TASK A: Preparing Operational Plans for the Regional Action Plan on Plastics Management and Circular Economy

The objective of the task is to build supplementary guidelines to implement the regional action plan (attached in the annex). For each activity of the regional action plan, the consultant is expected to identify in consultation with ECOWAS 1) institutional arrangement – name an organization or a group of organization responsible for the activity, 2) cost and funding mechanism, 3) indicators to measure progress, 4) target audience and stakeholder engagement strategy for it. The detailed operational plans are intended to provide the necessary description which cannot be captured in a summary table such as gaps or recommendations.

Task A1: Institutional Arrangements and Capacity Assessment

For each action item on the validated Regional Action Plan, particularly focusing on actions assigned to Institutions other than ECOWAS:

1.      Verify responsible organization in collaboration with ECOWAS.

2.      Determine roles and responsibility, collaboration arrangements (if more than one organization)

3.      Identify gaps related to institutional capacity of responsible organizations, including technical expertise, financial resources (linked to A2), enforcement capabilities, and inter organization collaboration.

4.      Recommend targeted training programs, knowledge-sharing initiatives, and strategies for cross-sectoral collaboration (linked to A4)

Task A2: Financing Plan

Building on the activities and financing priorities identified in the Regional Action Plan:

5.      Conduct a detailed cost analysis for each activity outlined in consultation with ECOWAS.

6.      Map potential national, regional, and international funding sources, including public funds, development finance institutions, private sector investments, and donor agencies with consultation from ECOWAS.

7.      Identify financial risks and propose mitigation strategies for each.

8.      Assess eligibility criteria for different funding mechanisms, such as grants, concessional loans, public-private partnerships, and green bonds.

9.      Conceptualize a financing platform for ECOWAS

Task A3: Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan

Building on the indicators, targets and baselines prepared under the Regional Action Plan and the Database Prototype developed for ECOWAS:

10.  Refine measurable indicators for each objective and activity in the regional action plan in consultation with ECOWAS and ensure alignment with global frameworks such as SDGs, Basel Convention, and regional environmental agreements. Include both qualitative and quantitative metrics (e.g., plastic waste reduction rates, recycling rates, policy adoption rates).

11.  Define methodologies for data collection, including responsible institutions, frequency, and reporting formats in consultation with ECOWAS.

12.  Specify roles and responsibilities of different institutions in monitoring progress in consultation with ECOWAS. Ensure consistency in measurement approaches across the region in consultation with ECOWAS member states.

13.  Recommend periodic evaluations (mid-term, end-term) to measure overall effectiveness.

Task A4: Stakeholder Engagement and Communications Plan

Building on the Stakeholder Engagement Strategy followed during the development of the Regional Action Plan,  

14.  review and expand the key stakeholder list, including policymakers, private sector actors, research institutions, civil society groups, academia, environmental organizations/NGOs, and local communities.

15.  Categorize stakeholders based on their level of influence, interest, and role in implementation (e.g., government agencies vs. community organizations).

16.  Define mechanisms and strategies for continuous stakeholder engagement based on stakeholder categories in 15. Identify effective channels for dissemination, such as policy briefs, social media, webinars, and regional conferences.

17.  Create mechanisms for continuous feedback collection from stakeholders to refine implementation strategies, for ECOWAs to ensure that stakeholder insights are integrated into policy adjustments and future action plans.

Task B: Case study – Conceptualizing 1-2 Pilot Projects with Innovative Financing, to demonstrate that the Operational Plans developed under Task A are implementable

This task involves integrating the outcomes of Task A to present designs of pilot projects in alignment with the Regional Action Plan. The purpose of the exercise is to demonstrate the applicability of the Operational Plans. For example, potential focus could be on EPR Design Principles and best practices for crediting systems.

Each pilot design should have clearly defined objectives and outcomes. For example, a pilot project might introduce sorting stations to assess the improvement in waste quality, recover fishing gear to explore upcycling opportunities, or use plastic credit funds to enhance water quality infrastructure and reduce the prevalence of single-use plastic (SUP) water sachets. Some criteria to consider are:

·       Geographic Focus: Prioritize pilot projects in regions where the WACA Program is actively engaged[1].

·       Impact Potential: Identify locations where plastic credit funds can support circular solutions, such as improving water quality infrastructure to reduce single-use plastics like water sachets.

·       Synergies: Explore opportunities for regional cooperation, including the feasibility of transporting recovered plastics to recycling or conversion sites within West Africa.

·       EPR Status: Design pilot projects that reflect the varying stages of EPR implementation across the region, using Plastic Credits as a transitional tool until EPR systems are fully established (drawing from insights in Task A).

·       Institutional arrangements: Design a pilot that is able to implement the institutional arrangements explored in Task A.

Task C: Conduct Workshops

There may be an in-person validation workshop following the completion of Task A Draft by October 2025, and potentially an in-person session on another World Bank Workshop to disseminate findings of Task B in March 2026. The in-person workshop logistics for participants will be arranged by the World Bank Team. However, Consultant firm will have to arrange their own travels and lodging.  All other workshop(s) will be virtual.

SELECTION OF CONSULTING FIRMS BY THE WORLD BANK GROUP

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI)

Electronic Submissions through WBGeProcure RFx Now

ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW

Assignment Title: Operational plans and innovative pilots for West Africa’s Regional Action Plan

Assignment Countries:

- Not Country Related

ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION

TASK A: Preparing Operational Plans for the Regional Action Plan on Plastics Management and Circular Economy

The objective of the task is to build supplementary guidelines to implement the regional action plan (attached in the annex). Foreach activity of the regional action plan, the consultant is expected to identify in consultation with ECOWAS 1) institutional arrangement – name an organization or a group of organization responsible for the activity, 2)cost and funding mechanism, 3) indicators to measure progress, 4) target audience and stakeholder engagement strategy for it. The detailed operational plans are intended to provide the necessary description which cannot be captured in a summary table such as gaps or recommendations.

