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ZEMA · Zambia Environmental Management Agency

Project Screening

FormWorkflowOutputsE2E testDocs
PassedPassedPassedPassedPassed
End-to-end test
3/3 passed 2026-10-21 (mihud, combined)
Documentation
17 steps, 27 images · Download the DOCX
Who can apply
Individual, Organization
Catalogue ID
410

Required documents

Output documents

Test evidence

Project Screening

Service documentation · Republic of Zambia · GSB e-Services

OwnerZambia Environmental Management Agency
Service keyZEMA/project-screening
Versionservice v1, platform 9b8a591f
Date2026-10-17

Generated automatically by the service's end-to-end test run. Every screenshot shows synthetic test data on a local test installation, never real personal data.

This document describes the Project Screening service of Zambia Environmental Management Agency as the platform runs it today. It is generated by the service's end-to-end test: every step below was performed by the test, and every screenshot was taken during that run with synthetic data. Regenerate it with npm run docs:services in the e2e suite; do not edit it by hand.

1. Service summary

ItemDetail
ServiceProject Screening
Owner (MDA)Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA)
PurposeProject Screening is the process of determining whether the proposed Project should be subjected to the requirements of the EIA Regulations 1997. A proponent who intends to develop a policy, plan, or program that could have an adverse effect on environmental management or on sustainable management and utilization of natural resources shall notify the Agency for purposes of screening that policy, plan, or program, where ZEMA determines the Level of EA.
Who can applyIndividual; Organization
How to applyOnline on the national e-Services portal, signed in with ZamPass; pay with ZamPay.
FeesThis is a free service
TurnaroundWithin 3 days, but if the Preliminary Inspection is required, then the period may vary.
Validity of the outputNone, however, proposed projects may require re-screening if the EIA process does not commence.
Required documentsNational Identity Card (NRC) (required)
EIA Project Proposal (optional)
Company Registration Certificate (optional)
Output documentsNotice of Action
Application form
Legal basisEIA Regulation SI No.28 of 1997 (https://dotgovsolutions.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/ERuHI7BnYn9NvvvsqFrCrYQBlpYfkfWybklA76f4zSPbgA?e=zvSpKg)
SI No. 48 of 2021 The Environmental Management Regulation 2021 (https://www.zambialaws.com/Zambia2021Pdfsi/SI%2048%20of%202021.pdf)

2. Application process, step by step

The process as configured in the back office:

StepRoleTaskType
1ApplicantApplyform
2SystemGenerate Documentgenerate-document
3SupervisorReviewreview
4Case OfficerReviewreview
5Case OfficerReviewreview
6SupervisorApproveapprove
7SystemGenerate Documentgenerate-document
8SystemNotify Clientnotify

Who takes part in this journey: Citizen, Case Officer, Supervisor, Anyone (public).

Step 1. Find the service

Citizen · National e-Services portal

On the national e-Services portal the citizen opens All Services and searches for the service by name ("Project Screening"). Each result names the service and the ministry that provides it.

Find the service (desktop) Find the service (375 px phone)

Step 2. Read the service page

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The service page sets out what the service is for, who provides it, the fee, how long it takes and the documents to have ready. "Start application" begins an application (the citizen is signed in with ZamPass).

Read the service page (desktop) Read the service page (375 px phone)

Step 3. Confirm the applicant details

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The applicant details are filled in from the citizen's ZamPass account. The citizen says whom they are applying for (themself) and continues with "Proceed to Application".

Confirm the applicant details (desktop) Confirm the applicant details (375 px phone)

Step 4. Fill in the application form

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The citizen answers the service's own application form, converted from the legacy system (14 answers in this run, all synthetic), for the type of application "New". Questions marked * must be answered; some appear only after an earlier answer. Answers are saved as the citizen types, so an unfinished application can be reopened from My Workplace.

Fill in the application form (desktop) Fill in the application form (375 px phone)

Step 5. Upload the supporting documents

Citizen · National e-Services portal

Each document the service asks for has its own upload (3 in this run: National Identity Card (NRC), EIA Project Proposal, Company Registration Certificate). The files are checked and stored with the application; the page confirms each upload.

