Jaipur, April 16: The Asian Development Bank concluded a two-day orientation workshop on the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) in Jaipur on Thursday, aimed at strengthening understanding of social safeguards, environmental protection measures and procurement processes among government departments, development agencies and key stakeholders.
The workshop focused on the core objectives, compliance requirements and practical implementation challenges under the ESF framework. Participants also shared field-level experiences through case study-based discussions, helping connect policy requirements with on-ground execution.
Technical sessions were led by experts from ADB’s Office of Safeguards, including Carlito Rufo Jr. and Shashwati, who conducted detailed discussions on documentation, sequencing and compliance-related queries under ESF norms.
A special session on Merit Point Criteria (MPC) was organised by ADB’s Procurement, Portfolio and Financial Management Department, led by Stephan Bessadi and Anita. The session highlighted India’s evolving quality-based bid evaluation approach, with practical guidance on risk assessment, evaluation criteria integration, contract enforcement and effective debriefing mechanisms.
Officials said the workshop gave participants greater clarity on integrating environmental and social considerations into project planning and implementation, an area increasingly central to multilateral-funded infrastructure and urban development projects.
