabling emerging Technologies Market

a) describe the global and regional outlook of the AI, and other emerging technologies market and overall ecosystem;

b) analyse the AI market in terms of the industry’s value chain economic attractiveness;

c. analyse key factors driving AI adoption, including technological, economic and policy enablers;

d) analyse existing AI infrastructure, including access to power, compute, and data and platforms necessary for AI development and deployment; and

e) analyse strategies of key AI industry players, investment trends and market positioning. Segment AI market by components such as Platforms, Services, Software and End user devices Analyse AI industry and ecosystem trends and developments including historical, current, and projected market size, and economic value in Africa and globally.

Task 2: Elaborate past and present efforts to address the development, deployment and use of AI, and other enabling emerging technologies including but not limited to:

a) political and governance landscapes, making it challenging to organise sustainable projects such as those involving AI, and emerging technologies;

b) economic and financial factors constraining digital development;

c) high cost of the internet acting as a barrier to end users;

d) high cost of connectivity devices e.g., phones, computers etc;

e) high cost of access to related infrastructure, e.g. high-performance compute and connected data centres;

f) socio-cultural challenges e.g. level of illiteracy in the region, lack of skills and capabilities required to deal with emerging technologies;

g) technical considerations e.g. access to electricity and or low internet speeds;

h) privacy and data protection;

i) environmental challenges;

j) legal and organisational challenges e.g. lack of appropriate policy and regulatory framework and strategies pertaining to the digital transformation

Task 3: Describe evolutionary trends of AI and other emerging technologies:

a) define AI and other emerging Technologies including historical perspective and their importance;

b) describe the current state of AI and other emerging technologies including development and implementation challenges and opportunities; and

c) appraise the future potential impacts of technology advancements.

Sub-activity 1.2: Undertake a baseline assessment and analysis on existing policy and regulatory environment, market, and investment landscape in the region

The purpose of the baseline survey is to obtain data, information and opinions on the existing status of Policy and Regulatory frameworks for AI and other emerging Technologies in the region. The consultant will obtain information from all member states, but detailed analysis will only be limited to 10 selected countries. The criteria for selecting counties for detailed analysis shall be based on geographical and economic considerations.

Task 4: For each selected country analyse and assess the existing Policy and Regulatory frameworks for AI by studying the following

a) institutional frameworks;

b) national policies and laws applicable to AI and enabling emerging Technologies;

c) enforcement and oversight mechanisms; and

d) the REC Treaty, laws, regulations, and decisions and directives of REC policy organs with specific bearing on AI, and enabling emerging Technologies.

Task 5: For each selected country within the Region, as appropriate. (Base year is 2024) obtain and analyse the following:

a) social and Economic data (i.e., population, percentage urban population, GDP, GNI, Human Development Index (HDI));

b) human Capital (AI and Digital Readiness) such digital skills and readiness programmes

c) AI enabling environment which include, Research and Development programmes, startup projects; and

d) ICT market structure (i.e. presence of a separate ICT regulator, number of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs in the market, ownership and market share of MNO, international gateway, telecom operators with multinational presence, transnational telecom operator alliances.

Task 6: For each selected countries within the Region, as appropriate. (Base year is 2024) obtain and analyse the Status of Connectivity and ICT Infrastructure:

a) establish affordability metrics for access to the Internet and digital tools and devices;

b) gender digital divide;

c) service penetration e.g. basic internet access, data centres etc.;

d) establish the status of in country and cross-border infrastructure in terms of network coverage and reliability;

e) availability and capacity of High-Performance Computing (HPC), cloud computing infrastructure and data centres; and

f) assess regional and national cybersecurity capabilities.

Task 7: Conduct stakeholder engagement (virtual meetings and questionaries) including Consultations meetings or workshops. The purpose of the stakeholder engagements is to (i) gather data and opinion on AI and enabling emerging technologies and (ii) establish and appreciate the status of development and implementation of AI products, services and facilities with respect to manufacturing standards, procedures, utilization, as well as implementation and operational successes and challenges.

Sub-activity 1.3: Identification and profiling and sharing high-impact use cases of AI in priority sectors.

This sub activity shall Identify, profile and share high-impact use cases of AI in priority sectors.

