E-signature Foundations: Roadmap/plan for implementation + Capacity Building

**Project:** GFPP for Lebanon Digital Acceleration Project

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

CONSULTANT’S QUALIFICATIONS BASED SELECTION (CQS)

 

E-Signature Foundations: Mapping, Roadmap, Legal Instrument Drafting and Capacity Building

 

Name of Project	GFPP for Lebanon Digital Acceleration Project (LDAP) - P181954
Loan No/Credit No/ Grand Number	TF-C8895
Assignment Title	E-signature Foundations: Mapping, Roadmap, Legal Instrument Drafting and Capacity Building
Procurement Plan Ref Number	LB-OMSAR-537755-CS-CQS
Country of Delivery	Lebanon

The Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform (OMSAR) has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Preparation Grant for the Lebanon Digital Acceleration Project (LDAP) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for the following consulting services.

The consulting services (“the Services”) include providing technical, legal, and advisory support to establish the practical foundations and pathways for the progressive use of electronic signatures in Lebanon. Running over an estimated implementation period of 15 weeks, the Services comprise three parallel workstreams:

• Legal and Institutional Diagnostics: Reviewing Lebanon's existing e-signature landscape, benchmarking it against international frameworks (such as EU eIDAS and UNCITRAL Model Laws), and detailing three risk-based use cases across the public, private, and financial sectors.
• National Roll-out Strategy: Developing a phased short, medium, and long-term national roadmap and target model for wide e-signature deployment.
• Regulatory Drafting: Formulating issuance-ready amendments to Decree No. 14115/2024 to introduce a risk-proportionate, tiered approach for official documents.
• Institutional Strengthening: Assessing and building the operational readiness of the Lebanese Accreditation Council (COLIBAC) by designing its trust-service accreditation and conformity assessment model, preparing practical operational manuals, and delivering targeted capacity building to its core team.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment is attached to this REOI.

The Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform (OMSAR) 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 best qualified firm to carry out the services will be selected in accordance with the Consultant’s Qualifications Based Selection (CQS) method set out in the Regulations and based on the following shortlisting criteria:

• The Consultant shall be a qualified firm with demonstrated experience in delivering advisory, technical, and implementation support related to digital transformation, electronic transactions, or trusted digital services.

Firm Specific Experience

• Proven experience in the design, implementation or operationalization of frameworks for electronic signature, digital trust, or electronic transaction frameworks, preferably in public-sector or regulated environments;
• Experience supporting institutional readiness, capacity building, or governance frameworks related to digital services, trust services, or regulatory institutions;
• Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with government institutions, regulators, and private-sector stakeholders, including facilitation of workshops and multi-stakeholder consultations;
• Very Good understanding of international good practices and standards related to electronic signatures, trust services, or digital identity (e.g., eIDAS, UNCITRAL Model Laws, OECD and World Bank guidance and principles.
• Proven institutional capacity to directly analyze, interpret, and evaluate complex legal codes, legislative decrees, national strategies, and sectoral regulations natively written in Arabic. And proven capability to produce and submit high-quality, professional-grade technical and legal deliverables concurrently in both English and Arabic.

Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 3.14, 3.16 and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers dated September 2025 (“the 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.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours (09:00 AM to 04:00 PM Beirut Time).

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by COB 18 June, 2026.

Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform (OMSAR)

Technical Unit – Preparation Grant for Lebanon Digital Acceleration Project

Attn: Ms. Mirvat Hammoud – Procurement Specialist

Address: STARCO Building, Bloc A, 5th Floor

Omar Daouk Street, Mina El Hosn Sector

Beirut, Lebanon

Tel: +961 (1) 371 505; ext. 160

E-mail: mhammoud@omsar.gov.lb

 

TERMS OF REFERENCE

PREPARATION GRANT FOR LEBANON DIGITAL ACCELERATION PROJECT (P181954)

E-Signature Foundations: Mapping, Roadmap, Legal Instrument Drafting and Capacity Building

Background

Lebanon is facing a protracted, multidimensional crisis that has impaired state institutions and public service delivery. Fragmented digital systems, reliance on paper-based processes, and limited trust in electronic transactions continue to hinder efficiency, transparency, and accountability across the public and private sectors. These challenges are compounded by gaps in digital governance, incomplete regulatory activation, and limited institutional capacity to operationalize key digital enablers.

