Terms of reference: Short-term legal consultancy in Bhutan

Terms of reference: Short-term legal consultancy to support the review of Bhutan’s legislative and regulatory framework on beneficial ownership transparency

Bhutan is currently undertaking beneficial ownership reforms as part of its commitment to enhancing financial transparency and mitigating corruption. Although it has the enabling conditions for impactful beneficial ownership transparency (BOT) reforms, there may be scope to improve the existing legislative framework and technical infrastructure for effective BOT implementation.

The World Bank has engaged Open Ownership to execute a technical assistance project in Bhutan. This project aims to support the effective implementation of beneficial ownership reforms and bolster legal frameworks in alignment with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendations 24 and 25.

To ensure that Open Ownership's (OO) technical assistance is contextualized to the Bhutanese legal and institutional environment, this consultancy seeks to engage a Bhutan-based legal expert, either an organisation or an independent consultant, to work with the OO team, the World Bank, and other national partners to review the existing legal frameworks pertaining to BOT; identify gaps in the statutory instruments and associated regulations; and provide concrete recommendations designed to align Bhutan’s regulatory framework with the FATF standards and planned registry system requirements.

Location: Bhutan

Time required and budget: The consultancy will be for 17 working days between May-July 2025. A maximum daily rate of USD 550 will be paid, based on qualifications and experience. The total contract value will not exceed USD 10,000, inclusive of all taxes and expenses.

Full details: Please read the full Terms of Reference.

Application process

Interested candidates should submit:

a) A short expression of interest (maximum 3 pages), highlighting the following:

• Understanding of the assignment and approach in how you will successfully

deliver on this contract;

• A project plan allocating the number of days and timelines for each part of

delivery in accordance with the payment milestones above; and

• Relevant experience and skills for this contract.

b) Curriculum Vitae (max 2 pages)

Please send the above to [email protected] by 12 May 2025, 23:59 GMT+8. All applications will be reviewed against the Terms of Reference.

Apply