The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) REPORT NO.: RESTRUCTURING PAPER ON A PROPOSED PROJECT RESTRUCTURING OF SUPPORT FOR SOCIAL RECOVERY NEEDS OF VULNERABLE GROUPS IN BEIRUT APPROVED ON TO INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE LEBANON SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND INCLUSION MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Regional Vice President: Ferid Belhaj Country Director: Jean-Christophe Carret Regional Director: Meskerem Brhane Practice Manager/Manager: Senait Nigiru Assefa Task Team Leader(s): Marcelo Jorge Fabre & Jeremy Tomlinson The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 3RF Lebanon Reform, Recovery & Reconstruction Framework CP Child Protection CSO Civil Society Organization GBV Gender-Based Violence GBVIMS Gender-Based Violence Information Management System IA Implementing Agency ICRS Information, Counselling and Referral System IRC International Rescue Committee LFF Lebanon Financing Facility MH Mental Health MMU Mobile Medical Unit MNAVP Vice President, Middle East & North Africa, World Bank MOPH-NMHP Ministry of Public Health-National Mental Health Program MTR Mid-Term Review NGO Non-governmental organization OPs Older Persons PDO Project Development Objective PHC Primary Health Care Center PMU Project Management Unit POB Port of Beirut POM Project Operations Manual PSA Public Service Announcement RFP Request for Proposal SbS Step-by-Step SH+ Self Help Plus SOP Standard Operating Procedure SPF State and Peacebuilding Fund SRP Social Recovery Project WHO World Health Organization WPE Women’s Protection & Empowerment BASIC DATA The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) Product Information Project ID Financing Instrument P176622 Investment Project Financing Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) Moderate Approval Date Current Closing Date 23-Dec-2021 31-Oct-2023 Organizations Borrower Responsible Agency International Rescue Committee Lebanon Project Development Objective (PDO) Original PDO To support the immediate social recovery needs of vulnerable groups following the port of Beirut explosion. OPS_TABLE_PDO_CURRENTPDO Summary Status of Financing (US$, Millions) Net Ln/Cr/Tf Approval Signing Effectiveness Closing Commitment Disbursed Undisbursed TF-B7344 13-Dec-2021 05-Jan-2022 04-Apr-2022 30-Jun-2022 0 0 0 TF-B7390 13-Dec-2021 05-Jan-2022 04-Apr-2022 31-Oct-2023 5.00 2.95 2.05 Policy Waiver(s) Does this restructuring trigger the need for any policy waiver(s)? No I. PROJECT STATUS AND RATIONALE FOR RESTRUCTURING A. Context The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) 1. The Support for the Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut project (P176622, “SRP”) was designed in 2021 in response to Lebanon’s multiple, ongoing crises, which include a compound economic crisis, dealing with the immediate and longer-range effects of the massive Port of Beirut explosion, enduring political and social instability, and the direct and indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges have collectively worked to deepen the vulnerability of already at-risk groups, who have as a result been exposed to more acute stressors and risks and are subsequently more in need of services to support their social recovery than ever before. 2. In this context, the SRP has been working since its initiation in 2021 to:  (Project Development Objective, PDO) “Support the immediate social recovery needs of vulnerable groups following the port of Beirut explosion. This will be done by supporting non-government stakeholders that are engaged and have a track record in social recovery services by improving their capacity to participate in the broader social recovery and reconstruction processes. While the project’s two components strive to meet immediate emergency needs in Beirut and include capacity building activities, there is still an overarching need for a broader public sector reform agenda to address the extensive needs of vulnerable groups, which is beyond the scope of the current project.” The specific groups targeted by the project include: (i) survivors and those at-risk of GBV; (ii) those suffering from deteriorated psycho-social wellbeing; (iii) and persons with disabilities and older persons facing limitations related to their physical and/or mental status. Given the cross-cutting nature of their vulnerability, refugees/displaced persons and migrant domestic workers are also targeted across the project’s workstreams. 3. To achieve this objective and reach populations in-need, the SRP has established an innovative financing arrangement that enables sub-granting to local NGOs leading social recovery services and who may otherwise be ineligible for direct World Bank financing. The role of the SRP’s implementing agency (IA), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), is critical in this regard. The IRC works intensively to both manage the various sub-grant agreements to ensure the delivery of quality, impactful, and cost-effective outputs, while also supporting the NGO partners with capacity building and technical assistance in order to ensure the Bank’s fiduciary, environmental, and social standards. 4. This arrangement acknowledges the central role to-date of Lebanon’s non-governmental and civil society groups in small-scale recovery and reconstruction efforts following the Port of Beirut (POB) explosion. It also acknowledges that many local actors could benefit from enhanced support aimed at improving their ability to uphold high-quality environmental, social, fiduciary, and project management standards while continuing to engage in their areas of technical expertise. In this regard, the SRP enables investment in crisis response and recovery activities where engagement with and through government institutions remains outside the scope of possibility, while also prioritizing improved capacity and increased sustainability amongst the non-governmental sector. 5. The SRP was approved by the Bank’s Regional Vice President, MNAVP, on December 23, 2021 and countersigned by IRC on January 5, 2022. The project achieved effectiveness on April 4, 2022 and a Declaration of Effectiveness letter was disseminated on April 8, 2022. At this time, the project financing envelope was comprised of two grants for a total of US$7.795 million – US$2.795 million from the State and Peacebuilding Fund (SPF) and US$5.00 million from the Lebanon Financing Facility (LFF). However, a first project restructuring which included a cancellation of SPF resources was approved on June 28, 20221. The financial envelope of the project today is thus US$5 million. 1USD $2,745,000 of SPF resources were cancelled due to the grant closing date of June 30, 2022 coinciding with the SPF Trust Fund End- Disbursement Date, meaning no extension was possible. The portion of the grant not cancelled at this time, i.e. USD $50,000, was subsequently returned to the SPF following grant closing given the amount remained undisbursed. The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) 6. A Mid Term Review mission was implemented from March 7-10, 2023, after 11 months of implementation (post- effectiveness) and 8 months prior to the planned project closing date. The findings of this MTR, as reported in the Aide Memoire, highlighted the need for a second restructuring that would entail a reallocation of projected cost-savings to enable a six month no-cost extension of the project closing date (from October 31, 2023, to April 30, 2024). Critically, the Aide Memoire also confirmed that the project continued to remain relevant as a lifeline to non-governmental actors engaged in key areas of social service delivery amid a challenging socio-economic context. B. Project Status 7. The project is progressing well. After a slow start, a marked improvement in sub-grant performance over the last 12 months now sees the project in full implementation mode and realizing physical progress mostly aligned with the intended schedule. This has occurred in parallel to and despite a significantly and constantly evolving country context, which has unfortunately only worked to increase the vulnerability of key groups targeted by the project at the same time as the costs of reaching them. 8. Across the project’s three core sub-components (1.1-1.3), a total of 15 sub-grants (all planned) have been signed between IRC and partner NGOs. As a result of these efforts, the project had as of end-September benefitted a total of 5,782 direct beneficiaries, including: 559 GBV beneficiaries who have receiving psycho-social support, legal assistance, quality case management and safe shelter; 3009 mental health beneficiaries who have utilized the Step-by-Step (guided self-help) digital application or the 24/7 “Lifeline” national mental health hotline, and; 1915 older persons and persons with disabilities who have benefited from access to quality and specialized health services. Additionally, 226 care workers have benefitted from project-provided training to-date – an important marker in steps to improve the quality of services delivered. Selected NGO Sub-Project # of Partners Start Date Partner Subcomponent 1.1: Enhanced Support for those At-Risk and Survivors of GBV Supporting Large Shelter 1 ABAAD 15-Sep-2022 KAFA*2 18-Nov-2022 Supporting Small Shelters 3 Tabitha 18-Nov-2022 Caritas 6-Dec-2022 Supporting Training Hotline Helpers 1 KAFA* 18-Nov-2022 Public Sensitization on GBV 1 Red Oak 3-Jan-2023 Boys under Protection Orders 1 Nusroto 19-Dec-2022 2 * The two KAFA sub-projects are subject to a single sub-grant agreement. The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) Education for Children in Shelters 1 Caritas 19-Apr-2023 Health services provision in shelters 1 Makhzoumi 17-May-2023 Subcomponent 1.2: Enhanced Support for Psychosocial Wellbeing SBS and National Hotline 1 Embrace 24-Aug-2022 Mental Health in the workplace 1 IDRAAC 3-Jan-2023 Public Sensitization on Mental Health 1 LCCE 16-Aug-2023 Self-Help Plus 1 IDRAAC 29-Sep-2023 Subcomponent 1.3: Enhanced Support for Persons with Disabilities and Older Persons CBR for PWDs 1 Mousawat 18-Nov-2022 Assistance to MMUs and PHCCs 1 Caritas 5-Dec-2022 Identification and Referral Systems 1 IDRAAC 3-Jan-2023 9. Echoing the findings of the MTR mission of March 2023, the project is making robust progress towards the achievement of the PDO. The results reported above fall broadly in-line with expectations at this stage of implementation, with some areas overperforming. A lesser number of activities are approaching but have yet to meet their target schedules, often resulting from delays and challenges during the start-up of sub-grants and subsequently unforeseen pressure points linked to the external context, such as rising fuel and transportation costs. This highlights the need for short extensions of sub-grants in some instances. 10. The following sections provide more detailed summaries of the project components and their status. 11. Component 1.1 – Enhanced support for Survivors of GBV: IRC has initiated 8 subgrant agreements under this workstream, which support enhanced quality services and the operating costs of 8 GBV shelters servicing women and girl survivors of GBV in Beirut, Mount Lebanon, and Beqaa3. Additionally, the project supports: operating costs for one shelter for boys under protection orders (who have been or are at-risk of mental and physical abuse, violence, and while their parents are unable to care for them); the provision of enhanced education and medical services for the benefit of shelter residents; trainings to improve quality of the national GBV hotline; Public Service Announcement campaigns (PSA) to improve awareness of GBV support services; and capacity building to enhance the utility and quality of the national GBV Information Management System (GBVIMS). 12. Component 1.2 – Enhanced Support for Psychosocial Wellbeing in Beirut: All four sub-grants planned under Component 1.2 are under implementation. Through these the project provides support to: the 24/7 operation of the 3This facility services beneficiaries from the Beirut-Mount Lebanon area, due to the nature of cases handled and limited availability of comparably services in Beirut-Mount Lebanon. The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) national mental health and suicide prevention hotline (“Lifeline”); the continuity of and improvements in quality of services offered through the Step-by-Step4 digital platform; the development of a curriculum to train managers of small businesses on mental health in the workplace; and a mental health PSA campaign. A final pending activity under sub- component 1.2 is the adaptation and roll-out of Self Help Plus (SH+) in the Lebanon context, which is expected to be under implementation by end-September. 