To address these issues, a strategic investment to modernize Lebanon’s public sector through digital transformation, stimulate private sector growth, and accelerate the development of a robust digital economy is under preparation with World Bank support. The Lebanon Digital Acceleration Project (the “Project”) will establish secure, scalable, and resilient digital infrastructure including cloud services, data platforms, and cybersecurity systems that are essential for attracting investment and fostering innovation. By strengthening digital ID, e-signature capabilities, and the legal framework for digital transactions, the Project will improve the ease of doing business and enable trusted, efficient engagement between the public and private sectors. In parallel, the Project will advance key regulatory reforms in telecom, data protection, e-signature, and artificial intelligence (AI), while investing in Lebanon’s digital talent pool. Together, these measures will lay the foundation for a more competitive, dynamic, and inclusive economy.

The World Bank’s Grant Facility for Project Preparation (GFPP) has been extended to OMSAR to support Project preparation. The GFPP grant will be implemented by a Technical Unit (TU) housed within OMSAR.

An important enabler of digitalization is the electronic signature (e-signature), which represents data in electronic form logically associated with an electronic document or transaction and used by a signatory to indicate approval or intent. Under Lebanese Law No. 81 of 2018, electronic signatures and electronic writing, including those of official nature, are granted the same legal validity as paper-based ones subject to defined conditions related to integrity, identification, and evidentiary reliability. The law establishes a framework for trust services and assigns supervisory and accreditation responsibilities to the Lebanese Accreditation Council (COLIBAC), including defining accreditation requirements and procedures applicable to trust service providers and accreditors, and maintaining trusted lists of accredited entities.

While the legal framework is in place, COLIBAC is not yet fully operational and has been for a long period governed by a Board of Directors as an interim arrangement, composed of representatives from relevant ministries. In April 2026, as a recent important development, a Director General for COLIBAC has been appointed, and will ensure executive leadership, while of its governance and internal structures, remain in progress. A range of technical, institutional, and procedural measures and mechanisms will need to be put in place to further support the effective operationalization of COLIBAC, in line with its mandate. It is also noted that ongoing efforts to operationalize the e-signature framework, including work on the implementing decree, has been undertaken at the national level and shall be taken into consideration under this assignment to ensure continuity and avoid duplication.

It is also worth noting that OMSAR, in collaboration with OMSTAI and the World Bank, convened a multi-stakeholder workshop on February 12, 2026 to discuss the operationalization of electronic signatures in Lebanon and to build a shared understanding of the legal, technical, and institutional aspects of the existing e-signature ecosystem. The workshop convened representatives from key public institutions, including the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Industry, Banque du Liban, the Banking Control Commission of Lebanon, as well as legal and digital experts from the private sector. The discussions formulated a high-level roadmap that highlighted the need to establish the practical foundations and implementation pathways for the progressive use of electronic signatures under the current legal framework, including the importance of operationalizing COLIBAC by supporting the broader legal and governance arrangements needed to fulfil its mandate.

As a follow-up to the workshop, participants agreed on the establishment of an inter-institutional working group composed of representatives from the concerned ministries and institutions to support ongoing coordination, technical discussions, and the progressive operationalization of the electronic signature framework through the below phased approach:

• T0 (immediate phase):  immediate measures that can be pursued under the current framework, including enabling lower-risk use cases and reliance, where appropriate, on foreign trust service providers for higher-assurance needs;
• T1A (medium term phase) medium-term measures aimed at clarifying and broadening the interim recognition pathways for foreign providers;
• T1B (medium term phase) simultaneously working to operationalizing COLIBAC and build its capacity; and
• T2 longer-term legal and institutional reforms needed to support a mature domestic trust services ecosystem, including the revision of Law No. 81/2018 to modernize the framework and better align the governance model with international practice.

