The World Bank Learning Environment – Foundation of Quality Education (P177475) Appraisal Environmental and Social Review Summary Appraisal Stage (ESRS Appraisal Stage) Public Disclosure Date Prepared/Updated: 10/12/2022 | Report No: ESRSA01986 Oct 12, 2022 Page 1 of 12 The World Bank Learning Environment – Foundation of Quality Education (P177475) BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country Region Project ID Parent Project ID (if any) Tajikistan EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA P177475 Project Name Learning Environment – Foundation of Quality Education Practice Area (Lead) Financing Instrument Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Education Investment Project 10/19/2022 2/7/2023 Financing Borrower(s) Implementing Agency(ies) Republic of Tajikistan Ministry of Education and Science Proposed Development Objective The proposed Project Development Objective is to enhance quality of teaching and learning environments in selected Public Disclosure general secondary schools Financing (in USD Million) Amount Total Project Cost 50.00 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 Development Objective (PDO) supports three objectives of the National Strategy for Education Development (NSED): (i) ensuring equal access and participation in education and science at all levels for all throughout life; (ii) improving the quality and relevance of education and science at all levels; and (iii) strengthening effective governance of the education sector. The enhanced learning environment would strengthen the foundation of the education system that would help the system to facilitate good teaching practices and improve student learning outcomes. It would also ensure that general secondary education schools would be safe enough for teachers to teach and for students to learn by improving resilience to external shocks such as natural disasters and pandemics like COVID-19. Oct 12, 2022 Page 2 of 12 The World Bank Learning Environment – Foundation of Quality Education (P177475) While improving the teaching and learning environment and resilience of general secondary education schools, the project would also strengthen the foundation of the education system as a whole and create a synergy with efforts being made by other development partners. Hence, the proposed project is expected to play a catalytic role in maximizing all donor efforts in the improvement of the education system in Tajikistan. The proposed project suggests including the following three interlinked components: Component 1. Enhance National Framework of Teaching and Learning Environments for Better Teaching and Learning Practices Component 2. Improve the Quality and Resilience of Teaching and Learning Environments Component 3. Build Capacity in Education Assessments and Project Management Component 1 aims to support the government to review the current national framework for teaching and learning environments and revise it to respond to urgent needs in the improvement of teaching and learning environments. It would also support the enhancement of school inspections to improve accountability of education quality at school and district levels. Component 2 would assist selected schools in (i) rehabilitation to meet minimum standards, (ii) modernization to accelerate the quality improvement of teaching and learning in collaboration with other donors, and (iii) expansion of the number of classrooms to reduce shifts and increase teaching/learning time. Component 3 would mainly support capacity development in the ministry of education. In particular, it puts a strong emphasis on the capacity of implementation of national learning assessments. This would help the ministry, in the long run, to Public Disclosure periodically and independently conduct rigorous learning assessments from which the ministry can make evidence- based decisions and strategically allocate the limited resources to priority areas. D. Environmental and Social Overview D.1. Detailed project location(s) and salient physical characteristics relevant to the E&S assessment [geographic, environmental, social] Tajikistan is a small mountainous and landlocked country in the heart of Central Asia, bordering Afghanistan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Uzbekistan, with an area of 143,100 km2 and an estimated population of 8.7 million people. Tajikistan consists of 4 administrative divisions. These are the provinces (Viloyat) of Sughd and Khatlon, the autonomous province of Gorno-Badakhshan (abbreviated as GBAO), and the Region of Republican Subordination (RRP). Each region is divided into several districts, (Tajik: Ноҳия, nohiya or raion), which in turn are subdivided into Jamoats (village-level self-governing units) and then villages (Qyshloqs). There are 58 districts and 367 Jamoats in Tajikistan. Geographical coverage of region/ district/ villages is yet to be decided. So, as of now, the ESRS describes physical characteristics in general for the country as a whole. Tajikistan has mountains covering more than 90% of the country rendering livelihoods and accessibility extremely difficult. Natural hazards such as floods, earthquakes, landslides, mudflows, avalanches and heavy snowfalls are quite common resulting in significant economic losses and human casualties. The country is at high risk of earthquakes, flooding and out-of-season glacial melting, all of which can quickly overwhelm national capacity and become localized crises. Population growth, urbanization and climate change continue to exacerbate the impact of disasters, which are expected to occur more frequently and intensively and to affect more people in the future. Children are among the most vulnerable to natural hazards, and their well-being Oct 12, 2022 Page 3 of 12 The World Bank Learning Environment – Foundation of Quality Education (P177475) suffers in the short and long terms. In 2017, children in Tajikistan