The World Bank Building Skills for Human Capital Development in South Sudan (P178654) Concept Environmental and Social Review Summary Concept Stage (ESRS Concept Stage) Public Disclosure Date Prepared/Updated: 11/21/2022 | Report No: ESRSC03070 Nov 22, 2022 Page 1 of 13 The World Bank Building Skills for Human Capital Development in South Sudan (P178654) BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country Region Project ID Parent Project ID (if any) South Sudan EASTERN AND SOUTHERN P178654 AFRICA Project Name Building Skills for Human Capital Development in South Sudan Practice Area (Lead) Financing Instrument Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Education Investment Project 1/16/2023 3/23/2023 Financing Borrower(s) Implementing Agency(ies) South Sudan Ministry of General Education and Instruction, Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Galilee Institute Public Disclosure Proposed Development Objective The Project's Development Objective is to strengthen skills development opportunities for youth in key sectors. Financing (in USD Million) Amount Total Project Cost 41.00 B. Is the project being prepared in a Situation of Urgent Need of Assistance or Capacity Constraints, as per Bank IPF Policy, para. 12? No C. Summary Description of Proposed Project [including overview of Country, Sectoral & Institutional Contexts and Relationship to CPF] The proposed Project would support South Sudan to establish the minimum skills base needed to enable the country to accelerate human capital formation. The Project proposes to do this by addressing skills constraints in key sectors that contribute to human capital—education and agriculture. In both these sectors, lack of critical skills is a binding constraint for improving sector performance and will need to be addressed to enable complementary investments to produce returns. The Project would tackle these constraints by (i) enhancing teachers’ skills to strengthen education Nov 22, 2022 Page 2 of 13 The World Bank Building Skills for Human Capital Development in South Sudan (P178654) delivery through in-service and pre-service professional development; (ii) fostering the development of digital skills in youth through the piloting of a blended education model for a digital agriculture program and providing internet connectivity to ten public universities/polytechnic institutes; and (iii) strengthening local capacity to manage the education system by providing technical assistance and capacity building to the Ministry of Ministry of General Education and Instruction and Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, strengthening information management systems, and establishing a Project Implementation Unit to manage Project activities. D. Environmental and Social Overview D.1. Detailed project location(s) and salient physical characteristics relevant to the E&S assessment [geographic, environmental, social] The Project would support South Sudan to establish the minimum skills base needed to enable the country to accelerate human capital formation. South Sudan is a landlocked country that lies between latitudes 3°N and 13° N and longitudes 24°E and 36°E. The country’s territory totals 644,329 km2 and has many plains and plateaus that are drained by the Nile and its numerous tributaries. South Sudan is endowed with a wealth of biodiversity, which provides the country with great opportunity for socioeconomic development, as well as many biological resources that have considerable economic and social value. Most South Sudanese depend on biological diversity for goods and services, either directly or indirectly, for their basic and development needs. The country has a wide range of habitats, including lowland forest, montane forest, savannah woodland, savannah grassland, wetlands and floodplains, the Sudd Wetland, and the semi- arid region in the north, which support a very rich diversity of animal and plant species. However, such biodiversity, including wildlife, is currently under threat, due to weak environmental regulation, poor development planning, fires, Public Disclosure and most importantly, fragility resulting from conflict, instability, and insecurity. South Sudan faces several development challenges due to decades of political instability, poverty and persistent food insecurity, all of which are exacerbated by climate change. With around half its population living below the national poverty line, a weak economy and the ongoing political conflict, South Sudan ranks among the world’s most fragile states. Despite having one of Africa’s richest agricultural areas with fertile soils and abundant water, frequent flooding, conflict and the displacement of millions of people have drastically reduced the country’s food production, which has left an estimated 7.5 million people facing food insecurity. Climate change in South Sudan is manifested through erratic onset and duration of rains, delayed and shorter rainy seasons, less rainfall in some areas leading to decreased water table levels and the southward expansion of the desert (Government of South Sudan Initial National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 2018). D. 2. Borrower’s Institutional Capacity The education sector has largely relied on external financing and humanitarian assistance for its service delivery, which has resulted in fragmented programs and a lack of coordination among key actors. The sector thus lacks a coherent implementation strategy to address the system’s low quality and high inefficiency. low institutional capacity in the country to drive and achieve the desired national education goals. In particular, there is a lack of skilled human resources to execute and monitor