Assignment and Objectives

The objectives of this assignment are to:

1. Assess the current e-signature landscape (institutional, legal and regulatory, and governance foundations) of electronic signatures in Lebanon identifying gaps, ambiguities, and implementation challenges and benchmark it against international standards and best practices.
2. Provide illustrative risk-based use cases in the public, private and financial sector.
3. Produce a phased roadmap for reforming the institutional, legal and institutional landscape, and for scaling electronic signatures across the public sector, the financial sector and the private sector.
4. Assess and strengthen COLIBAC’s institutional readiness and capacity needs to perform its mandate, including governance and decision-making processes, operational model accreditation/conformity assessments functions, requirements, evaluation criteria, and deliver capacity building to support effective operationalization.
5. Draft and validate amendments to Decree 14115/2024 to enable flexible, risk-proportionate use of e-signatures.
6. Facilitate coordination and alignment among key stakeholders, by engaging them at different points to validate findings and reach the above objectives.

Detailed Scope of Work and Deliverables

Workstream 1:  Legal, Regulatory, and Institutional Review, Diagnostic and Benchmark of Electronic Signatures and Phased Roadmap

It is to be noted that previous analyses have already been undertaken in this area, including the analysis of Law 81/2018. As such, the consultant will not duplicate existing work but shall, where applicable, draw on such analyses, which will be provided as an input. The consultant will focus on governance and institutional arrangements, and as such should extend the legal benchmarking beyond Law 81 itself to examine the broader legislative framework that confers mandates on the relevant institutions, including COLIBAC, in order to assess whether those mandates are sufficient and coherent and, where necessary, in need of adjustment.

Workstream 1 – Part 1:

• Review and analyze the existing legal, regulatory, policies, standards, practices, governance relevant to electronic signatures and trust services in Lebanon, including Law No. 81/2018, Decree No. 14115, and other relevant legal and sectoral instruments, with particular attention to the conditions for legal validity, evidentiary value, cross-border recognition and the use of foreign trust service providers; and identify related gaps, ambiguities, inconsistencies, and implementation challenges that may hinder effective use, recognition and phased adoption of electronic signatures;
• Assess the current institutional framework on e-signatures including governance and regulatory structures. Clarify roles, mandates, and institutional responsibilities of relevant public entities, including COLIBAC’s role, institutional set-up and structure, and internal systems and procedures, and interfaces with other relevant entities within the e-signature ecosystem, based on existing legal mandates. Benchmark Lebanon’s legal and institutional framework on e-signatures against relevant international standards and good practices (e.g. relevant UNCITRAL Model Laws, EU eIDAS Regulation), including governance models, assurance levels, and risk-proportionate implementation approaches, to document related gaps and weaknesses;
• Assess and document the types of electronic signatures and trust services including seals, electronic timestamps and electronic registered delivery services supported under the current framework;
• Identify and present 3 (one for each level of assurance) illustrative examples for the deployment of electronic signature across different levels of assurance (simple, advanced and high-assurance use cases) in the public sector the private and financial sectors. Use cases shall be selected based on criteria such as legal readiness, institutional feasibility, and potential impact, including efficiency and simplification gains.  For each use case, the Consultant shall: (i) describe the current as-is and proposed to-be processes at a high level; (ii) specify the appropriate type of electronic signature and related trust services applicable under the current legal and regulatory framework; (iii) assess the suitability of such application based on the level of transaction risk and, where relevant, propose risk-based adjustments or refinements to the existing legal or regulatory framework; (iv) identify the key actors involved and their respective roles; and (v) highlight the main legal, institutional, and technical enablers and constraints associated with each use case and proposed enhancement; and
• Discuss and validate the findings with the key relevant stakeholders.

Workstream 1 – Part 2:

The Consultant will develop a phased roadmap (short, medium and long term) and recommendations for wide roll-out of e-signature across the public sector, the financial sector and the private sector, building on the high-level roadmap produced during the February 2026 multi-stakeholder workshop and work conducted under this assignment.

