Background of the assignment1. The World Bank has received a grant under the Quality Infrastructure Investment Partnership financed by the Government of Japan; which will finance two core activities: o Activity 2 – Adaptive Regulatory Frameworks for Interoperable Data Platforms & AI and;o Activity 3 – Design of a Multi-Cloud Infrastructure for Secure Cross-Border Data Exchange & AI Applications. 2. This Technical Assistance (TA) will result in: (i) draft model regulations; (ii) analytical underpinnings and a pilot implementation plan of AI use cases; and (iii) a multi-cloud architecture blueprint & governance model.3. This TA will support the design and early implementation of cross-border digital infrastructure initiatives under WARDIP SOP2 and other standalone country operations in the AFW region (RAPID-CI in Cote d’Ivoire; and possibly PANT in Togo).Assignment objectives4. The consulting firm will:o Strengthen the legal and regulatory environment by preparing harmonized; internationally-aligned model regulations for data exchange; cloud use and AI.o Pilot a high-impact cross-border digital/AI use case that validates the proposed regulations.o Generate a pilot plan for AI use cases; which will then be tested by the AI 4 Development Lab; potentially leading to broader sectoral use case support through the AI 4 Development Lab Sandbox.o Design a federated multi-cloud architecture (technical & governance layers) that enables secure; cost-effective data sharing for public agencies and innovators across Benin and CIV.