Individual Consultant - Pakistan Naushahro-Feroz Motorway (M-6 Section 3) Project (Tranche 1) Environmental Social Consultant

The OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund) is a multilateral development finance institution, founded in 1976. The organization was established with a distinct mandate: to drive development, strengthen communities and empower people. The OPEC Fund’s work is people-centered, focusing on financing projects that meet essential needs, such as food, energy, infrastructure, employment (particularly relating to MSMEs), clean water and sanitation, healthcare and education. OPEC Fund’s vision is a world where sustainable development is a reality for all.

The OPEC Fund is the only globally mandated development institution that provides financing from member countries to non-member countries exclusively. The organization works in cooperation with developing country partners and the international development community to stimulate economic growth and social progress in low- and middle-income countries around the world.

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Background

Transport is a key driver of socioeconomic development in Pakistan, supporting economic resilience, trade, and regional integration. It provides a key component of the Pakistan’s Government Investment Programme and Annual Plan 2025-2026. Road transport dominates Pakistan's transport system, accounting for almost 98% of freight traffic in ton-km and 94% of passenger traffic in passenger-km. Pakistan’s road network of 263,000 km includes 12,500 km of national highways and 93,000 km of provincial highways. 

The “N-5” National Highway—the country’s most heavily used road corridor—connects major population centers and carries a significant share of freight and passenger traffic. However, it is plagued by congestion, frequent accidents, and road deterioration, resulting in high economic costs and safety risks. To address these challenges, the NHA has undertaken the construction of the Peshawar–Karachi Motorway (PKM), a high-speed, controlled-access corridor with tolls, designed to modernize Pakistan’s north-south connectivity. The PKM runs parallel to the N-5 (which, as a national road, handles local traffic), and has several interchanges to connect to it. The PKM is intended to divert long-haul and freight traffic away from urban centers and the N-5, thereby reducing congestion and improving road safety. Of the total 1,522 km length, 1,216 km has already been completed. 

The proposed project will support the completion of the PKM with a 64.6km section of road from Nawabshah to Naushahro. The Naushahro-Feroz Motorway (M-6 Section 3) will provide a safer, faster, and more efficient route for regional and international traffic, significantly reducing travel time, vehicle operating costs, and accident rates. It will also improve connectivity between key economic zones in Sindh and Punjab, facilitate trade flows to and from Karachi’s ports, and support the development of industrial and agricultural value chains. Once completed, the broader M-6 will enhance Pakistan’s role as a regional trade hub and strengthen its integration with neighboring economies.

The proposed project envisages the construction of the Naushahro-Feroz Motorway (M-6 Section 3): a six-lane fenced motorway (three lanes in each direction, and shoulders on both sides), with an anticipated 64.61 km in length. The road will be made of asphalt with a crushed stone base course, granular subbase course, and relevant drainage measures. Connectivity and mobility will be ensured for safe crossing of the Motorway with 1 overpass bridge, 1 clover-leaf interchange, 17 canal bridges and 36 subways (underpasses), thereby providing necessary junctions and sufficient vehicular and pedestrian underpasses, cattle creeps and interchanges as needed.

Scope of services

The project has been screened as Category A under the Fund’s ESG Policy. The Government of Pakistan will prepare an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for all motorway sections of M-6 in accordance with national regulations and Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) E&S requirements (one of the Lenders of the M-6). The Fund is working with the Government to include requirements of its’ ESG Policy and therein referenced World Bank ESS into the Scope of Work. 

1. Inception phase and site visit

Within two weeks of contract signing the consultant shall (i) review the final ESIA terms of reference for Section 3, including the supplementary SoW provided by the OPEC Fund, to verify that all requirements of the OPEC Fund ESG Policy and the applicable World Bank Environmental and Social Standards have been incorporated; (ii) document any residual ambiguities and propose wording to address them; and (iii) undertake a field mission to Section 3 and adjoining areas, meeting the National Highway Authority, the Government’s ESIA consultants and local stakeholders (in coordination and upon approval of OPEC Fund) to verify key site conditions and sensitive receptors that may influence the technical review.

