Job Description

1. Background and Rationale
Environmental Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) is a critical tool for promoting sustainable development by ensuring that potential environmental impacts of proposed projects are identified, assessed, and mitigated. In Zimbabwe, the ESIA process is governed by the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27] and associated regulations administered by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA). However, evolving environmental challenges, new international best practices, and emerging national development priorities necessitate a comprehensive review of the current EIA regulations to enhance their effectiveness, relevance, and alignment with sustainable development goals. For example, National Development Strategy (NDS) 2 highlights that the mining sector continues to be a fundamental pillar for the nation’s socio-economic development. However, mining operations often precipitate extensive environmental degradation, which manifest through widespread deforestation, contamination of water sources, destruction of critical infrastructure and bio-diversities as well as degradation of scenic landscapes, imposing a huge cost to communities and the nation at large. The ESIA is an important mechanism for ensuring that the environment is protected through ensuring that there is a more ecologically, socio-culturally and economically sustainable and equitable environment. It is against this background that the organisation seeks a consultant to review the current ESIA regulations and proffer recommendations for improvement.

Duties and Responsibilities

2. Overall Objective
The main objective of this assignment is to undertake a comprehensive review of Zimbabwe’s EIA regulations to:
a. Assess the adequacy, effectiveness, and gaps in the current EIA regulatory framework.
b. Benchmark Zimbabwe’s EIA regulations against regional and international best practices including Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) regions.
c. Recommend amendments to strengthen the EIA process, including institutional arrangements, procedural efficiency, stakeholder engagement, EIA Consultant registration and deregistration as well as enforcement mechanisms.
d. Propose strategies for harmonizing EIA regulations with other sectoral laws and policies.
3. Scope of Work and Key Tasks
The scope of the review will include, but is not limited to, the following tasks:
a. Inception and Document Review
An inception meeting between the Consultant and the organisation shall be convened. This meeting will enable the Consultant to seek clarification and understand more about the nature and scope of this consultancy work. The Consultant shall present an inception note that includes the timelines for this consultancy work guided by the deliverables/milestones as indicated in these terms of reference, and the methodology for conducting this consultancy work.
b. Regulatory and Institutional Analysis
This will entail reviewing the Environmental Management Act and EIA Regulations, Environmental Management Policy 2009 including guidelines, standards, and procedures. Also an assessment of institutional roles, capacity, and coordination mechanisms among relevant agencies and stakeholders. Challenges and gaps in the current legal, institutional, and procedural framework (e.g., screening, scoping, public participation, decision-making, monitoring, and enforcement) must be identified.
c. Benchmarking and Comparative Analysis
The Consultant will benchmark Zimbabwe’s EIA system against regional and international best practices (e.g., SADC, African Union, World Bank, IFC standards) and identify lessons learned and innovative approaches applicable to Zimbabwe.
d. Stakeholder Engagement
Conduct consultations with government agencies, local authorities, project proponents, affected communities, NGOs, and the private sector, documenting stakeholder experiences, challenges, and recommendations for improving the EIA process. In addition, the Consultant will look at costs involved by various stakeholders as they cumulatively affect the total ESIA compliance costs.
e. Recommendations and Draft Amendments
The Consultant will develop concrete recommendations for amending and strengthening the EIA regulations and draft proposed amendments to the EIA regulations and guidelines.
4. Deliverables
The consultant/team will deliver the following:
• Inception Report: Outlining the methodology and workplan,
• Comparative Analysis Report: Detailing benchmarking findings and lessons learned.
• Stakeholder Consultation Report: Summarizing key feedback and suggestions.
• Draft EIA Regulations Review Report: Including gap analysis, recommendations, and proposed amendments.
• Final EIA Regulations Review Report: Incorporating feedback from stakeholders and the client.
• Presentation of Findings: To relevant authorities and stakeholders
• Draft proposed amendments
The Consultant shall facilitate a validation session with stakeholders to review and validate draft review.
5. Timeline: The consultancy will run for 6 weeks, commencing from 1 February 2026.

Qualifications and Experience

6. Required Qualifications
• Multi-disciplinary team of at least four members of different qualifications, among them Environmentalist / Ecologist, Social Scientist and Legal expert.
• Demonstrated experience of at least 10 years in conducting research and analysis in the field of environmental law or related areas.
• Proven expertise in governance frameworks, preferably in environmental law enforcement or related fields
• Experience in stakeholder engagement and facilitation
• Knowledge of environmental policies, laws, and institutional arrangements
• Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills

How to Apply

7. Application Process
Interested candidates should submit:
• An inception note (maximum 5 pages) outlining methodology, timeline, and work plan.
• CV(s) of the lead consultant(s) and institutional profile.
• Samples of previous relevant work and contact details for three references.

Applications to be send no later than 29 January 2026 to [email protected], clearly stating the title of research in the subject line.