planned education programs, to maintain and strengthen the different education systems, to coordinate with all relevant stakeholders, and to ensure technical and financial credibility in budget allocation for the sector. The Project would mitigate this risk by focusing on encouraging leadership and coordination and providing capacity building for key Government authorities in the sector. Nov 22, 2022 Page 3 of 13 The World Bank Building Skills for Human Capital Development in South Sudan (P178654) The South Sudan Education and Skills Development Project will be implemented jointly with the MoGEI and MoHEST. The PIU will be cross-ministerial, including authorities from both the MOGEI and MOHEST. A Joint Steering Committee (JSC) co-chaired by the Ministers of MoGEI and MOHEST and comprising of officials from MoFP, Ministry of Agriculture and DP representatives will be established to provide decision-making support and monitor project performance regularly. The PIU will report directly to this (JSC). The PIU would be responsible for external linkages to carry out Project activities, such as with the GIMI. The proposed structure and composition of the PIU will be defined during Project preparation, at which time assessments will be carried out to determine its institutional capacity to meet the Bank’s social and environment risk management and fiduciary requirements and the need for additional support staff and capacity building. Universities and polytechnic institutions will get benefited from digital skill development. The Environmental and Social Standards are new to both Ministries and GIMI, implementing partner (component 2). The capacity of local government offices is limited as well as GIMI’s. The project is implemented in a context of fragility, conflict and weak governance. The project design under component three includes institution building activities targeting policy makers and mangers in the two ministries. A joint ministerial PIU will be created. The Project will provide technical assistance and capacity building on key aspects of project implementation and system oversight The project proposes to use Independent Verification Agents (IVA) to add a layer of quality assurance in both project management and environmental and social risk management activities. The terms of reference (ToR) and scope of work for the IVA shall include clauses covering the ESMF implementation, including social risk mitigation measures. The institutional capacity for environmental and social risk management of the project implementing entities will be assessed during project preparation to ensure that the project is implemented meeting the requirements of the Public Disclosure applicable environmental and social standards. Furthermore, the institutional capacity for environmental and social risk management of the project implementing entities will be assessed during project preparation to ensure that the project is implemented meeting the requirements of the applicable environmental and social standards. The outcome of the assessment will be included in the ESMF. Following the assessment, the project will be expected to establish a functioning E&S risk management implementation arrangement including deployment of qualified E&S staff and dedicate resources to build environmental and social risk management capacity for implementing entity commensurate to the identified gaps, including through engaging IVA. II. SCREENING OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (ES) RISKS AND IMPACTS A. Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) Substantial Environmental Risk Rating Moderate The key environmental risks associated with the project are rated as Moderate. At this stage, no significant civil work and related rehabilitation and renovation activities is anticipated. The minor health and safety risks associated are anticipated to be resulted from the reopening and equipping of teacher training institutions (TTIs), and the provision of equipment required for remote learning (projectors, servers, solar chargers, satellite, etc.). Reopening of TTIs may include refurbishment activities including painting of walls, replacing of light bulbs/ minor electrical repairs, and repairing of plumping works, and could bring minor OHS, pollution, and waste generation-related risks. In addition, the procurement of IT equipment required for TTIs and remote learning (projectors, servers, solar chargers, satellites, Nov 22, 2022 Page 4 of 13 The World Bank Building Skills for Human Capital Development in South Sudan (P178654) etc.) will also generate small quantities of electronic waste. During operations, the project will produce some amount of waste by-products. The capacity-building activities (which will be financed under Component 3) will mainly focus on building a strong education system which includes, the provision of technical assistance to develop strategic plans to fill key gaps in the education sector, such as for school infrastructure provision and improvement for equitable access to education across the country, teacher recruitment and deployment and provision of teaching and learning material. Therefore, the activities will be undertaken in compliance with the World Bank’s Advisory Note on Technical Assistance and the ESF. The rating also reflects the challenges associated with the limited environmental and social management capacity of both the MOGEI and the MOHEST and it will be revisited based on the capacity assessment to be conducted during preparation. Thus, considering the institutional capacity of implementing partners and the nature of all the referenced activities the expected environmental, health and safety risks of the project