The roadmap shall be formulated and shall propose recommended phasing, prioritization and tactical sequencing across several areas /elements, with an aim to ultimately align with best international practices and frameworks, to support a mature domestic trust services ecosystem The roadmap shall:

• Formulate recommendations on the legal, regulatory and institutional target model including:

• Legal and Regulatory enablement, formulating needed clarifications, amendments, regulations and sectoral instruments;
• Governance and institutional set-up: including roles of the relevant institutions and their interaction model
• Provide recommendations and phased plan for wide roll-out of e-signature across the public sector, private sector and financial sector encompassing the following elements:
• Roll Out Plan including Identification, prioritization and sequencing of implementation actions and interventions, supported by a phased implementation timetable Operational procedures and service integration (workflows, document management, and validation processes);
• Technical integration considerations required to enable the use of electronic signatures within government platforms and services, including integration with trust service providers through available interfaces (e.g., APIs), and, where relevant, interoperability with existing digital systems and future digital identity frameworks;
• Security and assurance levels and their legal and operational applicability; and
• Directional financial and sustainability model and considerations.

The national roadmap will be validated through engagement with key stakeholders before it is submitted in final form.

Deliverables:

• D1.1 (Workstream 1- Part 1): Legal, regulatory, and institutional assessment of electronic signatures in Lebanon, including gap analysis, international benchmarking, governance and institutional roles;
• D1.2: (Workstream 1- Part 2): Phased Roadmap - Recommended Target Model (Legal, Institutional and Regulatory) and Recommendations and Phased Plan for roll-out across the public, private and financial sector.

Workstream 2: Amendment of e-signature Decree 14115/2024

Building on existing work and draft instruments developed in relation to the implementation of the e-signature framework, the consultant shall draft the necessary amendment to Decree 14115 to clarify provisions and provide practical implementation pathways for e-signature in the public sector, basing the drafting on the recommendations produced by the workshop on e-signature held on February 12, 2026 and work under this assignment, and shall closely coordinate with OMSAR, OMSTAI, and relevant national stakeholders including the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Industry, and other relevant entities.

Amendments to include the following:

• Introducing risk proportionate tiered approach to the use of e-signatures on official documents, allowing public officials to rely on lower-assurance e-signatures for low-risk categories of official documents, within the flexibilities already embedded in Law 81/2018;
• Strengthening the legal basis and framework for high-assurance e-signature including clarification of its legal evidentiary value, and extending the list of supervisory authorities that can be used in high-assurance scenarios, to accelerate implementation; and
• Proposing and refining practical implementation details across key areas related to electronic signature in the public sector including administrative and technical procedures for electronic documents, archiving, storage and lifecycle management, and the use of electronic signature, seals, electronic timestamps and electronic registered delivery services.

The consultant shall closely engage throughout the assignment with key relevant stakeholders to develop, discuss and validate the proposed amendments (revision drafts to be iteratively proposed and validated) in order to have an issuance ready version of the amended decree).

Deliverables:

• D2.1: Initial Draft of the amended decree;
• D2.2: Final Draft of the amended decree (after validation by the relevant stakeholders).

Workstream 3: Institutional Readiness and Capacity Building for COLIBAC

This workstream aims to build the capacity of COLIBAC in effectively establishing an operational model for accreditation and conformity assessments.

• Design and deliver targeted capacity-building activities for a “core team”, whose composition will be agreed upon, encompassing members from COLIBAC (executive leadership, board and staff (if applicable) and representatives from COLIBAC and from other ministries and public entities (as applicable), who may be directly involved in e-signature, focusing on e-signature operating models including trust service governance models, accreditation and conformity assessments principles;
• Propose/adapt /support COLIBAC in adapting its internal organizational structure, staffing and internal systems and procedures  to provide for a core operational model suited to operationalize accreditation and conformity assessment activities across technical, administrative, financial, and security dimensions, including the accreditation application and review process, the evaluation criteria process, decision-making processes and roles and responsibilities, ongoing supervision and compliance monitoring, and the publication and maintenance of the public register of accredited providers, in line with the applicable legal framework;
• Develop “a minimum required set” of standardized technical, procedural and operational guidance, templates, and artifacts, to enable COLIBAC to effectively perform its functions related to e-signature, aligned with the proposed internal structure while remaining adaptable to potential variations;
• Engage with relevant stakeholders including the core team / selected members of the core team and representatives from other institutions if relevant to present and discuss this minimum required set; and
• Prepare and circulate training materials related to above artifacts, and deliver related capacity-building sessions to relevant stakeholder at COLIBAC and other concerned entities if applicable.