13. Component 1.3 – Enhanced Support for Persons with Disabilities and Older Persons: All 3 planned sub-grants under component 1.3 have been initiated and are noted to be progressing well. This includes the identification of previously unreached beneficiaries and the provision of medical consultations, diagnostic tests, needs assessments (medications, assistive devices, and disposable care items), psychomotor/speech therapy, and physiotherapy sessions through 3 Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCCs) and 2 Mobile Medical Unites (MMUs) across Beirut & Mount Lebanon. The project is also currently working to develop and pilot an identification, counselling and referral system (ICRS) as a one- stop-shop for end users to increase their awareness and access to NGO service providers in this space. 14. Component 2 – Capacity Building and Project Management: This component finances IRC’s incremental operating costs. In practice, this includes two investment areas. First are costs associated with overall project management, fiduciary and safeguards management, and monitoring & evaluation. Second are those related to IRC’s provision of intensive technical assistance and capacity building support, tailored to each NGO sub-grantee partner implementing activities under Component 1. Thus, the SRP PMU is effectively split into a Project Management line and a Partnership line. Activities under Component 1, that is, sub-grants being implemented by NGO partners, are also supported by IRC technical staff5 under the project. 15. In the area of capacity building, IRC has invested considerable effort in diligently applying its unique approach to enhancing the capabilities, transparency, and operational quality of sub-grantee NGOs (using the “Partnership Equality for Excellence and Results System”, PEERS). This includes deep dive capacity assessments of each prospective sub-grantee prior to the signing of subgrant agreements; developing tailored capacity building; holding quality enhancement reviews of the activity designs prior to initiation; and, subsequently, near constant guidance and technical support, both in the sectoral areas of intervention, as well as on financial management, environmental and social safeguards, and monitoring, learning and evaluation. D. Justification for Restructuring 16. The project’s Mid-Term Review (MTR) Aide Memoire, circulated on May 15, 2023, highlighted that achieving the PDO remains feasible and within the reach of the project as currently designed and implemented. However, the mission also stressed that there is a strong justification for a no-cost extension of the project closing date by six months, from October 31, 2023 to April 30, 2024. This proposed action is supported by the projections of IRC’s financial management staff, indicating that the project, as currently implemented, can realize sufficient cost-savings through the original project closing date with minimal impact upon current sub-grant performance. The rationale is as follows. 4 Step-by-Step is a free application for smart devices. Upon meeting certain minimum criteria for depression and mental health status, users are enrolled in a 6-to-8-week course on self-care, mental health and which provides information on complementary mental health support services. While completed by the user, at their own pace, trained e-helpers provide guidance, encouragement, and support via weekly 15- minute calls. There is no cost to the user at any point. 5 This includes specialists in Women’s Protection & Empowerment (WPE), Child Protection (CP) and Health. These focal points have been providing expert technical guidance and assistance to the initial design of RFPs, selection of partners, and subsequently to NGO subgrantees/partners during implementation. The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) 17. First, the closing date of all currently active project sub-grants are noted to coincide with the current project closing date of October 31, 2023. This does not provide time for IRC to properly close, audit and account all sub-grants issued. While the rationale for allowing the closing date of sub-grants to extend to the end of the project originates from the desire to achieve ambitious results within a relatively short implementation period, allowing the simultaneous closing of the sub-grant agreements and the project would result in financial and administrative burden to IRC beyond the availability of project financing (project management costs are ineligible beyond the project closing date). 18. Second, a number of sub-grants experienced unforeseen delays during start-up and implementation, and therefore would benefit from additional implementation time to maximize the number of beneficiaries reached, as well as the quality of the benefits being provided. Delays were caused by lengthy timelines for preparing and securing approval for sub-grant agreements, as well as the need to conduct extensive capacity building to assure sub-grantee compliance with the World Bank fiduciary, environmental and social standards. In parallel, the evolving context in Lebanon created additional burdens in the form of volatile and variable costs (e.g., fuel and transportation), which often required unforeseen amendments to sub-grant implementation plans and budgets.6 19. Third and finally, a no-cost extension of six months is supported by the observation, as documented in the MTR Aide Memoire, that demand for the specialized benefits provided by the project is currently higher than ever. Indeed, with Lebanon’s multiple crises ongoing, the socio-economic conditions for vulnerable groups in Beirut continue to be as dire as during the period when the operation was under preparation. In parallel, government services in the areas of support under the SRP remain broadly insufficient. As such, extending project-provided support as long as feasible, given the financial envelope is sufficient and so long as this does not compromise the quality benefits anticipated, is recommended. II. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED CHANGES 20. A reallocation of project cost-savings leading to a 6 month no-cost extension of the project closing date, from October 31, 2023 to April 30, 2024, is proposed. This change would not affect the PDO, risk categories, environmental and social safeguards arrangements, or the number and types of sub-grants being financed. Further, the PDO is noted to remain achievable by the proposed extending closing date, the Recipient’s performance is satisfactory per the latest ISR, and there are no overdue audits. Limited impacts are expected at the level of sub-grant agreements, with several closing date extensions planned to extend results where possible. 