Task 8: Identify solutions, applications and barriers, as well as future outlook regarding the use of AI in priority sectors including:

a) application of AI and enabling emerging technologies to improve Governance efficiency. e.g. participatory decision-making processes, e-governance platforms, , reducing gender disparities. e.t.c.;

b) leveraging AI and emerging technologies to drive Economic growth, innovation, and sustainability, fostering a dynamic and resilient urban and rural economy e.g. digital payment systems, data-driven economic development strategies, Intelligent traffic management systems etc.;

c) applications of AI and enabling emerging technologies to enable Integrated Infrastructure Planning;

d) application of AI and enabling emerging technologies in Healthcare and Education; and

e) leveraging AI in sustainable Agricultural practices.

Sub-activity 1.4: Assessment of the linkages between emerging technologies and Environmental sustainability

The global advancement of digital technology is taking place amidst the growing concerns related to the depletion of raw materials, water use, air quality, pollution and waste generation, which are all linked to planetary boundaries, including climate change. This activity shall explore the link between rapid digitalization and the urgent need to foster environmental sustainability.

Task 9: Analyse the development interface between digitalization and environmental sustainability:

a) describe climate change trends and impact;

b) Analyse direct environmental effects of digital devices and infrastructure;

c) assess the energy and natural resource usage of digital infrastructure, including data centres, IoT networks, and 5G systems;

d) explore strategies for improving energy efficiency and integrating renewable energy sources to minimize environmental impact;

e) explore policy interventions to promote green digitization;

f) describe how digitalisation can be used in climate monitoring;

g) describe how digitalisation can be used in climate change mitigation and adaptation;

h) explore sector-specific applications of AI and other emerging technologies that contribute to environmental sustainability, such as precision agriculture, smart water management and optimized transportation systems;

i) identify opportunities to reduce resource wastage and enhance efficiency in key sectors; and

j) describe digitalisation and climate changes linkages to achieve economic prosperity that are compatible with planetary boundaries and intergenerational equity.

Sub Activity 5: Cost benefit Analysis

Task 10: Perform a scenario analysis to estimate the impact on costs and revenue for supply side and benefits on the demand side regarding the development, adaption and use of AI.

Sub-activity 6: Prepare Final Report of the Study

Upon completing the sub-activities above, prepare a draft Final Report of the Study. The draft Final Report shall be subjected to stakeholder validation, and subsequently revised to accommodate the outcome of the stakeholder validation

Task 11: Prepare a Draft Final Report of the Study, containing:

a) introduction;

b) literature Review;

c) tools and methodologies;

d) baseline and Situational Analysis;

e) case studies;

f) findings; and

g) recommendations.

Task 12: Undertake stakeholder validation of the draft Final Report of the Study. COMESA Secretariat will be responsible for the logistical aspects of the stakeholder validation exercise, while the consultant will prepare and deliver all the technical materials for the validation.

Task 13: Revise the Draft Final Report to accommodate the outcome of the stakeholder validation.

Activity 2: Develop model AI Strategy, Policy and Regulatory Frameworks

Upon undertaking the study and preparing relevant output documents, the next step would be to draft appropriate Strategy, Policy and Regulatory Frameworks for AI,

Sub Activity 1: Develop a Regional AI Strategy

Task 14; Based on the findings and recommendations of the study report, develop an AI Strategy for enabling the safe and responsible development, deployment and use of AI, including guiding principles and objectives that fit with the regional context. The Strategy should at least have the following outline:

a) overview and Scope;

b) objectives and Guiding principles;

c) technology and infrastructure;

d) risk Assessment;

e) responsible, safe and trustworthy adoption;

f) skills and capacity;

g) compliance and Governance;

h) implementation and use cases;

i) funding and Investment (including incentives for AI research, startups and innovation); and

k) change management and future scalability.

Sub-activity 7: Draft Model Policy Guidelines for AI

In developing the policy guideline, references may be made to the study report and best practices from other jurisdictions and international institutions.

Task 15: Draft model policy framework considering the findings of the Study Report in accordance with the following outline:

a) overview and scope;

b) background, challenges and opportunities;

c) goal & policy objectives;

d) strategies for achieving policy objectives;

e) policy and legislative principles; and

f) conclusions.