Deliverables:

• D3.1: An assessment report (drawing on workstream 1) on COLIBAC’s current institutional readiness, including governance, operational, and capacity aspects;
• D3.2:  Targeted capacity-building activities for the “core team” focusing on e-signature operating models including trust service governance models, accreditation and conformity assessments principles.;
• D3.3: Proposed internal structure and operational model for COLIBAC covering accreditation requirements, evaluation and review procedures, decision-making processes and supervision mechanisms;
• D3.4: Proposed practical operational manuals, guidance materials and artifacts supporting the proposed structure and operational model, validated with relevant stakeholders;
• D3.5: Targeted Capacity Building on the D3.4 material to relevant stakeholders at COLIBAC and other concerned entities. 

Proposed Methodology and Work Plan

As part of the proposal, the service provider shall present a clear, coherent, and technically sound approach to fulfilling the 3 workstreams of the Scope of Work.

Cross Cutting Requirements

Vendor Neutrality and Future-Proofing

All designs, architectures, recommendations, and future implementation pathways produced under this assignment shall remain vendor-neutral, standards-based, and modular, avoiding proprietary technologies or exclusive reliance on any single solution provider.

Change Management and Adoption

The consultant shall identify key change management and adoption risks associated with future implementation and propose mitigation measures, including user onboarding, institutional capacity building, and communication considerations.

Qualifications

The Consultant shall be a qualified firm with demonstrated experience in delivering advisory, technical, and implementation support related to digital transformation, electronic transactions, or trusted digital services.

Firm Specific Experience

• Proven experience in the design, implementation or operationalization of frameworks for electronic signature, digital trust, or electronic transaction frameworks, preferably in public-sector or regulated environments;
• Experience supporting institutional readiness, capacity building, or governance frameworks related to digital services, trust services, or regulatory institutions;
• Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with government institutions, regulators, and private-sector stakeholders, including facilitation of workshops and multi-stakeholder consultations;
• Very Good understanding of international good practices and standards related to electronic signatures, trust services, or digital identity (e.g., eIDAS, UNCITRAL Model Laws, OECD and World Bank guidance and principles.
• Proven institutional capacity to directly analyze, interpret, and evaluate complex legal codes, legislative decrees, national strategies, and sectoral regulations natively written in Arabic. And proven capability to produce and submit high-quality, professional-grade technical and legal deliverables concurrently in both English and Arabic.

 

Team Composition

The team must have demonstrated success in similar projects in MENA or emerging markets.

Electronic Signature / Digital Trust Senior Specialist / Lead

The Consultant shall propose a senior-level expert (minimum 10–15 years of experience) with recognized expertise in digital trust frameworks demonstrating.

• Proven experience in the design, implementation, or supervision of electronic signature and trust service ecosystems (including trust service providers (TSPs), PKI infrastructures, and digital identity systems);
• Deep technical understanding of assurance levels and risk-based approaches to trust services deployment;
• Practical experience with public key infrastructure (PKI), certificate lifecycle management, and trust service architectures;
• Familiarity with international standards and frameworks (e.g., ETSI, ISO, and comparative frameworks to eIDAS);
• Experience advising governments, regulators, or supervisory authorities on policy, regulatory, and operational aspects of digital trust;
• Strong ability to bridge technical, legal, and institutional dimensions, and to lead multidisciplinary teams.