21. IRC financial management’s projections currently estimate that a total project cost savings of $382,258 can be realized through October 31, 2023, without impacting existing or planned subgrant activities and the results expected as they are currently being implemented. Reallocation of Costs between Categories 22. As part of the no-cost extension plan, it is proposed that cost-savings shall be reallocated to: (i) cover the operating costs during the extension period, while also prioritizing the reduction of project dependency on IRC counterpart funding and; (ii) top-offs and extensions of existing sub-grants that may have experienced delays, cost overruns, or where target achievements could be meaningfully extended by additional implementation time. Together, these proposed changes would be reflected in an amended Withdrawal Table as follows: 6 This process frequently triggered the need for the Bank task team to re-review and approve sub-grant agreement packages. The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) Category Current Amount of the Revised Amount of Change Notes Grant Allocated (USD) Grant Allocated (USD) USD / % as per Grant Amendment to enable NCE of 6 of June 29, 2023 months (1) Sub-grants, $1,630,000.00 $1,383,134.00 $(246,865.73) - Savings from Goods, non- / (15.15%) select sub-grants. consulting services, consulting services, - Reallocation Operating Costs and between sub- Training under Part grants, based upon 1.1 of the project performance and operational considerations. - Reallocation to operating/project management costs pertaining to Part 1.1 of project. (2) Sub-grants under $3,370,000.00 $3,616,866.00 $246,856.73 / - Savings from Parts 1.2 and 1.3.1, 7.33% select sub-grants. Goods, non- consulting services, - Limited consulting services, reallocation Operating Costs and between sub- Training under Parts grants. 1.3.2-1.3.3 and 2 of the Project - Reallocation to operating/project management costs pertaining to Part 1.3.2-1.3.3 and 2 of the Project. $5,000,000.00 $5,000,000.00 $0 / 0% Amendment of Sub-grants for Enhanced Project Performance (Subcomponents 1.1 – 1.3) 23. No changes are anticipated which affect the project’s approved design, scope, or intended beneficiaries. However, and based on preliminary assessments, several changes at the sub-grant level are proposed in order to enhance overall project performance. This includes 7 planned extensions to existing sub-grants and 1 further possible extension of an existing sub-grant, to be determined based upon the availability of resources and project needs. In addition, 2 sub-grants which are either newly or yet to be initiated also expected to benefit from the proposed no-cost extension. 24. As with the process of initiating and amending sub-grants to-date, any proposed amendments to subgrants shall be subject to review and approval by the task team following the procedures outlined in the Project Operations Manual (POM). The review processes shall further be centered around the principles of: (i) maximizing project efficiency; and (ii) The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) extending project impact, in terms of ensuring the delivery of the highest quality services to the most beneficiaries possible within the available financing envelope. Extended Support for Enhance Services for Survivors and those at-risk of GBV 25. As part of the proposed amendments to sub-grants to extend project efficiency and impact, the project has recently begun to incorporate support to additional locations of support for survivors and those at-risk of GBV through existing sub-grants under sub-component 1.1 of the project. Specifically, safe spaces are supported in addition to the safe shelters (please refer to Annex A). The scope of support, however, remain consistent with the project’s intended focus on enabling the delivery of holistic care to intended beneficiaries in line with international good practices and therefore the existing legal provisions in the grant agreement. The project’s Environmental and Social Specialists were consulted to ensure: (i) no changes to the project’s existing E&S instruments are triggered; and (ii) should any subsequent need for updating the Socio-Economic Assessment (SEA) be identified, this may be done following approval of the restructuring, given the project’s assessed moderate Environmental and Social risk. (Seen Annex A for further details.) Changes to Component 2: Project Management and Capacity Building 26. As documented in the March 2023 MTR Mission Aide Memoire, an underestimation of the actual effort required to implement and manage the SRP has led IRC to take several unilateral actions which amount to counterpart financing (up to an estimated 37.5% of total project costs, excluding staff fringe benefits ineligible for project support). This includes increasing the number of staff designated to provide support to the sub-grantees (non-project supported) and, in many instances, self-finance additional staff-time (up to 100%) for project staff already engaged on the project on a part-time basis. While the task team is grateful to IRC for implementing a solution to problems without seeking to re-negotiate the project budgets and staffing patterns, IRC cannot be expected to continue to do so. 27. Thus, over the past months, the World Bank task team and IRC project team have reviewed this situation with the aim of reducing reliance on IRC counterpart financing for legitimate project costs. The outcome of this review was an approval granted to IRC on May 1, 2023 by the Task Team Leader to include several additional project management and operating costs. (See Annex B.) Changes to the Results Framework 28. In addition to the changes proposed above, the restructuring will also see several adaptations to the project results framework. These are as follows. Changes to language of indicators Outcome level 29. Under the outcome indicators which aim to measure “Increased quality of services for GBV survivors, people with mental health challenge, older persons and persons with disabilities” changes are being recommended to the language