suffered five small-scale natural disasters, including avalanches, floods, mud flows and earthquakes, in addition to measles and rubella outbreaks. Between 2000 and 2018, the poverty rate fell from 83 percent of the population to 27.4 percent, while the economy grew at an average rate of 7 percent per year. During this same period the country’s per capita real income and GDP approximately doubled . The Government estimates that about 26.3 percent of the population are poor (2019), 80 percent of which live in rural areas. Poverty reduction has been driven mostly by labor earnings and remittances. With more than 25 percent of households having at least one labor migrant, Tajikistan is one of the world’s most remittance-dependent countries. However, social vulnerabilities and fragility risks persist for a number of reasons. These include the legacy of the 1992–97 civil war, persistent poverty pockets, especially in lagging regions, income insecurity, under-and unemployment, and security risks emanating from the 1,400-kilometer border with Afghanistan . Many of the resulting fragilities are comparable to those encountered in other post-conflict countries. More than one in three youth and almost nine out of ten female youth are not in employment, education, or training, with considerable segments in society, such as returning and deported migrants or abandoned wives, being largely excluded from local communities. There are well over 800,000 children in Tajikistan who are 0 to 5 years of age. This means that more than one in ten people in the population is in this age group. Despite economic progress and gains in stability, the life of the typical child of this age remains uncertain. Poverty is still a constraint and is having a particularly large impact on young children and on women because of the special vulnerability of these segments of the population. Significant unemployment has led to large-scale migration for work, especially among men. Women have been left behind to head households, and they have thus become responsible for supporting their families, as well as carrying out their other domestic duties and taking care of children. All these have impacted early child development and in turn the Public Disclosure human capital development and poverty reduction in the country. Specifically, the following summarizes the existing social baseline relevant to the project. D. 2. Borrower’s Institutional Capacity The Project will be implemented by the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES), which is responsible for the implementation of the ongoing “High Education Project-HEP (P148291) and the Early Childhood Development Project- ECDP (P169168). MoES has implemented three Bank projects (under the World Bank’s Operational Policies (OPs) with large civil works. These projects are being implemented without a PIU, yet a team of local expertise have been engaged for environmental and social management. The local team has gained good experiences and expertise in implementation of safeguards management. The current performance of the HEP is Satisfactory (S) according to the latest ISR. The Environmental and Social Safeguards ratings for HEP have been consistently rated Satisfactory in recent years. The ECDP became effective in June 2021. MoES has gained experience in the preparing and implementation of environmental and social (E&S) instruments, such as Environmental and Social Management Frameworks ESMFs), Environmental Assessments/Social Assessments (EAs/SAs), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) and Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs). The MoES has also gained experience in the preparation and implementation of the ESF documents, such as Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), Labor Management Procedures (LMP), as the ECDP is under ESF. Furthermore, the ministry staff has participated in the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) training provided by the World Bank. The MoES will creat a Project implementation group for overall project implementation. The MoES will hire one Environmental Officer, one Social / Grievance Mechanism (GM) Officer dedicated to this project, within 30 days of project effectiveness and thereafter maintain these positions throughout Project implementation. The Environment and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) includes a capacity support program for ESMU and MoES staff, Grievance Redress Committees (GRCs), and Project workers which will be delivered during the implementation stage. The capacity Oct 12, 2022 Page 4 of 12 The World Bank Learning Environment – Foundation of Quality Education (P177475) building training on ESF implementation will be started within two months after Project effectiveness and to be provided throughout project implementation as needed. II. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (ES) RISKS AND IMPACTS A. Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) Moderate Environmental Risk Rating Moderate The project's Environmental Risk is Moderate. Under component 2, the program will support select schools' modernization that involves rehabilitation and renovation of existing schools. Given the country's terrain complexity, the requirement for school rehabilitation and construction may vary significantly. However, the modernization operations will include: (i) rehabilitation or replacement of buildings to meet minimum standards, (ii) modernization of learning environments to accelerate quality improvement of teaching and learning, including in collaboration with other donors, and (iii) expansion of the number of classrooms to reduce shifts, thus increasing teaching and learning time, and providing opportunities for tutoring poor performing students and extracurricular activities. The component will also support the equipping of project schools with the necessary scientific materials and information