are small, localized, & reversible if the mitigation measures are properly designed and implemented. The overall risks and potential adverse environmental impacts are considered Moderate. Social Risk Rating Substantial The potential social benefits outweigh the risks associated with the proposed project activities. The Project aims to ensure equity by using a targeted approach to generate a more equitable and beneficial development outcome, particularly for youth and women. These are achieved through 1) reducing constraints faced by women to enter the teaching profession 2) prioritize youth in disadvantaged areas 3) strengthening the institutional environment for education training. The potential social risks can be sorted in to two; (i) contextual and (ii) project specific. First, the overall contextual risks encompass conflict and fragility due to protracted civil war and delayed realization of the peace process. Second, potential security and safety risks to beneficiaries, workers and school communities. Third, due to prolonged conflict in South Sudan, the institutions and services are considerably weak, especially at the local Public Disclosure level. Fourth, due to Covid 19 and the accessibility of some of the project areas due to conflict or remoteness, project make accessibility of project services a challenge. Project related potential risks include, (i) inadequate stakeholders consultation/engagement (ii) selection biases and corrupt practices in selection of institutions and trainees/beneficiaries (iii) lack of functional grievances mechanism iv) discriminatory practices in accessing project services and benefits vi) protection of labor and working conditions vi) labor influx risks; (ix) GBV/SEA risks. Security and GBV are contextual risks in the country. However, as the project mainly focuses on urban areas and less in the really remote areas where security risks might be higher the social risk of the project is rated as substantial. Women in South Sudan are less likely to be employed in wage and salaried work and women constitute a small minority in education sector as educators due to the restrictive gender and social norms and protracted civil wars that left women in South Sudan with fewer choices and opportunities, less agency and options for self-determination. The unavailability of services such as child care hamper women’s participation in employment. The vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in South Sudan comprise, people affected by human-made social and economic shocks, refugees, IDPs, soldiers, demobilized soldiers (including those displaced), child soldiers, young girls, women headed households, child headed households, female ex-combatants, etc. The risk related to land acquisition is low. Project activities do not require land for implementation. Some maintenance and renovation activities will be necessary for re-opening and equipping of TTIs, and availing connectivity to TTIs and Public Universities and will be in the existing compound. The scope of land requirement if needed will be determined during preparation and before appraisal. Accessibility of internet labs and digital gadgets for persons with disability could result in exclusion of vulnerable groups. The low skills in the use of such gadgets may put vulnerable groups such as women in a disadvantage. B. Environment and Social Standards (ESSs) that Apply to the Activities Being Considered Nov 22, 2022 Page 5 of 13 The World Bank Building Skills for Human Capital Development in South Sudan (P178654) B.1. General Assessment ESS1 Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts Overview of the relevance of the Standard for the Project: The Project will be implemented throughout the country including 10 universities and polytechnic institutes. However, the exact location of the Project is not known at this stage. The Project does not involve significant civil works such as new construction or major upgradation. However, some minor activities targeting the reopening which may include painting of walls, replacing light bulbs/ minor electrical works, etc., and equipping will be undertaken to ensure that teacher training institution (TTIs) are equipped and ready for remote learning. These minor activities may bring exposure to health and safety risks to workers. In addition, the IT equipment required for TTIs and remote learning (projectors, servers, solar chargers, satellite, etc. will also generate small quantities of electronic waste. These could bring health-related hazards during the handling and disposal of project operations. The capacity- building activities (which will be financed under Component 3) will mainly focus on building a strong education system which includes, the provision of technical assistance to develop strategic plans to fill key gaps in the education sector, such as for school infrastructure provision and improvement for equitable access to education across the country, teacher recruitment and deployment and provision of teaching and learning material. Therefore, the activities under this component will be undertaken in compliance with the World Bank’s Advisory Note on Technical Assistance and the ESF. Downstream impacts and risks will be further identified during the preparation. However, as the project mainly focuses on urban areas and less on the really remote areas where security risks might be higher, the project risk is rated as substantial. The activities of the project cover all 10 states and an unspecified number of TTIS and 10 Universities/polytechnics within these states. While most project activities are TA, some Public Disclosure activities involve minor civil works for the installation and housing