of the three respective sub-indicators. This is due to legitimate concerns which have be raised during prior implementation support missions regarding the ability of IRC (or any party) to measure the existing indicator. The indicators in question are: CURRENT: “GBV cases followed utilizing project-improved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and protocols (disaggregated by women, accompanied girls, at-risk boys) (Percentage)” PROPOSED: “GBV survivors receiving case management services based upon quality SOPs and guidelines who demonstrate an improvement in their psychosocial well-being (Percentage)” The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) 30. Pertaining to the current GBV indicator measuring quality (“current” above), the current indicator was drafted with the understanding that activities to update and improve national SOPs would occur with limited delay and in parallel to the initiation of sub-grants providing support to the operating costs and quality of services within safe houses and safe spaces. In fact, the efforts required to update the SOPs, this being a multi-stakeholder and lengthy process, were far greater than expected. This translates into the realization of updated SOPs being an outcome which shall be realized towards the end of the project’s life. Given this fact, it is therefore impossible to measure the application and adherence of the improved-quality case management services currently being supported across the project against this standard. CURRENT: “Mental health cases followed utilizing project-improved mechanisms and protocols excluding drop-outs (disaggregated by gender) (Percentage)” PROPOSED: “Mechanisms and tools for the management of high-risk persons with mental health conditions which have been improved by the project. (Number)” CURRENT: “Older persons and persons with disabilities cases followed utilizing project-improved mechanisms and/or protocols (disaggregated by persons with disabilities, older persons, gender) (Percentage)” PROPOSED: “Mechanisms and initiatives for providing quality services to older persons and persons with disabilities which have been developed or improved. (Number)” 31. Meanwhile, the indicators relating to mental health (b) and relating to older persons and persons with disabilities (c), as currently written in the results framework, rely on the assumption that it would be possible to track cases that are not followed with project-improved mechanisms and protocols. In fact, the interventions in each of these areas supported by the project offer only a single standard of service, which is benefitting from the improvements being realized through project investment. Thus, there is no reference point (cases which have been channeled through lesser-quality service streams) to enable the calculation of a percentage of cases which have benefitted from project investment. New language proposed offers a more precise means of measuring improvements in quality, by counting the number of services and mechanisms which have been demonstrably improved by the project. CURRENT: “Grievances addressed according to the Project Operations Manual (Percentage)” PROPOSED: “Grievances closed according to the Project Operations Manual (Percentage)” 32. Finally, as per an agreement reached during the March 2023 MTR mission, the word “addressed” in the indicator relating to the handling of grievances by the project will be substituted for “closed”. This reflects the fact that not all submissions received through the project GRM are resolvable in nature (for example, complaints relating to the rising costs of transport or fuel in Lebanon). In such cases, IRC may handle the case fully in compliance with the POM but may not be in a position to offer any mitigation or resolution measures. Intermediate level CURRENT: “Total NGOs receiving sub-grants from the project (Number)” PROPOSED: “Total sub-grants signed by recipients (Number)” 33. A measurement issue has also been identified with the intermediate indicator pertaining to the “Total NGOs receiving sub-grants from the project.” The underlying assumption of the original indicator was that each planned activity would be countable based upon a unique NGO subgrantee. In practice, the project’s activities are shared amongst 11 The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) unique NGO partners, with 3 of these entities implementing multiple sub-projects. Given this, new language is proposed to allow for more precise measurement at the level of signed subgrant agreements with recipients. The target has been reduced to 15 to align with the new measurement unit. CURRENT: “Number of care workers benefitting from Step-by-Step and Self Help Plus (disaggregated by gender) (Number)” PROPOSED: “Number of care workers benefitting from Step-by-Step and Self Help Plus (disaggregated by gender) (Number)” 34. In reference to the above indicator, it has been highlighted that there is no means for the Step-by-Step platform (a digital self-help application for smart devices) to track the profession of the users. As such, the deletion of “Step-by- Step and” is proposed, retaining the balance of the existing indicator. CURRENT: “Increased respondent awareness of available services as a result of public sensitization campaigns (Percentage)” PROPOSED: “Individuals reached through public sensitization campaigns (Number)” 35. Finally, the indicator relating to the intermediate results of planned public sensitization campaigns has also been flagged for measurement concerns learned during the initiation of these activities. As they are proposed to be implemented (social media and/or media campaigns), it is impossible to obtain personal identifiable information (PII) from individuals who have been reached by the campaigns7. As a result, it becomes difficult to track and assess the impact of the campaign on the target audience. The project’s resource constraints and the limited funds available to these activities, already reduced by the first project restructuring, should also be noted. As such, it is proposed to instead count the number of individuals reached in the campaigns. Changes of indicator targets Intermediate level 36. A new sub-indicator is proposed under the parent indicator “Number of NGO/care workers benefitting from project-provided training (disaggregated by gender) (Number)”, to capture additional results linked to the training of Internal Security Forces (ISF) on the GBV help hotline.8 The new sub-indicator is proposed, as below. PROPOSED: “GBV hotline operators who received training aimed at improving the quality of service and case management (Number)” 37. This also causes the recalculation of the total target of the parent indicator. The target is currently 556, due to a calculation error (the correct sum of all sub-indicator targets is 566). Thus, correcting the miscalculation and including the new sub-indicator target yields a revised parent indicator target of 596. 