Task A1: Institutional Arrangements and Capacity Assessment

For each action item on the validated Regional Action Plan, particularly focusing on actions assigned to Institutions other than ECOWAS:

1.Verify responsible organization in collaboration with ECOWAS.

2.Determine roles and responsibility, collaboration arrangements (if more than one organization)

3.Identify gaps related to institutional capacity of responsible organizations, including technical expertise, financial resources (linked to A2), enforcement capabilities, and inter organization collaboration.

4.Recommend targeted training programs, knowledge-sharing initiatives, and strategies for cross-sectoral collaboration (linked to A4)

Task A2:Financing Plan

Building on the activities and financing priorities identified in the Regional Action Plan:

5.Conduct a detailed cost analysis for each activity outlined in consultation with ECOWAS.

6. Map potential national, regional, and international funding sources, including public funds, development finance institutions, private sector investments, and donor agencies with consultation from ECOWAS.

7. Identify financial risks and propose mitigation strategies for each.

8.Assess eligibility criteria for different funding mechanisms, such as grants, concessional loans, public-private partnerships, and green bonds.

9.Conceptualize a financing platform for ECOWAS

Task A3:Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan

Building on the indicators, targets and baselinesprepared under the Regional Action Plan and the Database Prototype developedfor ECOWAS:

10. Refine measurable indicators for each objective and activity in the regional action plan in consultation with ECOWAS and ensure alignment with global frameworks such as SDGs, Basel Convention, and regional environmental agreements. Include both qualitative and quantitative metrics(e.g., plastic waste reduction rates, recycling rates, policy adoption rates).

11.Define methodologies for data collection, including responsible institutions, frequency, and reporting formats in consultation with ECOWAS.

12.Specify roles and responsibilities of different institutions in monitoring progress in consultation with ECOWAS. Ensure consistency in measurement approaches across the region in consultation with ECOWAS member states.

13.Recommend periodic evaluations (mid-term, end-term) to measure overall effectiveness.

Task A4:Stakeholder Engagement and Communications Plan

Building on the Stakeholder Engagement Strategy followed during the development of the Regional Action Plan,

14. review and expand the key stakeholder list, including policymakers, private sector actors, research institutions, civil society groups, academia, environmental organizations/NGOs, and local communities.

15. Categorize stakeholders based on their level of influence, interest, and role in implementation (e.g., government agencies vs. Community organizations).

16. Define mechanisms and strategies for continuous stakeholder engagement based on stakeholder categories in 15. Identify effective channels for dissemination, such as policy briefs, social media, webinars, and regional conferences.

17. Create mechanisms for continuous feedback collection from stakeholders to refine implementation strategies, for ECOWAs to ensure that stakeholder insights are integrated into policy adjustments and future action plans.

Task B: Case study – Conceptualizing 1-2 Pilot Projects with Innovative Financing, to demonstrate that the Operational Plans developed under Task A are implementable

This task involves integrating the outcomes of Task A to present designs of pilot projects in alignment with the Regional Action Plan. The purpose of the exercise is to demonstrate the applicability of the Operational Plans. For example, potential focus could be on EPR Design Principles and best practices for crediting systems.

Each pilot design should have clearly defined objectives and outcomes. For example, a pilot project might introduce sorting stations to assess the improvement in waste quality, recover fishing gear to explore upcycling opportunities, or use plastic credit funds to enhance water quality infrastructure and reduce the prevalence of single-use plastic (SUP) water sachets. Some criteria to consider are:

·Geographic Focus: Prioritize pilot projects in regions where the WACA Program is actively engaged [1].

·Impact Potential: Identify locations where plastic credit funds can support circular solutions, such as improving water quality infrastructure to reduce single-use plastics like water sachets.

·Synergies: Explore opportunities for regional cooperation, including the feasibility of transporting recovered plastics to recycling or conversion sites within West Africa.

·EPR Status: Design pilot projects that reflect the varying stages of EPR implementation across the region, using Plastic Credits as a transitional tool until EPR systems are fully established (drawing from insights in Task A).

·Institutional arrangements: Design a pilot that is able to implement the institutional arrangements explored in Task A.

Task C: Conduct Workshops

There may be an in-person validation workshop following the completion of Task A Draft by October 2025, and potentially anin-person session on another World Bank Workshop to disseminate findings of Task B in March 2026. The in-person workshop logistics for participants will be arranged by the World Bank Team. However, Consultant firm will have to arrange their own travels and lodging. All other workshop(s) will be virtual.

The World Bank Group invites eligible firms to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested firms must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc. for firms; CV and cover letter for individuals). Please note that the total size of all attachments should be less than 5MB. Firms may associate to enhance their qualifications unless otherwise stated in the solicitation documents. Where a group of firms associate to submit an EOI, they must indicate which is the lead firm. If shortlisted, the firm identified in the EOI as the lead firm will be invited to the request for proposal (RFP) phase.

***For EOI, please consider the relevant experience of the proposed team members ONLY. Generic team experience will disqualify the EOI.***

Expressions of Interest should be submitted, in English, electronically through WBGeProcure RFx Now

NOTES

Following this invitation for EOI, a shortlist of qualified firms will be formally invited to submit proposals. Shortlisting and selection will be subject to the availability of funding.

Only those firms which have been shortlisted will be invited to participate in the RFP phase. No notification or debrief will be provided to firms which have not been shortlisted.

If you encounter technical difficulties while uploading documents, please send an e-mail to the Help Desk at corporateprocurement@worldbank.org prior to the submission deadline.