technology to provide a modern learning environment. The environmental risks associated with the implementation of the civil works will be mitigated by the application of the WB Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines (ESHGs) and Good International Industrial Practices (GIIPs) for civil works. The school buildings will be also equipped with emergency preparedness arrangements and life and fire safety measures. As a public access facilities, the school refurbishment will also consist of universal access features such as ramps, safe pathways, signs and signal for traffic and emergency Public Disclosure assembly area etc. The potential environmental impacts and risks, which include temporary landscape damage, noise, dust, and vibration generation, and the risk of heavy machinery or vehicle movement through populated areas or neighborhoods, cause local nuisance and contribute to temporary access restrictions and occupational health and safety (OHS) issues to the labor. These foreseeable risks are reversible and can be easily managed by the implementation of proper E&S tools and plans. Social Risk Rating Moderate The overall social impacts of the project are expected to be highly positive, given that it is the aim of the project to improve the learning environment and resilience of select general secondary schools. The social risk is considered moderate at this stage for the following reasons: (i) the social risks and impacts are predictable and expected to be temporary and/or reversible and site-specific, without the likelihood of impacts beyond the actual footprint of the Project; (ii) the Project activities are unlikely to cause physical or economic displacement, as the rehabilitation and expansion of select schools will be carried out on the existing land plots of schools; (iii) the social risks and impacts can be easily mitigated through the project design and implementation modalities; (iv) the Project is assigned a moderate risk rating for sexual exploitation and abuse, and sexual harassment (SEA/SH) based on the Bank’s SEA/SH risk assessment tool; and (v) the labor influx risks are manageable through appropriate instruments, such as labor influx management plan which will form part of the ESMP. The civil works are not likely to involve a large workforce, as most workers will be hired from the local workforce. The draft ESMF also includes labor influx assessment with measures to be incorporated in the site-specific ESMP and the civil work contract to avoid or reduce labor influx risk. School selection may be politicized, but the project will ensure broad stakeholder engagement when setting up criteria for school selection and make the selection process as transparent as possible. The risk of exclusion and nepotism will be addressed by applying clear and transparent selection criteria and inclusive and participatory Oct 12, 2022 Page 5 of 12 The World Bank Learning Environment – Foundation of Quality Education (P177475) decision-making, involving local governments and local communities in school-related decision-making processes. Additionally, there will be comprehensive citizen engagement and a robust GM in place throughout the project cycle to ensure that all intended stakeholders have an opportunity to participate in and receive the benefits of the Project. The existing GM of the ongoing HEP will be scaled up to cover all sites under the proposed Project. The relevant ESF standards to address risks are ESS1, ESS2, ESS3, ESS4, and ESS10. The following instruments will be disclosed prior to the Project appraisal: (i) SEP; and (ii) ESCP. The Implementing Agency has also drafted Labor-Management Procedures (LMP); and ESMF which will be finalized prior to the board’s approval. The ESCP includes appropriate actions with time-bound commitments, including requirements for E&S staffing. B. Environment and Social Standards (ESSs) that Apply to the Activities Being Considered 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: ”Relevant” as the activities under Component 2, " Improve the Quality and Resilience of Teaching and Learning Environments " could have potential adverse social and environmental risks and impacts. The proposed project would assist selected schools in: (i) rehabilitation or replacement/demolition of buildings to meet minimum standards, (ii) equipping the project schools with IT equipment and other laboratory upgradation for modernization purposes, (iii) expansion and extension of the number of classrooms, and (iv) upgradation of improving water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) system including access to clean water and rehabilitation of existing sanitation system. Public Disclosure Potential environmental and social risks and impacts from civil works are typical construction related to risks and impacts and may have limited temporary and reversible adverse impacts. These foreseeable impact include temporary landscape damage, noise, dust, and vibration generation, the risk of heavy machinery or vehicle movement through populated areas or neighborhoods, cause local nuisance and contribute to temporary access restrictions and occupational health and safety (OHS) issues to the labor. The demolition and rehabilitation may also lead to handling ACM (asbestos containing materials) The environmental risks associated with the implementation of the civil works will be mitigated by the application of the WB Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines (ESHSs) and Good International Industrial Practices (GIIPS) for civil works and laboratory installation. The school building will be also equipped with emergency preparedness arrangements and fire safety kits. As public access facilities, the school refurbishment will also consist of accessibility for students with disabilities and WASH facilities (separated for girls and boys. The ESMP will include detailed requirements for the transport, handling, and