7 Given the campaign is to be implemented through social media. For instance, platforms like Facebook do not share information which allows for the tracking of specific viewers, details about the viewers of the campaign, but they do provide a report detailing the overall viewers statistics (numbers,..) 8 The hotline is operated by the ISF. The project is training ISF officers to enhance quality of call response, quality case handling, and ensure proper referrals. The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) III. SUMMARY OF CHANGES Changed Not Changed Results Framework ✔ Components and Cost ✔ Loan Closing Date(s) ✔ Reallocation between Disbursement Categories ✔ Disbursement Estimates ✔ Implementing Agency ✔ DDO Status ✔ Project's Development Objectives ✔ PBCs ✔ Cancellations Proposed ✔ Disbursements Arrangements ✔ Overall Risk Rating ✔ Legal Covenants ✔ Institutional Arrangements ✔ Financial Management ✔ Procurement ✔ Implementation Schedule ✔ Other Change(s) ✔ Economic and Financial Analysis ✔ Technical Analysis ✔ Social Analysis ✔ Environmental Analysis ✔ IV. DETAILED CHANGE(S) The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) OPS_DETAILEDCHANGES_COMPONENTS_TABLE COMPONENTS Current Current Proposed Proposed Cost Action Component Name Component Name Cost (US$M) (US$M) Component 1: Support for Component 1: Support for social social services for vulnerable services for vulnerable groups 4430000.00 Revised 4003776.00 groups affected by the affected by the explosion explosion Component 2: Capacity Component 2: Capacity Building 620000.00 Revised Building and Project 996224.00 and Project Management Management 5,050,000.0 TOTAL 5,000,000.00 0 OPS_DETAILEDCHANGES_LOANCLOSING_TABLE LOAN CLOSING DATE(S) Original Revised Proposed Proposed Deadline Ln/Cr/Tf Status Closing Closing(s) Closing for Withdrawal Applications TF-B7344 Closed 30-Jun-2022 28-Feb-2023 TF-B7390 Effective 31-Oct-2023 30-Apr-2024 30-Aug-2024 OPS_DETAILEDCHANGES_REALLOCATION _TABLE REALLOCATION BETWEEN DISBURSEMENT CATEGORIES Financing % Current Allocation Actuals + Committed Proposed Allocation (Type Total) Current Proposed TF-B7390-001 | Currency: USD iLap Category Sequence No: 1 Current Expenditure Category: SG,G,NCS,CS,OC,TR P1.1 1,630,000.00 424,242.89 1,383,134.00 100.00 100.00 iLap Category Sequence No: 2 Current Expenditure Category: SG 1.2,1.3.1,GNCCSOCT 1.3.2-1.3.3-2 3,370,000.00 1,829,402.62 3,616,866.00 100.00 100.00 The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) Total 5,000,000.00 2,253,645.51 5,000,000.00 OPS_DETAILEDCHANGES_DISBURSEMENT_TABLE DISBURSEMENT ESTIMATES Change in Disbursement Estimates Yes Year Current Proposed 2022 2,600,000.00 0.00 2023 3,000,000.00 2,385,428.85 2024 2,195,000.00 2,614,571.15 . The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) . Results framework COUNTRY: Lebanon Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut Project Development Objectives(s) To support the immediate social recovery needs of vulnerable groups following the port of Beirut explosion. Project Development Objective Indicators by Objectives/ Outcomes RESULT_FRAME_TBL_PDO Indicator Name PBC Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 Increased access to quality services for GBV, mental health challenges, OPs and PWD beneficiaries GBV beneficiaries receiving social and health services (disaggregated by psychosocial & life skills 0.00 307.00 837.00 counselling, medical & educational services, women, accompanied girls, at-risk boys) (Number) Rationale: Action: This indicator has been Revised Date changed to reflect proposed extension of project closing by 6 months. At-risk boys benefitting from project-improved 0.00 15.00 45.00 services in GBV shelters (Number) Women benefitting from project-improved 0.00 184.00 484.00 services in GBV shelters (Number) Mental health beneficiaries receiving psychosocial 0.00 1,800.00 6,400.00 services and support (Number) Action: This indicator has been Revised Rationale: The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) RESULT_FRAME_TBL_PDO Indicator Name PBC Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 Date changed to reflect proposed extension of project closing by 6 months. Beneficiaries of project-supported mental health interventions (Step-by-Step, Self Help 0.00 1,800.00 6,400.00 Plus, hotline) (disaggregated by gender) (Number) Businesses participating in Mental Health in the 0.00 0.00 25.00 workplace program (Number) Older persons and persons with disabilities beneficiaries receiving physical and psychosocial 0.00 300.00 1,150.00 services (disaggregated by gender) (Number) Rationale: Action: This indicator has been Revised Date changed to reflect proposed extension of project closing by 6 months. Persons with disabilities and their families benefiting from Community-Based 0.00 120.00 350.00 Rehabilitation services (disaggregated by gender) (Number) Rationale: Action: This indicator has been Revised Date changed to reflect proposed extension of project closing by 6 months. Older persons and their families benefiting from Community-Based Rehabilitation services 0.00 180.00 800.00 (disaggregated by gender) (Number) The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) RESULT_FRAME_TBL_PDO Indicator Name PBC Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 Rationale: Action: This indicator has been Revised Date changed to reflect proposed extension of project closing by 6 months. Increased quality of services for GBV survivors, people with mental health challenges, OPs and PWDs GBV survivors receiving case management services based upon quality SOPs and guidelines 0.00 85.00 who demonstrate an improvement in their psychosocial well-being (Percentage) Rationale: The original indicator was drafted with the understanding that activities to update and improve national SOPs would occur with limited delay and in parallel