Sub - activity 8: Develop draft model Regulatory framework for AI,

Task 16: Develop draft model regulations for AI. The model regulations should be consistent with global good practice. The model regulatory may include the following non-exhaustive pillars:

a) preliminaries;

b) scope, objectives, definitions;

c) general provisions;

d) key principles:

e) enabling environment for AI;

f) obligations regarding ai development, deployment and use;

g) transparency and notifications requirements;

h) data protection and privacy issues;

i) statement of treatment of investors;

j) investors obligations and responsibility;

k) institutional setup;

l) dispute resolution;

m) miscellaneous provisions; and

n) schedules and appendices.

Sub-activity 9: Stakeholder validation

Task 17: Undertake stakeholder validation of the Draft Final Report for Strategy, Policy and Regulatory Frameworks. COMESA Secretariat will be responsible for the logistical aspects of the stakeholder validation exercise, while the consultant will prepare and present all the technical materials for validation.

Sub -activity 10: Capacity Building

Task 18: Organise a capacity building workshop to train experts within the region, to fully understand how to govern and regulate AI to promote opportunities and benefits of development, deployment and use of AI and emerging technologies.

Sub-activity 11: Final Report for Strategy, Policy and Regulatory Frameworks

Task 19: Upon finalization of the stakeholder validation process, revise the documents of the Draft Final Report into a Final Report for Policy and Regulatory Frameworks, for subsequent submission to the REC Council for consideration and approval.

5. DELIVERABLES

The Consultant shall submit the deliverables based on the timelines described in chapter 5 of this TOR. The deliverables will be as follows:

a) inception report;

b) study report;

c) AI strategy;

d) model policy guidelines;

e) model regulations;

g) validation workshops; and

h) capacity building.

Inception Report

The consulting firm will be expected to prepare an inception report outlining the approach and methodology and work plan to fulfil the Terms of Reference for the assignment as well as the expected outcome of the assignment.

The consulting firm shall submit the electronic version of the Inception Report to COMESA within thirty (30) calendar days after the commencement of the assignment. The Inception Report shall be discussed and approved by COMESA.

Draft Study Report

The consulting firm shall submit a draft Study Report document within ninety (90) calendar days after submission of the inception report. The consulting firm will be expected to share their draft report with COMESA in an agreed format for preliminary review and approval.

Validation Workshop for a Study Report

The Consultant shall undertake stakeholder validation workshop of the draft Study Report documents and should prepare validation workshop report upon successful completion of the stakeholder validation workshop

Final study Report

The consulting firm shall submit final policy and regulatory framework documents within thirty (30) calendar days after the validation workshop. An electronic version in Word format shall be submitted to COMESA after incorporating the feedback and suggestions from the stakeholders.

Draft Strategy, Policy and Regulatory framework documents

The consulting firm shall submit draft policy and regulatory framework documents within seventy five (75) calendar days after submission of the Final Study report, which should include:

a) draft model policy guidelines for AI; and

b) draft model regulations for AI.

Validation Workshop for Strategy and Model Policy and Regulatory Framework

The Consultant shall undertake stakeholder validation workshop for the Policy and Regulatory Frameworks and should prepare a validation workshop report upon successful completion of the stakeholder validation workshop

Final Strategy, Policy Regulatory framework documents

The consulting firm shall submit final policy and regulatory framework documents within thirty (30) calendar days after the validation workshop. An electronic version in Word format shall be submitted to COMESA after incorporating the feedback and suggestions from the stakeholders to the draft.

Capacity Building Workshop

The Consultant shall undertake a capacity building workshop for the Policy and Regulatory Frameworks within forty-five (45) days after submission of the final deliverables and should prepare a workshop report upon successful completion of the capacity building workshop.

6. TIMELINES

Commencement Date and Period of Implementation

The assignment is estimated to be completed within a period of 12 months (365) calendar days, commencing from the date of contract signature.

Table of Deliverables

The timing of the deliverables for the assignment are as indicated in the table below. The Inception, draft final reports and final report shall be submitted electronically.

7. QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE OF EXPERTS

COMESA is seeking applications from firms and/or consortiums of firms, with the below requisite qualifications:

a) proven experience in developing policies and regulations related to emerging technologies, particularly AI;

b) strong understanding of ai technologies, their applications, and associated risks;

c) experience in stakeholder engagement and conducting consultations;

d) excellent research, analytical, and writing skills;

e) knowledge of international best practices and standards related to ai governance;

f) experience in developing legal and policy frameworks and instruments in sub-Saharan Africa; and

g) experience working on world bank-funded projects and/or with regional economic communities is desirable.

The lead consultant and other required support consultants should have a minimum of the following qualifications and experience:

7.1 Lead Consultant/AI Expert

Qualifications

A minimum of a master’s degree in AI policy or technology policy, Computer Science, AI/ML research, or related field

Professional experience:

a) at least 15 years’ professional experience in ai or technology policy, computer science, AI/ML research, or related field;

b) post-graduation experience in policy, regulatory and/or legislative oriented work in ai / emerging technology industry;

c) leadership/project management experience;

d) regional experience in sub-Saharan Africa; and

e) excellent communication and report writing skills. fluency in written and spoken English and proficiency in another official language will be an added advantage.

7.2 Economist

Qualifications

A minimum of a master’s degree in economics, finance, mathematics, or statistics

Professional experience:

a) at least 10 years post-graduate experience in policy, regulatory and/or legislative oriented work in the ai or technology industry;

b) demonstrable knowledge and skills in market analysis and econometric modelling including costing models;

c) leadership/project management experience;

d) regional experience working in sub-Saharan Africa; and

e) excellent communication and report writing skills. fluency in written and spoken English and proficiency in another official language will be an added advantage.

7.3 Legal Consultant

Qualifications

JD, LLM or equivalent. Member of the bar or similar qualification in at least one jurisdiction.

Professional experience:

a) at least 10 years’ experience in law, policy and regulatory reform, or other areas of work relevant to this engagement;

b) demonstrable knowledge and experience in legislative drafting;

c) leadership/project management experience;

d) regional experience working in sub-Saharan Africa; and

e) excellent communication and report writing skills. Fluency in written and spoken English and proficiency in another official language will be an added advantage.

7.4 Environmental Expert

Qualifications

A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy, environmental sciences, e-waste management, or related field. An advanced degree is an added advantage.

Professional experience:

a) at least 10 years’ post-graduation experience in environmental regulations and/or legislative oriented work in the technology sector;

b) regional experience in sub-Saharan Africa; and

c) excellent communication and report writing skills fluency in written and spoken English and proficiency in another official language will be an added advantage.

7.5 Emerging Technology Specialist

Qualifications

Master’s Degree in a relevant field (e.g. Computer Science)

Professional experience:

a) experience working in the field of emerging technologies, particularly in areas such as management information systems (MIS), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, data analytics, cloud computing, or cybersecurity.

b) related industry experience and expertise in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, causal inference empirical research, or analytical modelling

c) regional experience in sub-Saharan Africa; and

d) excellent communication and writing reports. fluency in written and spoken English and proficiency in another official language will be an added advantage.

8. PLACE OF ASSIGNMENT

Flexible, provided that online calls and video conference are possible with at least two travel missions to Lusaka, Zambia and at least one visit to selected countries and Regional Economic Communities (stakeholder interviews, presentation of draft reports , validation workshop, etc.).

9. SUPERVISION AND REPORTING

The consultant will report to the IDEA COMESA PCU Coordinator and the Digital Experts under Component 1 of the project. All reports shall be in electronic format in MS Word, Excel or PowerPoint as the case may be.

10. DURATION

The tasks will be carried out over 365 calendar days within a 12 months’ period from contract signature.

APPENDIX I: COSTING TEMPLATE

Budget Template Please provide the total price and the breakdown by unit cost using the table below as a template. Please quote all rates in USD, excluding VAT.

[1] https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2024/04/framework-for-anticipatory-governance-of-emerging-technologies_14bf0402.html

[2] https://collections.unu.edu/eserv/UNU:9381/Distor_2023_Emerging_Tech_in_Africa_-_AI__Blockchain_and_IoT.pdf

[3] Global Trends in AI Governance World Bank 2024

[4] [4] https://www.itu.int/itu-d/sites/regulatory-market/),

[5] Artificial Intelligence in Smart Cities—Applications, Barriers, and Future Directions

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