of equipment. In a few cases, the limited land acquisition may be necessary. Thus, the social risks of the project are related to insufficient community and stakeholder engagement due to capacity limitation, sub-project selection biases and corrupt practices in the selection of institutions and trainees/beneficiaries; lack of functional grievances mechanism; discriminatory practices in accessing project services and benefits; security concerns for the communities and project workers (during work on site, travel to the site, and accommodation, where relevant); creation of physical targets for violent groups; labor influx risks such as the transmission of diseases including HIV/AIDS, Covid-19, etc. and increased social tensions; SH/SEA risks by project and sub/contractor staff; and protection of labor providing inputs to the project. These risks and impacts may differentially affect vulnerable groups including women, youth people living with disabilities as well as communities that met the criteria of ESS7. These risks will be assessed in detail and specific mitigation measures will be included in project design (and documented in the PAD and A- ESRS, in the ESMS, SEP, and other social risk management instruments (GBV AP, SEP, ESMF). The project preparation will determine the nature and scale of the proposed activities, which will be the basis for designing proportionate environmental and social risks and impact management approaches. The environmental and social risk assessment covers general areas and will be elaborated on during preparation. The risk and impacts are related to the prevalent working conditions and labor management, Occupational and Community Health and Safety related issues associated with minor refurbishment work, and contaminations from waste generations from used IT equipment. Thus, a framework approach, using an ESMF will help to minimize risks and avoid and mitigate negative environmental impacts. Nov 22, 2022 Page 6 of 13 The World Bank Building Skills for Human Capital Development in South Sudan (P178654) Considering the project's environmental and social activities an ESMF will be prepared jointly by the Ministry of General Education and Instruction, Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and will include a screening process for the potential project activities; Environment, Social, Health and Safety clauses and requirements which will be incorporated in the contract bid documents, institutional arrangements for environmental and social due diligence and monitoring; any needed capacity-building measures including an environmental and social risk management implementation arrangements including deployment of qualified staff at different levels of implementation; generic guidance on the preparation of site-specific management plans if needed; and monitor and report on the implementation of environmental and social risk management tools. The Ministries are also expected to prepare a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), Security Management Plan, and Labor Management Procedures (LMP) complementing the ESMF. A Social Assessment (SA) covering social risks comprehensively including exclusion, security, GBV, stigma, conflict, violence, etc., and its results should be integrated into the ESMF (a social risk mitigation plan/strategy) and SEP. This scope should include elements on addressing risks and impacts on disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and individuals. The project’s ESCP will also include all the requisite E&S actions and commitments between the Ministry of Finance and the Bank to ensure that environmental and social impacts are addressed and managed in keeping with the Bank’s ESF. The Implementing Agencies (IA) shall obtain clearance from the Bank and publicly disclose these ESF instruments prior to the appraisal. Training and capacity support on the ESF will be needed to better ensure compliance. Areas where “Use of Borrower Framework” is being considered: Not Applicable Public Disclosure ESS10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure At this stage, key stakeholders under the program were identified to be the implementing ministries, school community, students, parents, interested parties- NGOs and CSOs; women, and youth groups, and people with disability. The potential stakeholder risks of the project are i) inadequate stakeholder and community consultation ii) poor communication and outreach iii) weak grievance management. Further, the conflict and fragility context, accessibility, and remoteness, coupled with COVID-19 may hinder the project from setting up robust stakeholder engagement and feedback mechanisms. The project will work closely with stakeholders at national and local levels in education, educational institutions, schools, and parents. The client will prepare a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) in accordance with the requirements of ESS10. All E&S documents/reports will be made accessible to project stakeholders and will be publicly disclosed prior to the project proposal. The SEP will outline the characteristics and interests of the relevant stakeholder groups, a detailed process of participation and resources for the disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and timing and methods of engagement throughout the life of the project. Most importantly, the SEP will integrate key findings of the social assessment that will be prepared for the project as a requirement for communities meeting ESS7 criteria. The application of ESS10 will be closely monitored through the implementation of the SEP. The SEP will outline the characteristics and interests of stakeholders, timing, and methods of engagement