to the initiation of sub-grants providing support to the operating costs and quality of services within safe houses and safe spaces. In fact, the efforts required to update the SOPs, this being a multi-stakeholder and lengthy process, were far greater than Action: This indicator has been Revised expected. This translates into the realization of updated SOPs being an outcome which shall be realized towards the end of the project’s life. Given this fact, it is therefore impossible to measure the application and adherence of the improved-quality case management services currently being supported across the project against this standard. Additionally, as the indicator may only be fully assessed near project completion, the intermediate target has been dropped. Mechanisms and tools for the management of high-risk persons with mental health conditions 0.00 3.00 which have been improved (Number) Rationale: The original indicator relied on the assumption that it would be possible to track cases that are not followed with project-improved mechanisms and protocols. In fact, the interventions offer only a single standard of service to end-users. Thus, there is no reference point Action: This indicator has been Revised (cases which have been channeled through lesser-quality service streams) to enable the calculation of a percentage of cases which have benefitted from project investment compared to those who haven't (as would be required under the prior indicator). The new language proposed offers a more precise means of measuring improvements in quality as a direct result of project investment, by counting the number of services and mechanisms which have been demonstrably improved. The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) RESULT_FRAME_TBL_PDO Indicator Name PBC Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 Mechanisms and initiatives for providing quality services to older persons and persons with 0.00 4.00 disabilities which have been developed or improved (Number) Rationale: Action: This indicator has been Revised Rational is the same as the revised mental health indicator, above. Percentage of grievances addressed according to the program operational manual Grievances closed according to the program 0.00 90.00 100.00 operational manual (Percentage) Rationale: As per an agreement reached during the March 2023 MTR mission, the word “addressed” in the indicator relating to the handling of grievances by the project will be substituted for “closed”. This reflects the fact that not all submissions received through the project GRM Action: This indicator has been Revised are resolvable in nature (for example, complaints relating to the rising costs of transport or fuel in Lebanon). In such cases, IRC may handle the case fully in compliance with the POM but may not be in a position to offer any mitigation or resolution measure. PDO Table SPACE Intermediate Results Indicators by Components RESULT_FRAME_TBL_IO Indicator Name PBC Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 Component 1. Support for social services for vulnerable groups affected by the explosion Total sub-projects signed with recipients (Number) 0.00 6.00 15.00 The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) RESULT_FRAME_TBL_IO Indicator Name PBC Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 Rationale: A measurement issue has also been identified with the intermediate indicator pertaining to the “Total NGOs receiving sub-grants from the project.” This is as the underlying assumption of this was that each planned project activity would be countable based upon a unique sub- Action: This indicator has been Revised grant. In practice, the projects 17 planned projects (reflected as current target of 17 sub-grants) are shared amongst 11 unique NGO partners, with three of these entities implementing multiple planned projects. Given this, new language is proposed to allow for more precise measurement. Number of NGO/care workers benefitting from project-provided training (disaggregated by 0.00 162.00 596.00 gender) (Number) Rationale: End target revised to correct for a calculation error (previously "556" when total of sub-indicator targets was in fact "566") in prior results Action: This indicator has been Revised framework and to include new sub-indicator targets (+30). In addition, the end target date has been altered to reflect a proposed extension of the project closing date by six months. Case workers and frontliners benefitting from SOP trainings (disaggregated by gender) 0.00 90.00 150.00 (Number) Rationale: Action: This indicator has been Revised The end target date has been altered to reflect a proposed extension of the project closing date by six months. NGO staff receiving Gender-based Violence Information Management System (GBVIMS) 0.00 44.00 88.00 training (disaggregated by gender) (Number) The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) RESULT_FRAME_TBL_IO Indicator Name PBC Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 Rationale: Action: This indicator has been Revised The end target date has been altered to reflect a proposed extension of the project closing date by six months. Number of persons receiving capacity building and training (disaggregated by SbS, SH+, ToT, 0.00 8.00 48.00 gender) (Number) Rationale: Action: This indicator has been Revised The end target date has been altered to reflect a proposed extension of the project closing date by six months. Number of care workers benefitting from Self 0.00 0.00 160.00 Help Plus (disaggregated by gender) (Number) Rationale: There is no means for the Step-by-Step platform (a digital self-help application for smart devices) to track the profession of the users. As Action: This indicator has been Revised such, the deletion of “Step-by-Step and” is proposed, retaining the balance of the existing indicator. The end target date has been altered to reflect a proposed extension of the project closing date by six months. Care workers/NGO staff benefiting from capacity building and trainings to enhance 0.00 20.00 120.00 services for persons with disabilities and older persons (disaggregated by gender) (Number) Rationale: Action: This indicator has been Revised The end target date has been altered to reflect a proposed extension of the project closing date by six months. Hotline training (Yes/No) No Yes The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) RESULT_FRAME_TBL_IO