disposal of chemicals, fuels, other hazardous materials such as ACM. It will also contain procedures on incident investigation and reporting/recording and reporting of non-compliances, emergency preparedness and response procedures, and continuous training and awareness to workers. Additional preventive and protective measures will be defined in detail and the timelines of training of project workers through the site-specific ESMPs and the contractor’s ESMP (C-ESMP). Maintenance of training records; documentation and reporting of occupational accidents and incidents will be set according to the C- ESMP. Potential social risks and impacts include labor and working conditions (inadequate accommodation for workers, lack of access to potable water, sanitation facilities, child and forced labor issues, lack of functional GM for workers to raise workplace concerns), the risk of exclusion and nepotism in schools selection, and community health and safety (CHS) (especially those risks arising from labor influx when workers camps are established in project sites such as SEA, Oct 12, 2022 Page 6 of 12 The World Bank Learning Environment – Foundation of Quality Education (P177475) SH, and the transmission of communicable diseases). The Project can also cause health and personal injury risks. These likely risks can be easily addressed by mainstreaming site-specific Environmental and Social Management Plans and other mitigation measures during civil works. Since the details of Project activities and precise locations of implementation schools’ sites are yet to be determined, thus the project has prepared a draft ESMF that provides mitigation measures to potential environmental and social risks and impacts. The draft ESMF guides mainstreaming of the environmental and social prerequisites during rehabilitation and renovation work. The draft ESMF includes procedures for environmental and social screening to be conducted for the rehabilitation and renovation activities of select schools. The screening report will form the basis to develop E&S instruments, including the site-specific ESMPs. The draft ESMF also spells out recommendations on the preparation of the relevant E&S tools and site-specific ESMP. Additionally, the Project will also apply criteria for school selection to make the selection process transparent and inclusive. These criteria consist of the following conditionalities: (i) bottom 40 percent of socio-economic characteristics of the district (based on the available data on average nominal salaries per district (rayon) – predominantly rural areas); (ii) schools located in temporary buildings or locations; (iii) schools in emergency condition or needing capital repairs; (iv) schools that have not received support for the modernization of infrastructure from any source over the past 10 years, with the exception of those schools that were damaged due to natural disasters; (v) three-shift schools; (vi) commitment of local executive bodies to contribute to schools’ improvement (e.g., connection to electricity and water supply systems) and ensure the schools’ maintenance after completion of the civil works; (vii) population in the school’s catchment is rapidly increasing; and (viii) availability of a land plot on the territory of the school for an additional extension of the educational block. The project has prepared a SEP, it guides the project on stakeholder engagement and information to be shared or Public Disclosure disclosed, throughout the Project cycle. The project Labor Management Procedure (LMP) will guide labor- management-related issues under the proposed operations. The SEP, draft ESMF, and draft LMP will be subject to a meaningful consultation with stakeholders, and details about the consultation will be incorporated in the draft ESMF to be finalized before the board’s approval. The E&S documents will be publicly disclosed on the MoES website and on the World Bank's website before the appraisal. The MoES has prepared the ESCP which sets out the substantive measures and actions that will be taken by the MoES to meet environmental and social requirements. ESS10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure ESS 10 is relevant for the Project. Full and continuous participation of all affected groups and interested parties is crucial in developing national framework in Tajikistan. Key stakeholders of this project are: (i) National stakeholders- Ministry of Education and Science (MoES), Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Labour, Migration and Employment (MLME), Agency for Supervision in Education and Science (ASES), National Testing Center (NTC), Republican Institute for Advanced Training of Educators (RIATE), Committee on Architecture and Construction (CAC), Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) and Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision Service (SES); (ii) Provincial level- Governor office; (iii) Districts level stakeholders- District Education Departments (DED), Media and Hokumats; and (iv) Schools/community level-Students, consultancies, contractors, primary suppliers, parent, Jamoat, Mahalla leaders and community members. MoES has developed and will implement detailed stakeholder analysis, mapping, and engagement strategies, presented through a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP). The SEP includes a Grievance Mechanism (GM) through Oct 12, 2022 Page 7 of 12 The World Bank Learning Environment – Foundation of Quality Education (P177475) which project affected persons and interested parties can lodge complaints and provide feedback related to Project activities. The revision of the national framework for the learning environment under component 1 will involve local governments and local communities in prioritizing areas of maintenance at schools. For the sake of transparency and accountability, local government and local communities will be engaged in school-related decision-making processes. The SEP will be disclosed on the MoES website and on the World Bank's website before the appraisal. The draft ESMF includes Citizen Engagement Indicators. During the implementation stage, it is envisioned that the MoES will carry out beneficiary satisfaction surveys in the selected schools to evaluate stakeholders’ satisfaction. As the COVID-19 pandemic poses a challenge for stakeholder engagement and disclosure of information, as stakeholder engagement and consultation processes cannot be conducted in a traditional way. Consultations will, therefore, be conducted online with guidelines set out in the World Bank’s “Technical Note: Public Consultations and Stakeholder Engagement in WB-supported and operations when there are constraints on conducting public meetings” (March 20, 2020) MOET and WHO guidelines. 