The World Bank Emergency Project to Combat the Food Crisis in Cameroon (P177782) REPORT NO.: RES57542 RESTRUCTURING PAPER ON A PROPOSED PROJECT RESTRUCTURING OF EMERGENCY PROJECT TO COMBAT THE FOOD CRISIS IN CAMEROON APPROVED ON MAY 2, 2022 TO THE REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON AGRICULTURE AND FOOD WESTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA Regional Vice President: Ousmane Diagana Country Director: Cheick Fantamady Kante Regional Director: Franz R. Drees-Gross Practice Manager: Chakib Jenane Task Team Leaders: Fidele Honorine Yobo A Koue Epse Nhiomog, Guyslain Kayembe Ngeleza The World Bank Emergency Project to Combat the Food Crisis in Cameroon (P177782) ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS FAO Food and Agriculture Organization LIPW Labor Intensive Public Works NGO Non-governmental Organization PDO Project Development Objective WFP World Food Program The World Bank Emergency Project to Combat the Food Crisis in Cameroon (P177782) BASIC DATA Product Information Project ID Financing Instrument P177782 Investment Project Financing Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) High Approval Date Current Closing Date 02-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 Organizations Borrower Responsible Agency The Republic of Cameroon Project Development Objective (PDO) Original PDO The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to strengthen food and nutrition security and increase resilience to climate shocks of targeted households and producers. OPS_TABLE_PDO_CURRENTPDO Summary Status of Financing (US$, Millions) Net Ln/Cr/Tf Approval Signing Effectiveness Closing Commitment Disbursed Undisbursed IDA-71160 02-May-2022 26-Oct-2022 25-Nov-2022 31-Dec-2025 100.00 6.56 92.48 Policy Waiver(s) Does this restructuring trigger the need for any policy waiver(s)? No The World Bank Emergency Project to Combat the Food Crisis in Cameroon (P177782) I. PROJECT STATUS AND RATIONALE FOR RESTRUCTURING 1. The Emergency Project to Combat the Food Crisis in Cameroon (P177782) is a US$100 million Investment Project Financing operation (IDA Credit No.7116-CM). The Project was approved by the Board on May 2, 2022 and became effective on November 25, 2022. 2. The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to strengthen food and nutrition security and increase resilience to climate shocks of targeted households and producers. Project support is provided through four components: (i) Support for early response food and nutrition stabilization towards early recovery and resilience building; (ii) Strengthening productive capacities of smallholders through crop and livestock support for climate and nutritional resilience; (iii) Support for strengthening governmental food security crisis monitoring capacity, information systems, and agrometeorological services; and (iv) Project management, monitoring and evaluation. 3. Status. Overall progress towards achievement of the PDO and Implementation Progress are rated Moderately Satisfactory amnily because of unforeseen delays in contracting. To-date, contracts with World Food Program (WFP) have been signed to provide rapid support to vulnerable populations in targeted regions through conditional cash transfers, and to construct community infrastructures aimed at reducing vulnerabilty to climate chocs and increasing resilience through labour intensive public works approach; while those with national public institutions identified are being finalized. Disbursement currently stands at 7% and is projected to increased to 52% as and when activities contracted with implementing agencies and institutions are implemented before mid next year. Rationale for restructuring 4. Project institutional and implementation arrangements envisaged that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development – the implementing agency, would among others, contract with WFP and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as specialized service providers to support implementation of specific project activities in line with the respective mandate and expertize of these United Nations agencies. This would include support to food production, support to the livestock and aquaculture subsectors, strengthening government capacity for inter-institutional coordination in food security and climate risk monitoring, and development of digital technologies to improve access to information on risks related to climate change, food security and markets. Negotiations with FAO have delayed due to disgreements with the client on the need for third-party monitoring recruited by the client, staff costs, and management fees. These delays have precluded the rapid implementation of project activities, especially those that are related to supporting food production, where FAO was anticipated to play a key implementation role. To avoid further delays and based on the government request dated August 01,2023, the proposal is to restructure the implementation arrangements to allow contracting of other competent service providers - in lieu of FAO, to support implementation of Project’s activities. The World Bank Emergency Project to Combat the Food Crisis in Cameroon (P177782) II. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED CHANGES 5. The restructuring comprises of allowing other entities (e.g., NGOs, private institution, private company) to be eligible for being contracted as service providers as part of the project implementation arrangements. ES NOTE TABLE III. SUMMARY OF CHANGES Changed Not Changed Institutional Arrangements ✔ Implementing Agency ✔ DDO Status ✔ Project's Development Objectives ✔ Results Framework ✔ Components and Cost ✔ Loan Closing Date(s) ✔ Cancellations Proposed ✔ Reallocation between Disbursement Categories ✔ Disbursements Arrangements ✔ Disbursement Estimates ✔ Overall Risk Rating ✔ Legal Covenants ✔ Financial Management ✔ Procurement ✔ Implementation Schedule ✔ Other Change(s) ✔ Economic and Financial Analysis ✔ Technical Analysis ✔ Social Analysis ✔ Environmental Analysis ✔ The World Bank Emergency Project to Combat the Food Crisis in Cameroon (P177782) IV. DETAILED CHANGE(S) .