The MCC Board of Directors selected Sierra Leone for compact development in December 2020, following the MCC Threshold Program, which was signed with the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) in 2015 and successfully completed in March 2021. MCC procured consulting services for feasibility and other studies necessary to advance development of an MCC Compact. CEMMATS was secured as the local partner on the project.

Activities included conducting preliminary environmental and social impact assessment (PESIA) on project components in the electricity generation, transmission and distribution sector, in compliance with international, national, and MCC requirements. The PESIA and RPF assessment aimed at estimating the costs associated with environmental and social management plans (ESMPs), development and implementation of RAPs, including compensation payment, and implementation of mitigation measures.