Senior Legal / Regulatory Expert

The consultant shall include a senior legal expert (minimum 10–12 years of experience) specialized in electronic / digital law and regulation, demonstrating:

• Extensive experience in electronic transactions laws and digital signature frameworks;
• Strong familiarity with comparative legal frameworks and their applicability to national contexts;
• Experience in drafting or advising on laws, decrees, regulatory instruments, or implementing guidelines;
• Understanding of the legal implications of different assurance levels, evidentiary value of electronic signatures, and liability frameworks;
• Strong understanding of Lebanon’s legal and administrative system, with proven ability to translate requirements into practical and implementable legal instruments.
• Mandatory Fluency in Arabic, for reviewing and drafting decrees, regulatory instruments or implementing guidelines.

Institutional Capacity-Building / Change Management Expert

The Consultant shall include a senior expert (minimum 10 years of experience) in institutional strengthening and public-sector reform demonstrating:

• Proven experience in conducting institutional diagnostics, organizational assessments, and governance design;
• Experience in building operational capacity (including procedures, workflows, and internal controls particularly in public sector contexts.
• Strong track record in capacity-building program design and delivery;
• Experience in stakeholder engagement, inter-institutional coordination, and change management in complex public-sector environments;
• Familiarity with digital transformation programs and the adoption of new regulatory or technical frameworks;
• Ability to design and support the operationalization of core working groups, coordination mechanisms, and governance structures.

Team Technical Expertise: the proposed team shall collectively demonstrate expertise in:

• Electronic signature assurance mechanisms and frameworks and cryptographic concepts;
• Auditability, evidence preservation, and verification models for electronic transactions; and
• Translating legal and regulatory requirements into legal instruments, operational and technical guidelines and controls.

Compliance Requirements

The Consultant shall perform all services in accordance with:

• Applicable Lebanese laws, regulations, and administrative frameworks relevant to electronic transactions and digital services.
• World Bank procurement, integrity, and operational policies applicable to the assignment.
• Any applicable data protection, confidentiality, and information security requirements.

In addition, the consultant must comply with the following Environmental and Social (E&S) requirements aligned with the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) and the Project commitments:

1. 1. Code of Conduct (CoC)

All personnel must sign and follow a CoC covering data confidentiality, respectful conduct, non-discrimination, and zero tolerance for SEA/SH.

1. 1. Labor and Working Conditions

The firm must ensure fair labor practices and safe working conditions and provide an internal worker grievance mechanism for its staff.

1. 1. Data Security, Privacy, and Cybersecurity

All data handled under this assignment must be securely stored, accessed only by authorized staff, and managed using privacy-by-design and cybersecurity best practices. Any data breach must be immediately reported.

1. 1. Stakeholder Engagement and Grievance Redress

Consultations must be inclusive and accessible, with all feedback documented. Stakeholders must be informed that complaints can also be submitted through the Project’s Grievance Mechanism that will be shared.

1. 1. SEA/SH Prevention

The firm must enforce zero tolerance for SEA/SH and ensure staff follow appropriate conduct and reporting procedures when engaging with stakeholders.

1. 1. Environmental Considerations for ICT (ESS3)

Any ICT equipment or data storage devices used must be managed responsibly, including secure data wiping and environmentally sound disposal.

Reporting, Deliverables, and Contract Management

Project Oversight and Management Structure

 A Technical Committee (TC) will be established to provide strategic direction, oversight, and effective management of the engagement. Chaired by the Grant Coordinator and composed of members from OMSAR, OMSTAI, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Justice, and other involved ministries, as applicable, the TC serves as the primary governing body responsible for reviewing the firm’s progress and ensuring alignment with national digital transformation goals.

Reporting Obligations

The Consultant will report directly to the Grant Coordinator. In addition to the contractual deliverables, the Consultant shall submit summary progress reports on a monthly basis (at minimum), including at minimum:

• An executive summary.
• The status of the deliverables.
• Identified risks and mitigation measures.
• Practical next steps for relevant institutions.