Upload the supporting documents (desktop) Upload the supporting documents (375 px phone)

Step 6. Check the answers and confirm the declaration

Citizen · National e-Services portal

Before sending, the citizen sees every answer and document on one page and can go back to change them. The declaration that the information is true and complete must be ticked.

Check the answers and confirm the declaration (desktop) Check the answers and confirm the declaration (375 px phone)

Step 7. Application sent

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The portal confirms the application with the ministry's reference number (ZEMA-PS/00001/10-17-26 in this run). The application goes to the ministry's officers; the citizen follows it in My Workplace.

Application sent (desktop) Application sent (375 px phone)

Step 8. Take the new application on

Case Officer · Back office

The application arrives in the case queue of the ministry that owns the service (Zambia Environmental Management Agency); only its staff see it. The officer opens it by its reference number - answers, documents and process are on the case - assigns it to themself and takes it on.

Take the new application on (desktop)

Step 9. Review, Inspect, Assign to Case Officer

Supervisor · Back office

The Supervisor works on "Review, Inspect, Assign to Case Officer" (review in the imported process), checks the application and its documents, and completes the step.

Review, Inspect, Assign to Case Officer (desktop)

Step 10. Receive, Inspect, Report Findings

Case Officer · Back office

The Case Officer works on "Receive, Inspect, Report Findings" (review in the imported process), checks the application and its documents, and completes the step.

Receive, Inspect, Report Findings (desktop)

Step 11. Review Expert Reports, Draft Decision

Case Officer · Back office

The Case Officer works on "Review Expert Reports, Draft Decision" (review in the imported process), checks the application and its documents, and completes the step.

Review Expert Reports, Draft Decision (desktop)

Step 12. Decide: Review, Inspect, e-Sign

Supervisor · Back office

At "Review, Inspect, e-Sign" the Supervisor records the decision: approve, with a comment kept in the case history. Approving moves the case on; the last decision completes it and issues the document.

Decide: Review, Inspect, e-Sign (desktop)

Step 13. Issue the document

Case Officer · Back office

The service's validity ("None, however, proposed projects may require re-screening if the EIA process does not commence.") is not a fixed period, so completing the case does not issue the document by itself: the officer issues it from the completed case ("Issue / check permit"). It is generated from the service's output configuration and sealed.

Issue the document (desktop)

Step 14. The document in My permits

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The issued document (ZEMA-PS-2026-00001 in this run: "Project Screening") is listed in "My permits and licences" with its validity and a download of the sealed PDF.

The document in My permits (desktop) The document in My permits (375 px phone)

Step 15. Verify the document

Anyone (public) · Public verification page

The QR code on the document opens the public verification page: genuine and current, to whom it was issued, and whether the electronic seal is valid. No sign-in is needed.

Verify the document (desktop) Verify the document (375 px phone)

3. Payment

ItemIn the test run
Fee (as published)This is a free service

4. Output documents

Project Screening (sealed PDF)

Issued when the case was approved, from the service's output configuration (permitDocument/issued@1), filled from the application and the decision, sealed with the platform's electronic seal and stored as the issued version. The holder downloads it from My permits; the verification page checks it.

Project Screening (sealed PDF)

The issued PDF has 1 page; the image shows the first.

Fields

FieldValue in the test run
Document titleProject Screening
Permit / licence numberZEMA-PS-2026-00001
HolderChanda Mwila
Valid from2026-10-17
Valid until
Statusactive
Verification code (printed with a QR code)CNYF-HTZ3-82

Seal

ItemDetail
Seal statussealed
Signature levelPAdES-B-T
Sealed bythe platform seal (development key in the test run)
Signed at2026-10-17T05:14:50.669Z
Trusted time-stamp2026-10-17T05:14:51.283Z (time-stamping authority)
Document fingerprint (SHA-256)75317c1e07b5d46c...

Verification

ItemDetail
WhereThe public verification page of the national portal, <portal>/verify/<verification code>, opened by scanning the QR code on the document.
What it showsWhether the document is genuine and current, its holder and validity, and whether the electronic seal is valid and who sealed it.
Checking a copyAnyone can upload a PDF they were given; the page says whether it is exactly the document that was issued. A changed copy is reported as not matching.

