The ESRM Course is the first in a series of professional development programmes designed to equip participants with the knowledge and practical skills required to identify, assess, mitigate, monitor, and manage environmental and social risks associated with development projects.
The course aligns with Zambia's regulatory framework and international best practice standards, including the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). It provides a strong foundation for advanced ESRM training and future professional certification pathways.
Although developed in Zambia, the programme is designed to be relevant to practitioners across the region. For international participants, selected sessions may be customized to reflect the legal, institutional and project context of the client country, including comparative discussion of national E&S systems and multilateral development bank requirements.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Programme title | Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM) Professional Development Programme |
| Duration | Six (6) intensive days; adaptable to face-to-face, hybrid or customised regional delivery |
| Delivery partners | UNZA, NIPA, UNILUS and CLGTI, in collaboration with MLGRD and with World Bank Group support |
| Target audience | PIU staff, regulators, local authorities staff, consultants, contractors, supervising engineers, private-sector clients and development practitioners |
| Certification | Certificate in Environmental and Social Risk Management, subject to attendance and assessment requirements |
| Core value proposition | Practical, implementation-focused ESRM skills for better project preparation, supervision, compliance and sustainability |
The programme is delivered over an intensive training period of six (6) days.
Participants who attend at least 80 percent of the course sessions and successfully complete the prescribed practical exercises and end-of-course assessment will receive a Certificate in Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM) jointly issued by the participating institutions, subject to institutional approval and applicable certification procedures.
The certificate will confirm that the participant has completed a competency-based professional development course covering national E&S requirements, international good practice, and practical tools for project-level risk management. Participants who attend but do not complete the assessment requirements may receive a certificate of attendance, subject to institutional approval.
Development projects are intended to improve livelihoods and contribute to socio-economic growth. However, if environmental and social (E&S) risks are not adequately identified and managed, such projects may result in adverse impacts on communities, ecosystems, natural resources, public health, cultural heritage, and vulnerable groups.
Across Africa, projects often experience delays, disputes, occupational health and safety incidents, unresolved grievances, weak contractor performance and reputational risks when environmental and social risks are not identified early and managed throughout implementation. This Professional Development Programme therefore responds to a practical implementation need: strengthening the skills of professionals who design, approve, finance, implement, supervise and monitor development projects.
While environmental risk management has traditionally received significant attention, social risks and impacts have often been overlooked in project planning and implementation. This has created the need for practitioners, policymakers, project managers, regulators, and development professionals to strengthen their capacity in Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM).
Recognizing this need, the University of Zambia (UNZA), National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), University of Lusaka (UNILUS), and Chalimbana Local Government Training Institute (CLGTI) collaboratively developed this programme with support from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the World Bank Group Zambia Office.
This programme is designed for professionals who are directly involved in the preparation, implementation, supervision, regulation, financing, or monitoring of development projects. It is particularly suitable for PIU project coordinators, environmental and social specialists, engineers, procurement specialists, M&E officers, local authority officers, regulators, consultants, contractors, supervising engineers, private-sector project developers, civil society practitioners and academics involved in environmental and social risk management.
The course is especially useful for teams working on infrastructure, energy, transport, water, agriculture, mining, urban development, local government, health, education, tourism and natural-resource management projects.
- Learn from experienced academics, regulators, and practitioners.
- Gain practical skills for real-world project preparation, implementation and supervision.
- Understand the relationship between national E&S requirements and international standards such as the World Bank ESF.
- Improve capacity to manage contractor E&S performance, stakeholder engagement and GRMs.
- Join a growing network of ESRM professionals in Zambia and the wider region.
- Complete the registration form.
- Attach proof of qualification and a valid form of identification.
- Submit proof of payment or evidence of institutional sponsorship.
- Receive admission confirmation and joining instructions.
- Attend the selected ESRM training intake and complete the prescribed assessment activities.
The course adopts a highly participatory and practical approach, incorporating interactive lectures, group discussions, case studies, practical exercises, real-life project examples, expert presentations from industry practitioners, peer learning and experience sharing.
The programme is delivered using a practice-oriented approach that combines short technical inputs with applied exercises. Each day includes tools and templates that participants can use immediately in project preparation or implementation. The standard course may be delivered face-to-face or in hybrid format, and it may be customized for specific institutions, sectors, projects or country contexts.
Participants will receive a course reader, module slides, selected case studies, practical templates and checklists, including sample screening forms, stakeholder engagement tools, GRM log templates, E&S monitoring checklists, contractor supervision prompts, and sample E&S action-plan formats. These tools are intended to support immediate application of the training in live projects.
The programme is jointly delivered by UNZA, NIPA, UNILUS and CLGTI, drawing on their combined strengths in environmental science, public administration, local government training, law, engineering, social development and project implementation. A joint academic and technical coordination team will oversee course delivery, trainer selection, module quality, assessment standards and participant feedback. The programme will be periodically reviewed and updated to reflect changes in national legislation, international good practice and lessons from project implementation.
Course Details
To equip learners with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify, assess, and manage environmental and social risks associated with development projects in accordance with national legislation and international best practice standards.
By the end of the programme, participants are expected to be able to screen projects for environmental and social risks; identify applicable national and international E&S requirements; prepare and review proportionate E&S instruments; integrate E&S measures into procurement, contracts and budgets; supervise contractor E&S performance; manage stakeholder engagement and grievance redress processes; identify and respond to SEA/SH, OHS, labour, resettlement and biodiversity risks; and prepare practical E&S monitoring and reporting tools for project implementation.