The TC Approval Gate/ Grant Coordinator and Deliverable Acceptance

The Grant Coordinator, in consultation with the TC and relevant public entities, is the sole authority empowered to formally accept and approve project deliverables. The following administrative process applies to every milestone:

• Submission: All deliverables listed in the TOR are subject to formal review. The Consultant shall submit each deliverable and a summary progress report to the TC Chairperson.
• Validation: For each milestone, payment cannot be processed without written validation or sign-off from the Grant Coordinator, based in the TC’s recommendation.
• Formal Acceptance: A "Certificate of Acceptance" or formal written notice signed by the TC Chairperson is a mandatory prerequisite for the release of payment.

Payment Schedule and Invoicing

Payments will be made upon the satisfactory acceptance of the deliverables specified in the below Timeframe table. To initiate payment, the Consultant must submit an administrative package containing the Official Invoice, evidence of delivery, and the Acceptance Notice delivered by the TC Chairperson. In addition, for Workstream 3, signed attendance sheets of training participants must be provided as proof of capacity building.

Intellectual Property and Confidentiality

• Ownership: All documents, data, analyses, and materials produced shall become the exclusive property of Government of Lebanon. Final payment is contingent upon the transfer of all such intellectual property.
• Confidentiality: The Consultant shall maintain strict confidentiality of all information accessed during the assignment and ensure no information is disclosed outside the scope of this contract.

Timeframe and Payment Milestones

The engagement will be completed in approximately 15 weeks. The Consultant shall undertake the three workstreams in parallel, prioritizing tasks with minimal interdependencies to ensure efficient progress. Payments will be made upon formal written acceptance of the deliverables by the Chairperson of the Project Technical Committee (TC).

The following schedule outlines the expected submission timeline for each deliverable over the 15-week engagement period.

Table 1: Assignment Timeline and Deliverable Sequencing:

Workstreams	Deliverable Reference	Submission Deadline (from Start Date)
Workstream 1: Legal, Regulatory, and Institutional Review, Diagnostic and Benchmark of Electronic Signatures	D1.1: Legal, regulatory, and institutional assessment of electronic signatures in Lebanon, including gap analysis, international benchmarking, governance and institutional roles.	Week 4
	D1.2: Recommended Target Model (Legal, Institutional and Regulatory) and Recommendations and Phased Plan for roll-out across the public, private and financial sector	Week 8
Workstream 2:  Amendment of e-signature Decree 14115/2024	D2.1: Initial Draft of the amended decree	Week 10
	D2.2: Final Draft of the amended decree (after validation by the relevant stakeholders)	Week 14
Workstream 3: Institutional Readiness & Capacity Building for COLIBAC	D3.1: An assessment report on COLIBAC’s current institutional readiness, including governance, operational, and capacity aspects.	Week 4
	D3.2:  Targeted capacity-building activities for the “core team” focusing on e-signature operating models including trust service governance models, accreditation and conformity assessments principles.	Week 8
	D3.3: Proposed internal structure and operational model for COLIBAC covering accreditation requirements, evaluation and review procedures, decision-making processes and supervision mechanisms;	Week 10
	D3.4: Proposed practical operational manuals, guidance materials and artifacts supporting the proposed structure and operational model, validated with Stakeholders;	Week 14
	D3.5: Targeted Capacity Building on the D3.4 material to relevant stakeholders at COLIBAC and other concerned entities.	Week 15

 

Table 2: Payment Milestones:

Payment Milestone	Linked Deliverables	Required Approval	Payment (%of Total)
Milestone 1	D1.1 (Diagnostic & Benchmark)	Technical Committee	15%
Milestone 2	D1.2 (Roadmaps & Roll-out Plan)	Technical Committee	20%
Milestone 3	D3.1 & D3.2 (Assessment Report on COLIBAC and Core Team Training)	Technical Committee	15%
Milestone 4	D2.1 (Initial Decree Draft)	Technical Committee	10%
Milestone 5	D3.3 & D3.4 (Operational Model and Manuals)	Technical Committee	15%
Milestone 6	D2.2 (Final Validated Decree)	Technical Committee	10%
Milestone 7	D3.5 (Final Capacity Building) 15%	Technical Committee	15%
Total			100%