Indicator Name PBC Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 GBV hotline operators who received training aimed at improving the quality of service and 0.00 30.00 case management (Number) Action: This indicator is New Public Sensitization Awareness campaign modules on GBV, mental health and disability and old age 0.00 0.00 3.00 supported by the project (Number) Rationale: Action: This indicator has been Revised The end target date has been altered to reflect a proposed extension of the project closing date by six months. Impressions made through public sensitization 0.00 20,000.00 campaigns (Number) Action: This indicator has been Revised Beneficiaries expressing satisfaction with project- improved GBV, mental health, disability and older 0.00 60.00 85.00 persons services (disaggregated by gender) (Percentage) Rationale: Action: This indicator has been Revised The end target date has been altered to reflect a proposed extension of the project closing date by six months. Initiation of Community Based Rehabilitation Identification, Counselling and Referral portal No Yes (Yes/No) Action: This indicator has been Revised The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) RESULT_FRAME_TBL_IO Indicator Name PBC Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 National mental health hotline 24/7 operation No Yes (Yes/No) Rationale: Action: This indicator has been Revised The end target date has been altered to reflect a proposed extension of the project closing date by six months. Component 2. Capacity building and project management Development and implementation of enhanced No Yes monitoring and reporting plan (Yes/No) Rationale: Action: This indicator has been Revised The end target date has been altered to reflect a proposed extension of the project closing date by six months. Technical assistance and institutional No Yes strengthening (Yes/No) Rationale: Action: This indicator has been Revised The end target date has been altered to reflect a proposed extension of the project closing date by six months. IO Table SPACE . The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) Annex A: Justification of Extension of GBV support to Safe Spaces The move to extend support to survivors and those at-risk of GBV to safe spaces, in addition to safe shelters, is grounded in the experience of implementation to-date. Safe spaces are noted to have an increasingly important role in providing access to quality services for survivors and those at-risk of GBV from a diverse range of life experiences and backgrounds. While safe shelters are live-in facilities which often enforce strict conditionality upon beneficiaries for entrance and during their residency (up to 6 months), safe spaces are facilities that offer a similar range of support services to survivors of GBV (medical, psycho-social, counseling and case management, life skills and vocational training) with considerably more flexibility. Principally, they can be utilized on a day-use basis and without severe implications for or restrictions upon personal lives and freedoms. Expanding to this area of intervention would thus see the project stand to reach a greater number of women in need and from a more diverse range of life experiences. For illustrative purposes, several common reasons women have been observed to be unable or unwilling to access safe houses are as follows:  Reluctance to reside in safe houses due to the necessity to give up work, which is an increasingly salient pressure in today’s financial and economic context.  Unable to attend shelters due to their children. For example, boys over the age of 12 are usually prohibited from residing in shelters for safety and security reasons.  Limitations enforced by shelters on access to communication devices, external interactions, and other personal freedoms are seen by some survivors as impediment to empowerment and recovery. The inclusion of safe spaces in addition to safe shelters is already provisioned for within the existing project legal agreement, which states in Part 1 – 1.1 that the project shall finance the provision of grants to selected NGOs to deliver support as described within paragraph 50, above, including “inter alia, through, (a) supporting emergency shelters…”. As Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS) are an integral part of GBV programs in humanitarian settings and align with the Interagency Minimum Standards for Prevention and Response to GBV in Emergencies, it is understood that such an extension of scope remains consistent with the project’s legal agreement. The task team consulted with the Bank’s legal team to confirm this understanding. The World Bank Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Beirut (P176622) Annex B: Outcome of Review of Project Management Costs Being Self-Financed by IRC Following the Task Team’s review of IRC’s project management costs, the following additional staff, who were found to be already working on the project at IRC’s own expense, were approved as eligible for project support (as of May 1, 2023): Position LoE Supply Chain Officer 100% Supply Chain Senior Officer 100% Finance Manager 100% Driver 100% Driver 100% Partnership Finance Manager 100% WPE Coordinator 5% In addition, the following project costs were reviewed and approved by the task team (as of May 1, 2023) for project financing, given they were also found to be legitimate project expenses being partially self-financed by IRC: Budget Line Cost for Aug – Notes Sep – Oct Vehicle Fuel and Rent 250$ This cost was previously charged on IRC’s subsidy. Office Rent and Utilities 1500$ During the early phases of the project, it was agreed that IRC will cover 40% of the office rent and 79% of the utilities. Given the space in question is now exclusively used by the Project Management Unit, full coverage of this cost from the WB grant has been approved. An amended facilities management letter is under preparation. Mobile Expenses 1200$ The Bank has been covering the phone bills for some project management staff. New expenses have been approved to cover this cost for all staff allocated now allocated at 100% under this project. Moving forward, these costs shall be formally acknowledged and their eligibility for project financing codified within the Project Operations Manual (POM), which shall be updated for review and approval by the World Bank task team as part of ongoing technical discussion.