On screen: step 13 (Issue the document), step 14 (The document in My permits), step 15 (Verify the document) in section 2.

5. Notifications

WhenChannelToMessageDelivery
Application receivedin-app (portal bell)the applicantApplication ZEMA-PS/00001/10-17-26 received - Your application ZEMA-PS/00001/10-17-26 for Project Screening has been received by Zambia Environmental Management Agency.shown
Status changedin-app (portal bell)the applicantUpdate on application ZEMA-PS/00001/10-17-26 - ZEMA-PS/00001/10-17-26 (Project Screening) is now: With the office - being reviewed.shown
Invitation to rate the servicein-app (portal bell)the applicantHow was Project Screening? - How was Project Screening? Tell us in about a minute.shown
Decision: approvedin-app (portal bell)the applicantApplication ZEMA-PS/00001/10-17-26 completed - ZEMA-PS/00001/10-17-26 (Project Screening) is complete. Your documents are ready.shown
Licence / permit issuedin-app (portal bell)the applicantYour Project Screening document has been issued - ZEMA-PS-2026-00001 has been issued for Project Screening.shown
Application receivedsms+260 97* *** 567Application ZEMA-PS/00001/10-17-26 for Project Screening has been received. Track it: <portal>/my-workplacedelivered
Application receivedemaile2e.c***@example.testApplication ZEMA-PS/00001/10-17-26 receivedskipped
Status changedsms+260 97* *** 567delivered
Invitation to rate the servicesms+260 97* *** 567skipped
Invitation to rate the serviceemaile2e.c***@example.testHow was Project Screening?skipped
Decision: approvedsms+260 97* *** 567delivered
Decision: approvedemaile2e.c***@example.testApplication ZEMA-PS/00001/10-17-26 completedskipped
Licence / permit issuedsms+260 97* *** 567delivered
Licence / permit issuedemaile2e.c***@example.testYour Project Screening document has been issuedskipped

Delivery: shown = in the portal's notification bell; delivered = the SMS gateway (a test double in this run) reported the text delivered; skipped = not sent on that channel (e-mail is not configured on the test installation, and some notices go out on one channel only); sent by the national portal = a ministry node handed the notice to the national portal, which texts and e-mails the citizen under its own name and the citizen's preferences. Addresses written <portal>, <ZamPay> stand for the national portal and ZamPay.

6. Legacy mapping

ItemDetail
ReplacesProject Screening in the legacy ZIGS e-Services directory (ZIGS_Services)
Legacy service id410
Legacy providerZambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) under Ministry of Green Economy and Environment
Legacy processFullReview (process 3)
Fee in the legacy systemnone
Fee taken before submissionyes (as in ZIGS)
Time to issue (legacy)New: 30 calendar days
Legacy output templatesNotice of Action: ZIGS_Forms_Notices / GS-2.NoticeOfAction
Application form: ZIGS_Forms_ZEMA / ZEMA_ProjectScreening.Application
Legacy addressnone recorded
How it was brought overImported by the platform's legacy catalogue importer (zcm-backend scripts/zigs/importLegacy.js) from the ZIGS snapshot: form, case types, fees, documents, process and output templates, then served by the new platform.

7. Version and date

ItemDetail
Document versionservice v1, platform 9b8a591f
Generated2026-10-17T05:14:56Z (by the end-to-end run, not edited by hand)
Service versionnot versioned (configured directly)
Platform snapshotbackend 9b8a591f
portal dfd4933
back office a975a2c
Test suitee2e 2b037bb; one installation (combined); seed profile mihud
Journeys30-catalogue-service.spec.js: citizen finds the service, answers its form, uploads its documents and sends the application - passed
30-catalogue-service.spec.js: the case goes through every step of its process: payments by the citizen, each officer step by its role - passed
30-catalogue-service.spec.js: the grant document is issued, sealed, filled in and verifiable; the citizen has it in My permits - passed
Result3 of 3 journey tests passed
DataSynthetic test data on a local test installation; provider test doubles for ZamPass, ZamPay, SMS and signing.