throughout the life of the project, appropriate to the different population groups, vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, consistent with the requirements of ESS7. The project will consult key stakeholders on the overall project, the potential benefits of the Nov 22, 2022 Page 7 of 13 The World Bank Building Skills for Human Capital Development in South Sudan (P178654) projects as well as risks and mitigation measures. The project will ensure that the results of the consultation are integrated into the project design and documented in the PAD and A-ESRS. The project will ensure that information is meaningful, timely, and accessible to all affected stakeholders, including the usage of different languages, addressing cultural sensitivities, as well as challenges deriving from illiteracy or disabilities. The project will ensure that all processes of information disclosure and consultation are inclusive as possible to ensure that all sections of the affected communities will benefit from the project, and women, youth, and other vulnerable groups are not excluded. The project will further ensure that information disclosure takes place in an ongoing and satisfactory manner and in a culturally appropriate manner. The SEP includes a robust GRM with provisions for IP/SSAHUTLC, refugees/returnees, and survivors of SEA/SH. The stakeholder engagement process shall ensure that vulnerable groups including indigenous/ underserved people are adequately participated through the process that their views are incorporated in project design and implementation and that risks particularly affecting women and girls are adequately assessed and mitigated. Due to the likelihood of the project’s footprint in historically underserved and vulnerable communities in the country, any specific engagement requirements for their participation will be provided in the SEP. A stakeholder grievance mechanism (GRM), as part of SEP, will also be formed to allow for feedback on the inclusiveness of the studies and associated design and planning decisions and intended to ensure the participation of beneficiaries and affected stakeholders or communities, including underserved communities, in project selection, design, and location. Finally, this process will need to be adapted regularly, also given the fast-changing nature of the project’s FCV context. The SEP includes a robust GRM with provisions for IP/SSAHUTLC, refugees/returnees, and victims of GBV. The project will continue conducting stakeholder engagements through virtual as well as face-to-face meetings and Public Disclosure will continue throughout project preparation and implementation. This commitment shall be reflected in the SEP. B.2. Specific Risks and Impacts A brief description of the potential environmental and social risks and impacts relevant to the Project. ESS2 Labor and Working Conditions This standard is relevant. The project may have an engagement with contracted workers for minor activities that may bring exposure to health and safety risks to workers during reopening activities (if any). Untrained workers could carry out dangerous procedures including in appropriate handling and storage of refurbishment materials (during construction) without personal protective equipment, which is harmful not only to their health but also to the environment. In addition, inappropriate handling, storage, and disposal of e-wastes during operation might have an impact on project workers. The measures related to the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) of the project workers will be assessed as part of ESMF. In addition, potential OHS risks and impacts for sub-projects will be screened as per the screening checklist which will be annexed to the ESMF. The type of workers anticipated to be engaged in this project includes direct workers who are staff of government IAs and local counterparts and staff implementing partners. The direct workers will be governed by the government / national code of conduct and labor management procedures. Contracted workers include consultants, contractors, and construction workers. At this stage, we don’t anticipate community workers. To address potential risks related to labor and working conditions and OHS-related aspects the IAs will prepare labor management procedures (LMP) that sets out procedures in accordance with the Nov 22, 2022 Page 8 of 13 The World Bank Building Skills for Human Capital Development in South Sudan (P178654) requirements of South Sudan’s national laws and the requirements of ESS2 to be followed by the project workers. The procedure will include requirements for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) procedures including COVID-19 prevention, working conditions and terms of employment; non-discrimination and equal opportunity; worker’s organizations; child labor and minimum age; forced labor; grievance mechanisms; maintenance of training records and documentation and reporting of occupational accidents, safe transport conditions, diseases and incidents, emergency prevention and remedies for injuries, disability, and disease. The LMP shall include a workers' code of conduct with specific clauses related to GBV/SEA/SH. ESS3 Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management This standard is considered relevant. The Project will not support significant civil works activities. No major rehabilitation or construction/operation of new/existing infrastructure or other actions having an impact on the environment will be financed through this project. In this context, the Project may use an insignificant amount of water and energy during training periods. In addition, the IT equipment required for TTIs and remote learning (projectors, servers, solar chargers, satellites, etc. are expected to generate small quantities of electronic waste. Electronic equipment contains many hazardous metallic contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, brominated flame-retardants, etc. Thus, if not stored and disposed of properly, the toxic heavy metals and organic contaminants leached from the electronic wastes could contaminate/pollute soil, river sediment, surface water, and groundwater. Public Disclosure These could bring a risk of heavy metal exposure to the human body, resulting in a variety of health hazards in the long run. Thus, the project should identify health hazards of e-waste handling, storage, and disposal mechanisms and incorporate an E-Waste Management Plan during project implementation and operation phases within the ESMF. Furthermore, awareness should be provided to project workers regarding the safe storage, and disposal of e-waste and personal protection during the project operations. ESS4 Community Health and Safety This standard is also considered relevant. The key community health and safety risks identified for the project include; (i) exposure to harmful toxic chemicals due to leaching from untreated e-waste- The amount of solid waste including e-waste, generated and disposed of in South Sudan is steadily increasing (Dr. John Leju, 2021). Thus, with the current limited e-waste disposal practice and an increase in the population of South Sudan, there is a risk/impact of community exposure due to improperly stored and disposed of electronic waste could, (ii)risks related to gender, GBV, and SEA/SH, and (ii) risk related to the transmission and spread of COVID-19 and STD (iv) safety and security risks for project beneficiaries and workers. The physical parts of the project that involve minor renovation activities should consider safety risks and the safety of the services as per the national legal requirements, the EHSGs, and other GIIPs. E.g., considering local accessibility standards, and codes on universal access and nondiscrimination and safety of the training rooms. In addition, emergency response measures will be designed to address the emergency event to prevent it from injuring the health and safety of the community; and to minimize, mitigate, and compensate for any impacts that may occur. An assessment of such community health and safety risks will be done as part of the sub-project E&S Assessment and requisite mitigation measures will be provided in the ESMF. Nov 22, 2022 Page 9 of 13 The World Bank Building Skills for Human Capital Development in South Sudan (P178654) Given, the breadth and magnitude of gender inequality and GBV/SEA/SH in South Sudan, the project will assess and mitigate risks of SEA and SH that can arise in the context of interactions between project workers and beneficiaries, and among project workers themselves. The commitment of the project to address issues of GBV/SEA/SH will be outlined in the GBV/SEA action plan as part of the ESMF. The ESMF and SEP shall also specify how GBV/SEA/SH- related complaints will be managed within the project grievance redress mechanism. The Project will conduct a security risk assessment and prepare a Security Management Plan which outlines the Project’s approach to addressing the pertinent security risks in the project sites. This includes approaches to security risk assessments and categorization, security provisions for different types of workers and communities (on a large spectrum from prevention to response), institutional cooperation with security actors in the region (local, national, international, WB), decision-making processes, and according to documentation. ESS5 Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement The project activities finance the reopening of TTIs that may include refurbishment activities and the Universities will be equipped with the necessary equipment to facilitate connectivity and support internet labs. Most activities will take place within the existing premises of institutions. Thus, at this PCN stage, land acquisition due to the project activity is not anticipated. However, if there are activities that require additional land, The scope of land requirement will be determined during preparation and before the appraisal. The land acquisition assessment results will be documented in the A-ESRS, and if it is confirmed that an RF is not required, a screening mechanism to confirm the Public Disclosure status of any land used by the project will be included in the ESMF. Further, beneficiary institutions should demonstrate that they have tenure or authorized use of land needed for their project-sponsored activities and that these activities will not displace other land users. ESS6 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources The Project will not support significant civil work and related activities. However, if not managed properly mishandling of e-waste during project operation could threaten natural habitats or biodiversity. Thus. the ESMF will provide screening criteria that consider these impacts on habitats and biodiversity and identify possible impacts/risks of e-waste and their mitigation and management plan. ESS7 Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities The vast majority of the population in South Sudan meets the requirements of ESS7 characterized by a large number of distinct social and cultural groups for which it is essential that project interventions are accessible, culturally appropriate and inclusive. The project preparation and implementation require understanding of the constraints to equal access to project benefits via devising culturally appropriate forms of meaningful consultations