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 ESS is relevant to the proposed project. The project footprint is relatively small and does not entail a significant amount of labor as the project rehabilitation and expansion works under component 2 will be small scale. Project Public Disclosure workers will include direct workers to be engaged by MoES and contracted workers to be engaged through third parties (consultancies and contractors/subcontracted workers). Most of the labor will be locally hired except for a few skilled workers who may not be found in the project location. Occupational, Health and Safety (OHS) measures have been identified in the draft ESMF to prevent injuries and incident at working sites in the case of negligence including obligations to the MoES and the contractor to follow good housekeeping, national OHS regulation and rules, WB Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines, and good international practice. The ESMP will include detailed requirements for the transport, handling, and disposal of chemicals, fuels, other hazardous materials such as asbestos. It will also contain procedures on incident investigation and reporting/recording and reporting of non-compliances, emergency preparedness and response procedures, and continuous training and awareness to workers. In addition, the project has drafted a Labor Management Procedure (LMP) that sets out how the project workers will be managed. The draft LMP will be finalized and disclosed before the board’s approval. The draft LMP includes terms and conditions of employment, nondiscrimination and equal opportunity, workers’ organization, occupational health and safety, the prohibition of child and forced labor, and a worker’s grievance mechanism. A GM for project workers will be made available, in line with ESS2. The draft ESMF includes contractors’ codes of conduct which will be included in the procurement documents. The capacity building and training plan that is part of the draft ESMF also includes a budget for the workers’ GM and public outreach activities. The draft LMP includes mitigation measures to prevent and minimize the risk and spread of the COVID-19 virus in the Project’s workplace. Oct 12, 2022 Page 8 of 12 The World Bank Learning Environment – Foundation of Quality Education (P177475) ESS3 Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management This ESS is relevant however, further assessments are required to determine the use of different resources containing reduction of the use of natural resources including firewood, and other wood material that may cause local deforestation. Excessive rehabilitation and school extension may also lead to topsoil exploitation and accelerated erosions, soil and water pollution. The project ESMF will identify such potential impacts provide necessary provisions. The project modernization concept would also lead to electrical energy for lighting, water supply, and sanitation. The project will consider sustainable methods for energy savor options by installing energy-efficient bulbs, automated water flows control system as well as installation of a solar power generation system. If applicable, the water harvesting methods can also be adopted in the areas with severe water deficiency while planning renovation concept. The project will also consider best practices for waste management and dumping the debris from rehabilitation activities. There are also potential EHS issues related to exposure to asbestos that and involve the demolition of existing school facilities. The project ESMF will provide guidelines to discourage the use of asbestos material during any modernization activities. ESS4 Community Health and Safety ESS4 is relevant to the project. Since the project’s civil works will mainly be undertaken in or around schools, maintaining the health and safety of students, teachers and school staff, vendors, visitors, and nearby communities throughout the construction phase is critical. The movement of heavy goods vehicles can lead to incidents. Construction in such premises can also disrupt the learning process through dust emission, noise, increased Public Disclosure generation of solid waste, etc. Potential threats to people and communities may be posed by uncovered or barricaded or not signage spots such as excavated sites, trenches, open holes, open electric cables, etc. The project will ensure safety of students, staff and other visitors during the rehabilitation/expansion works by identifying relevant measures in ESMF and adopting adequate OHS protocols following WBG EHS Guidelines. Those will be reflected in site specific ESMPs or ESMP checklists. The works will be organized in a way to avoid operating time of schools. In the cases this would not be possible, partition of construction area by putting in place fences, signaling, mitigation measures to control excessive noise and dust levels, and secure access to the area in the building for the office workers and public use will be ensured through a robust mitigation and management plan in the proposed ESMPs or