2. Technical review of baseline and impact assessment

Following the inception phase, the consultant shall liaise with the Government’s ESIA team to confirm that the ievolving draft ESIA and its accompanying E&S instruments fully reflect the requirements of the OPEC Fund ESG Policy and the WB ESS. 
Once the first complete draft ESIA package is available, the consultant shall review it against those same requirements, identify any remaining gaps, assess their materiality and provide specific, time-bound recommendations to achieve full alignment; the consultant shall then work with the Government’s counterparts to embed the agreed revisions in the final ESIA package.
The consultant shall evaluate whether the ESIA establishes a robust baseline for physical, biological, social, cultural and economic receptors and whether the methods used to predict direct, indirect, induced and cumulative impacts are consistent with accepted international practice for a Category A transport project. Particular attention shall be given to habitat fragmentation, labour influx, traffic safety, cultural heritage, gender-based violence and vulnerable groups.

3. Review of the ESMP and subsidiary management plans (SEP, Labor Procedure, etc.)

The consultant shall determine whether mitigation, monitoring and reporting measures are commensurate with identified impacts, assign clear responsibilities, include realistic schedules and budgets and follow the mitigation hierarchy. The review shall confirm inclusion of road-safety measures, climate-resilient design, resource efficiency, pollution prevention, labor and working-conditions requirements, gender-based violence and sexual-exploitation risk controls, emergency preparedness, security management and chance-find procedures. 
The consultant shall also verify that the Stakeholder Engagement Plan meets ESS 10 requirements by working with the Government to identify affected and interested parties, setting out language-appropriate disclosure and consultation activities for both construction and operation, and integrating a culturally appropriate, accessible grievance mechanism that sets out the project-level GRM.

4. Resettlement and livelihood restoration review

Where physical or economic displacement occurs, the consultant shall verify that census surveys are complete, eligibility criteria are transparent, compensation rates reflect full replacement cost and livelihood-restoration measures are feasible and culturally appropriate, in line with ESS 5 and duly reflected in the project’s Resettlement and Livelihood Restoration Plan.

5. Climate-risk and mitigation review

The consultant shall confirm that the ESIA identifies relevant physical climate hazards, proposes technically and economically viable adaptation measures and quantifies greenhouse-gas emissions during construction and operation together with feasible mitigation options.

6. Cumulative impact assessment and associated facility appraisal

The consultant shall liaise with the National Highway Authority and the advisers to Sections 1, 2, 4 and 5 to identify corridor-wide environmental and social issues, such as aggregate sourcing, habitat connectivity, labour influx, traffic safety and to agree common baseline parameters, significance criteria and mitigation approaches. Where draft or final ESIAs for the adjoining sections exist, the consultant shall review them for consistency with the Section 3 ESIA; where those studies are still in preparation, the consultant shall provide written guidance to ensure that cross-cutting impacts are addressed. The consultant shall recommend interim provisions, including data-sharing and coordination mechanisms, so that the cumulative-impact analysis can be updated and harmonised once the remaining ESIAs are completed.

7. Preparation of the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan

The consultant shall prepare an ESCP that consolidates all agreed environmental and social obligations, defines performance indicators and sets time-bound commitments for the borrower, implementing agency and contractors. The ESCP shall be revised until it is acceptable to the Fund and the borrower.

8. Advisory support during appraisal 

The consultant shall provide written comment matrices, participate in meetings (virtual or in person) with the borrower and co-financiers, and respond to Fund queries until the project is presented to the Fund’s Board.
The Consultant shall liaise with the parallel Technical and Financial consultants, share all relevant datasets and draft findings, and avoid duplicating work assigned to other Parties.

Qualifications and Experience

• The consultant should not have participated in the preparation of the borrower’s ESIA or hold any conflicting interest.
• Postgraduate degree in Water Management, Civil Engineering, Dam Management, or a related field
• Minimum five (5) years of progressively responsible E&S experience on Category A transport/linear-infrastructure projects, including lender-side ESIA/ESMP review and supervision
• Demonstrated application of World Bank ESS and alignment of borrower-led ESIAs with MDB requirements; preparation of ESCPs and gap-closing action plans. Hands-on experience with resettlement and livelihood restoration, stakeholder engagement/GRM, cumulative impact assessment, climate-risk and GHG assessment, community health and safety/traffic safety, and GBV/SEAH risk controls for road projects in Pakistan/South Asia is especially valued and will be considered a strong asset

The Proposal, as well as all related correspondence exchanged by the Consultants and OPEC Fund, shall be written in English.

Interested consultants should submit proposals by email only to tenders@opecfund.org no later than 15:00 h on October 16, 2025 (Central European Summer Time).

Any questions are to be directed to procurement@opecfund.org. All questions submitted to and answers of OPEC Fund will be shared with contractors that have received the request to submit proposal.

For more information visit the OPEC Fund Procurement website under: https://opecfund.org/procurement/bidding