to their specific needs and livelihood models. Given the majority of the project beneficiaries are IP under ESS7 no stand-alone plan will be developed. Hence, it is essential that the project is designed to respond to the characteristics of different subgroups and address cultural adequacy issues. In this regard, issues such as curriculum and schedule suited to cultural and livelihood practices, integration of traditional indigenous knowledge; processes to understand and Nov 22, 2022 Page 10 of 13 The World Bank Building Skills for Human Capital Development in South Sudan (P178654) address exclusion need to be specifically identified and addressed in project and instrument design. Further, the project will ensure those project interventions are accessible, culturally appropriate, and inclusive. The project design and implementation process of the proposed project, therefore, embeds its basic principles. Respective planning elements will be included in the project design to meet the requirement of ESS7. The Project will ensure that vulnerable groups and undeserved communities are not disproportionately affected by the adverse impacts of project activities and experience its benefits. The vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in South Sudan comprise, people affected by human-made social and economic shocks, refugees, IDPs, soldiers, demobilized soldiers (including those displaced), child soldiers, young girls, women-headed households, child-headed households, female ex-combatants, etc. The fragility context in South Sudan requires a proportional risk assessment not to exacerbate conflict, by diverging attention towards project beneficiary institutions and persons due to the project support. A Social Assessment (SA) as per the requirements of ESS7 will be undertaken. The client will ensure that the team of experts assigned for the preparation of the SA includes an anthropologist or a specialist (s) familiar with the groups affected and is carried out in a participatory and inclusive manner. Findings of the social assessment will be included in the A-ESRS, PAD, and ESMF. ESS8 Cultural Heritage As there is no major construction activity due to project implementation the project is not anticipated to have project risk/impact on cultural heritage. However, the likely impacts of project activities on tangible and intangible cultural Public Disclosure heritage will be further investigated during project preparation, and Findings and recommendations will be documented in the A-ESRS and ESCP. ESS9 Financial Intermediaries Not Applicable B.3 Other Relevant Project Risks No other relevant project risks. C. Legal Operational Policies that Apply OP 7.50 Projects on International Waterways No OP 7.60 Projects in Disputed Areas No III. WORLD BANK ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL DUE DILIGENCE Nov 22, 2022 Page 11 of 13 The World Bank Building Skills for Human Capital Development in South Sudan (P178654) A. Is a common approach being considered? No Financing Partners Not Applicable B. Proposed Measures, Actions and Timing (Borrower’s commitments) Actions to be completed prior to Bank Board Approval: Actions to be completed prior to Bank Board Approval: 1.1. Environmental and Social Management Framework including Capacity assessment and E-Waste Management Plan 2. Environmental and Social Commitment Plan 3. Stakeholders Engagement Plan 4. Labor Management Procedures 5. GBV/SEA risk assessment and develop GBV Prevention and Response Action Plan as part of the ESMF. 6. Social Assessment 7. Security risk assessment and preparation of security risk management plan Possible issues to be addressed in the Borrower Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP): • • Establishing a functioning E&S risk management implementation arrangement including deployment of qualified staff; implementation of the Project activities in compliance with the applicable Environmental and Social Public Disclosure Standards • Preparation of site specific environmental and social risk management tools i.e., LMP, SEP, SMP and incorporating measures like e-waste management plan as part of the ESMF; • allocating budget for environmental and social risk management activities; compliance monitoring and reporting; E&S capacity development. • Implementation of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan, and establishment and functioning of an effective GRM • Implementation of Labor Management Procedure, and GBV/SHE/SH Action Plan based on the GBV Good Practice Note. • Implementation of sub-project specific ESF instruments if any. C. Timing Tentative target date for preparing the Appraisal Stage ESRS 30-Nov-2022 IV. CONTACT POINTS World Bank Contact: Francisco Haimovich Paz Title: Senior Economist Telephone No: +1-202-473-9794 Email: fhaimovich@worldbank.org Nov 22, 2022 Page 12 of 13 The World Bank Building Skills for Human Capital Development in South Sudan (P178654) Contact: Huma Ali Waheed Title: Senior Education Specialist Telephone No: +1-202-458-9006 Email: hwaheed@worldbank.org Borrower/Client/Recipient Borrower: South Sudan Implementing Agency(ies) Implementing Agency: Ministry of General Education and Instruction Implementing Agency: Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology Implementing Agency: Galilee Institute V. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects Public Disclosure VI. APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Francisco Haimovich Paz, Huma Ali Waheed Practice Manager (ENR/Social) Helene Monika Carlsson Rex Recommended on 25-Oct-2022 at 07:57:14 GMT-04:00 Safeguards Advisor ESSA Peter Leonard (SAESSA) Cleared on 21-Nov-2022 at 19:20:23 GMT-05:00 Nov 22, 2022 Page 13 of 13