site-specific ESMP Checklists. Given a small-scale nature of civil works primarily focused on school’s rehabilitation the impact and risk on community’s health and safety are expected to be minor and manageable. The school building will also be equipped with emergency preparedness and response plans, life and fire safety measures, emergency assembly area and universal access features and utilities. The project design will ensure consideration of universal access in school facilities and infrastructure access and toilet/latrine construction. All renovation activities under this project will also consider, lighting, ventilation, disability and inclusive education for male and female students. Toilets construction will also require potable water where possible to improve hygiene in and around schools. However, to ensure efficiency and environmental sustainability the project will discourage any construction of pit latrines, as such latrines that may exist in rural areas are usually not clean and represent potential health risks to students and nuisance to the surrounding communities. Oct 12, 2022 Page 9 of 12 The World Bank Learning Environment – Foundation of Quality Education (P177475) The SEA/SH risk is moderate. The Project grievance mechanism contains stipulations for sensitive grievances, including those related to SEA/SH. The GM will assist SEA/SH survivors by referring them to Gender-based Violence (GBV) Services Provider(s) for support immediately after receiving a complaint directly from a survivor. The information provided to the GM will be confidential—especially when related to the identity of the complainant. For SEA/SH, the GM will primarily serve to (i) refer complainants to the GBV Services Provider; and (ii) record the resolution of the complaint. The ESCP includes appropriate actions with time-bound commitments for mitigation of SEA/SH risk. The draft ESMF includes contractors’ codes of conduct which will be included in the procurement documents. The capacity building and training plan that is part of the draft ESMF also includes a budget for public outreach activities, training and awareness-raising on GBV/SEA/SH prevention, as well as a referral pathway for survivors. Additionally, the national framework for the learning environment will support training programs on SEA/SH prevention, management, and response to education sector personnel. It will also include initiatives in schools to raise awareness around SEA/SH. The framework will also support developing institutional codes of conduct for teachers and administrative staff that will include prohibitions against SEA/SH for the entire education system. Given that the contractors will engage the workforce in construction, there is potential for the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 during the construction phase. There is also a potential risk of community exposure to COVID-19 infection by the Project workers. The project will exercise appropriate precautions against introducing the infection to local communities. The draft ESMF includes measures based on the World Bank safeguards interim note for COVID-19 considerations in construction/civil works projects to guide safe planning and implementation of construction works. Public Disclosure ESS5 Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement ESS5 is not relevant to the Project. The project activities are unlikely to cause physical or economic displacement, as the rehabilitation and expansion of select schools will be carried out on existing land plots of the schools. ESS6 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources This ESS6 is not relevant. The project is not anticipated to have activities with an impact on biodiversity or living natural resources. The project implementation sites will be within the existing school boundaries. However, the ESMF includes specific measures to avoid or minimize these negative impacts. ESS7 Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities The standard is not relevant because no Indigenous People are known to reside in Tajikistan. ESS8 Cultural Heritage Although no impacts to cultural heritage are anticipated, the project ESMF incorporates “chance find” procedures which will be applied when physical cultural resources are encountered during construction. At this stage, ESS 8 is not relevant Oct 12, 2022 Page 10 of 12 The World Bank Learning Environment – Foundation of Quality Education (P177475) ESS9 Financial Intermediaries The standard is not relevant because no Financial Intermediaries are involved in the project activities. B.3 Other Relevant Project Risks No other relevant risks anticipated currently. C. Legal Operational Policies that Apply OP 7.50 Projects on International Waterways No OP 7.60 Projects in Disputed Areas No B.3. Reliance on Borrower’s policy, legal and institutional framework, relevant to the Project risks and impacts Is this project being prepared for use of Borrower Framework? No Areas where “Use of Borrower Framework” is being considered: Public Disclosure The recipient framework is not being considered under this project. IV. CONTACT POINTS World Bank Contact: Hiroshi Saeki Title: Senior Economist Telephone No: 5777+6017 Email: hsaeki@worldbank.org Contact: Tigran Shmis Title: Senior Education Specialist Telephone No: 5258+87865 Email: tshmis@worldbank.org Borrower/Client/Recipient Borrower: Republic of Tajikistan Implementing Agency(ies) Implementing Agency: Ministry of Education and Science V. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Oct 12, 2022 Page 11 of 12 The World Bank Learning Environment – Foundation of Quality Education (P177475) The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects VI. APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Tigran Shmis, Hiroshi Saeki Practice Manager (ENR/Social) Varalakshmi Vemuru Cleared on 13-May-2022 at 05:53:6 GMT-04:00 Public Disclosure Oct 12, 2022 Page 12 of 12