Tender Detail

Source: World Bank — Ethiopia Digital ID for Inclusion and Services Project

Request for Expression of Interest

(Consulting Services – Individual Selection)

Senior Legal Specialist for National ID Program

Country: Ethiopia

Project: Ethiopia Digital ID for Inclusion and Services Project

Project ID: P179040

Assignment Title:  Senior Legal Specialist for National ID Program

Reference No.: ET-NIDP-461786-CS-INDV

Duty Station: NIDP Head Office, Addis Ababa

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ministry of Finance (MoF), has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Ethiopia Digital ID for Inclusion and Services Project.  National ID Program, the ultimate project implementer intends to apply part of the proceeds for selecting of individual consultants.

National ID Program as part of the project implementation program is looking for an Individual consultant that supports the NIDP on legal management issues.  Experienced individual experts who have experience, seasoned, enthusiastic and passionate for the position of Senior Legal Specialist are invited to express their interest for the assignment.

The Senior Legal Specialist is expected to have comprehensive legal expertise and will have the overall responsibility of collaborating with team members in the Legal and Policy Unit to handle contract drafting and review, manage fraud cases, develop legal documents and respond to legal queries from various departments of NIDP.

Specific responsibilities for the Senior Legal Specialist will include, but are not limited to, the following core activities:

• Manage fraud cases: Identity fraud related matters are handled by the NIDP legal team. Liaising with the concerned law enforcement units all over Ethiopia is expected as the activities of NIDP and Fayda enrollments and use cases are scaled up. Potential criminal cases have to be reported to law enforcement officials. Patterns of criminal behavior in presenting legal documents have to be identified and studied to ensure safety. In this regard, the Senior Legal Specialist will be responsible for   receiving fraud reports, liaising with law enforcement to support the investigation of the matter and develop reports on the resolution as well as the investigation process.

• Drafting and reviewing legal agreements: NIDP enters into various Service Level Agreements, Non-Disclosure Agreements, and Memoranda of Understanding with companies, government entities and individuals. As the Digital ID Project is scaling up, NIDP is set to enter into long term contracts with service providers on-boarded on a competitive basis. These contracts will govern complex technical relationships between NIDP and service providers. The Senior Legal Specialist is expected to draft and review these agreements, prepare standard agreements, as necessary, and lead or participate in the negotiations of all such agreements.  Contract negotiation is part of the assignment. 

• Legislative Framework Drafting: Ethiopian Digital ID Proclamation 1284/2023 is the governing legal framework for the Fayda ID implementation. The details of the enabling and safeguarding provisions of the Proclamation are to be regulated by a regulation and directives. Further standard operating procedures are to be prepared to set out the details of these directives. The Senior Legal Specialist will be responsible for contributing to development of these regulations, directives and procedures, in collaboration with other NIDP team members. 

• Legal training and enforcement: -As a new program, NIDP envisions an increase in the acceptance of the Fayda ID in sectoral institutions. The Senior Legal Specialist shall handle engagements with stakeholders both in Addis Ababa and regional states with a view to ensuring that the applicable legal framework is cascaded to experts, professionals and officials throughout the country. The Senior Legal Specialist will engage in strategic enforcement of Ethiopian Digital Identification Proclamation No. 1284/2023 to enhance the adoption of Fayda ID as a proof of identity by sectoral and regional entities. 

• Providing legal support: Operational, technical, administrative and communication teams of NIDP might require legal advice and other legal support depending on their area of work.  The Senior Legal Specialist will be expected to provide such legal support.

National ID Program, Digital ID for Inclusion and Services Project now invites eligible Individual Consultants to indicate their interest to provide the Services. Interested Individual Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services for a period of one year with possibility of extension for additional period subject to outstanding performance of the expert and availability of budget. The shortlisting criteria include the following;

• LLB degree with a minimum of 12 years’ experience or LLM with 10 years’ experience. 
• Proven experience in handling criminal matters, legal drafting and reviewing, legal training, contract negotiation, and managing relationships with stakeholders.
• Adept drafting and communication skills. 
• Experience in drafting directives, manuals, standard operating procedures, contracts, and managing contracts. 
• Good interpersonal skills. 
• Able to work full time. 
• Ability to foster collaboration and teamwork
• Productive and resilient in a dynamic and challenging environment. 
• Knowledge of one or more regional languages is an advantage. 

The selection method is based on para 7.36 and 7.37 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulation.

The attention of interested individual 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”) revised November 2017, August 2018, September 2023, setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.  An individual will be selected in accordance with the Selection of Individual Consultant (Section V) method set out in the Procurement Regulations.

Expressions of interest (CV, cover letter and documentary evidence for fulfilling the qualifications) must be delivered in a written form to the address below by E-mail on or before March 25th, 2025. Further information can be obtained, by email at the below address during office hours from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM Addis Ababa time: 

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,

National ID Program (NIDP), Digital ID for Inclusion and Services Project

Attn: Project Management Unit (PMU),

Address: Welosefer Bole, Ethio-China St, INSA Building, 15th Floor, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tele- +251-911-446582 or +251-912-200295

E-mail: zelalem@id.gov.et, nejmedin@id.gov.et, mesfin@id.gov.et

Website: https://id.gov.et/

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia