The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) REPORT NO.: RES57298 RESTRUCTURING PAPER ON A PROPOSED PROJECT RESTRUCTURING OF EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING APPROVED ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 TO REPUBLIC OF DJIBOUTI EDUCATION MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Regional Vice President: Ferid Belhaj Country Director: Stephane Guimbert Regional Director: Fadia M. Saadah Practice Manager/Manager: Andreas Blom Task Team Leader(s): Bridget Sabine Crumpton The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AA Administrative Agreement BETF Bank Executed Trust Fund COVID 19 Coronavirus disease 2019 E&S Environmental and Social EAA Education Above All EMIS Education Management Information System ESF Environmental and Social Framework ESMF Environmental and Social Management Framework ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plans GPE Global Partnership of Education IDA International Development Agency MENFOP Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale et de la Formation professionnelle) OOCS Out-of-school children PAD Project Appraisal Document PBC Performance Based Condition PPE Personal protective equipment PRODA Djibouti Expanding Opportunities for Education Project (Project de Renforcement des Opportunités d’Apprentissage ) RETF Recipient Executed Trust Fund The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) BASIC DATA Product Information Project ID Financing Instrument P166059 Investment Project Financing Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) Moderate Approval Date Current Closing Date 30-Sep-2019 15-Dec-2024 Organizations Borrower Responsible Agency Republic of Djibouti Project Development Objective (PDO) Original PDO The project development objective is to increase equitable access to basic education, improve teaching practices, and strengthen MENFOP's management capacity. OPS_TABLE_PDO_CURRENTPDO Summary Status of Financing (US$, Millions) Net Ln/Cr/Tf Approval Signing Effectiveness Closing Commitment Disbursed Undisbursed IDA-64490 30-Sep-2019 18-Oct-2019 14-Feb-2020 15-Dec-2024 10.00 3.63 6.11 IDA-D4850 30-Sep-2019 18-Oct-2019 14-Feb-2020 15-Dec-2024 5.00 5.19 .02 TF-B6054 12-Aug-2021 18-Sep-2021 21-Oct-2021 15-Dec-2024 2.30 1.24 1.06 TF-B6756 12-Aug-2021 18-Sep-2021 21-Oct-2021 30-Jun-2024 1.18 .72 .46 TF-B1108 18-Oct-2019 18-Oct-2019 14-Feb-2020 15-Dec-2024 9.25 6.67 2.58 The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) Policy Waiver(s) Does this restructuring trigger the need for any policy waiver(s)? No I. PROJECT STATUS AND RATIONALE FOR RESTRUCTURING A. Project Status 1. The Expanding Opportunities for Learning Project (PRODA) was approved by the Board of Executive Directors on September 30, 2019, for a total sum of US$24.25 million, comprising US$10 million IDA funding, a US$5 million grant from the IDA18 Refugee and Host Communities Window and US$9.25 million grant from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). The Project became effective on February 14, 2020, with a closing date of December 15, 2024. PRODA’s project development objective (PDO) is to increase equitable access to basic education, improve teaching practices, and strengthen the ministry of national education and vocational training (MENFOP)'s management capacity. The Project consists of four components: Component 1 Establishing foundations for quality preschool education; Component 2 Expanding access to and improving retention in primary and lower secondary education; Component 3 Building capacity to support teaching and learning; and Component 4 Strengthening MENFOP’s management capacity and data systems. Progress towards achievement of the PDO is currently rated moderately satisfactory and implementation progress rated satisfactory. Specifically, progress has been noted all components. Project disbursements stand at 63 percent for the IDA financing. B. Rationale for restructuring: 2. The Project was prepared and appraised for US$28.05 million, including a contribution of US$3.8 million under Component 2 from the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, even though the funds were not secured at that time. 3. After one year of project implementation, EAA and the Bank signed an Administrative Agreement (AA) on June 8, 2021, to secure the EAA funding of US$3.8 million. In parallel, the project also received an additional US$2.3 million in GPE funding, bringing the current project envelope to US$30.35 million. 4. The EAA Administrative Agreement (Trust Fund No. TF073330) provided for the grant to be paid in three installments. The first installment of US$1.18 million was paid on June 30, 2021, and executed by the signing of the EAA Grant Agreement No. TF0B6756 between the Government of Djibouti and the Bank. The second installment of US$2 million was received on April 13, 2023. In line with Bank guidelines, a project restructuring is required to process the transfer of funds received to TF0B6756. 5. The EAA financing is intended to scale up the enrollment of up to 35,000 primary-school-aged out-of-school children (OOSC) as part of Component 2. Its results are measured under the Performance Based Result (PBR) #3.2. Over the past three school years (2020-2023), 13,658 OOSC have been enrolled. This figure reflects the ability of the Ministry of Education (MENFOP) to sustain enrolment year on year at a time when global trends in enrolment and drop-out continue to reflect the spillover effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It confirms the Government of Djibouti’s political The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) commitment to achieving universal primary education, as well as the commitment of parents and communities to prioritizing the enrolment of their children in primary school. 6. A major project achievement is the rollout of a digital education management information system (EMIS), currently available at the primary level, in line with the verification protocol for PBR #3.2. A unique student identifier allows the enrolment and attendance of students to be monitored digitally and in real-time. It also includes descriptors to indicate gender, grade, geographic location (urban/rural), and status (refugee). It has been rolled out on a national scale and is recognized by the Minister's leadership and school principals as an efficient way to manage student enrolment and retention, enabling early tracking of children with low attendance and at risk of drop-out. II. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED CHANGES A. Changes proposed 7. The second installment of EAA funds will be transferred to the child Trust Funds No. TF0B6756 and TF0B73480 (which finances the Bank team implementation support activities), as per the payment schedule listed in the EAA Administrative Agreement. This process does not require any changes to the project objective or its implementation. The transfer of funds from the Trustee to the RETF will be processed upon the signing of the grant amendment. 8. The project and components costs will remain unchanged, as the EAA funding was included and appraised under Component 2, as mentioned in paragraph 2 of this document. 9. There will not be a reallocation of funds given that the Project only has one category. 10. The PBC funds allocation table under Grant No. TF0B6756 will be updated to reflect the payment of the second installment (See Annex). 11. The third and final EAA grant installment (US$1 million) - to complete the total funding committed under the Trustee EAA grant (TF073330) - is expected to be paid next calendar year and will follow the same procedure to allocate the additional funds to EAA Grant No.TF0B6756. B. Summary of Performance of E&S Risk Compliance 12. Project general overview: The ESF implementation performance continues to be rated as highly satisfactory, as it was during the previous mission (October 2022). This is justified by the continued progress in the implementation of the protocols against all forms of violence in public school settings, the overall application of key E&S mitigation measures in the recent civil works by the local contractors, the continued supervision of ESMPs by the MENFOP, the continuation of regular meetings and awareness raising of local contractors about E&S performance expectations by the MENFOP, and the recent training of the canteen workers. The performance assessment is based on meetings with the MENFOP team The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) and the review of the ESMF implementation report. 13. Grievance management: No grievances have yet been submitted through the various channels established by the project. The number of the Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRM) is posted consistently on the worksites. However, grievances continue to be shared orally and informally with school directors or directly at the MENFOP office in Djibouti. It is proposed to train and raise the awareness of school directors, teachers and/or other focal points on the importance of the formal mechanism and to propose alternatives for capturing informal grievances. 14. Reporting: MENFOP submits regular E&S reports which are of high quality and meet the Bank's requirements. ES NOTE TABLE III. SUMMARY OF CHANGES Changed Not Changed Institutional Arrangements ✔ Other Change(s) ✔ 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 ✔ Economic and Financial Analysis ✔ Technical Analysis ✔ Social Analysis ✔ The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) Environmental Analysis ✔ IV. DETAILED CHANGE(S) . ANNEX Performance-Based Conditions Note: Revised amount information in PBC#3.2 (ii) Performance-Based Performance-Based Result Disbursement Financing source Total Allocation Condition Calculation Formula (1) PBC #1: Quality PBR #1.1: Quality standards for PBR #1.1: N/A PBR #1.1 and 1.2: PBR #1.1: assurance preschool approved by MENFOP N/A USD 0 mechanism for through a signed Ministerial memo preschool education (note de service) established PBR #1.2: At least 30 % of the public PBR #1.2: PBR #1.2: and private preschools meeting the USD 250,000 for each USD 0 approved quality standards. 15 percent of public and private preschools meeting the approved quality standards, up to a maximum of USD 500,000, with a minimum payment threshold of USD 250,000 (2) PBC #2: Public At least 40 % of public preschool USD 125,000 for each N/A USD 0 preschool teachers teachers with improved 10% of such teachers with improved competencies, as observed through with improved competencies linked COT. competencies, as to trainings (as observed through COT, measured by a up to a maximum of classroom USD 500,000, with a observation tool as minimum payment defined in the POM threshold of USD (“COT”) 250,000 (3) PBC #3: Expanding PBR #3.1: A medium-term school PBR #3.1: N/A PBR#3.1: N/A PBR #3.1: USD 0 access to primary and expansion plan is approved by lower secondary MENFOP through a signed education Ministerial memo (note de service) The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) PBR #3.2: 35,000 primary school- PBR #3.2: PBR #3.2 PBR #3.2: level OOSC students enrolled (i) USD 141,430 for (i) N/A (i)USD 0 every 1,000 OOSC enrolled, up to a maximum of USD 4,950,000 and 35,000 students, with a minimum payment threshold of USD 321,488 (ii) USD 108,572 for (ii) EAA Grant (ii) USD 2,909,486 every 1,000 OOSC enrolled, up to a maximum of USD 2,909,486 and 26,797 students, with a minimum payment threshold of USD 246,512, unless otherwise agreed in writing between the Bank and the Recipient for the first year of Project implementation. (4) PBC #4: PBR #4.1: Sub-regional plans to PBR #4.1: PBR #4.1: PBR #4.1: Strengthen demand promote enrollment and reduce N/A N/A USD 0 and improve dropout are approved by MENFOP retention of students through a signed Ministerial memo in primary and lower (note de service) secondary schools PBR #4.2 (included for reference PBR #4.2: PBR #4.2: PBR #4.2: only): Decrease in grade 5 repetition N/A N/A 0 rate between Year 1 and Year 5 of project implementation from 24.4% to 14.4%. PBR #4.3(included for reference PBR #4.3: PBR #4.3: N/A PBR #4.3: only): Increase in gender parity index N/A 0 for gross enrollment in lower secondary education (5) PBC #5: Improve PBR #5.1: PBR #5.1(a) and (b): PBR #5.1(a), (b): PBR #5.1(a): learning assessments (a) Assessment levels at the first N/A N/A USD 0 cycle of primary school in math and at least one language are approved PBR #5.1(b): The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) by MENFOP through a signed USD 0 Ministerial memo (note de service) (b) National primary learning assessment administered by Evaluation Department of MENFOP PBR #5.2: PBR #5.2: PBR #5.2: PBR #5.2: Assessment levels at the N/A N/A USD 0 second cycle of primary school and lower secondary school in math and the languages French and Arabic are approved by MENFOP through a signed Ministerial memo (note de service) PBR #5.3(a) and (b): PBR #5.3(a) and PBR #5.3(a): USD 0 PBR #5.3: (a) Revised year 2 OTI N/A (b): assessment is administered by N/A MENFOP PBR #5.3(b): USD 0 (b) Revised year 5 OTI assessment is administered by MENFOP PBR #5.4: PBR #5.4: PBR#5.4: PBR #5.4 (included for reference N/A N/A 0 only): Establishment of baseline percentage of year 2 students reaching the minimum acceptable threshold learning level PBR #5.5(a): PBR #5.5(a): PBR #5.5(a): PBR #5.5(a): Schools receive detailed 100,000 for every 28 N/A USD 0 report on results of learning schools, up to a assessments and guidelines for their maximum of USD use to improve teaching and 500,000, with a learning minimum payment threshold of USD 100,000 PBR #5.5(b): PBR #5.5(b): PBR #5.5(b): 5.5(b): (Included for reference only) N/A N/A 0 From baseline established under PBR 5.4, increase in percentage of year 2 students reaching the minimum acceptable threshold learning level in the following years (6) PBC #6: PBR #6.1: At least 3 competency PBR #6.1: PBR #6.1: PBR #6.1: Systematic update of frameworks approved by MENFOP N/A N/A USD 0 teachers’ through a signed Ministerial memo professional (note de service) development program. PBR #6.2: PBR #6.2: PBR #6.2: N/A USD 0 The World Bank Expanding Opportunities for Learning (P166059) PBR #6.2: 2,000 teachers trained on USD 100,000 for every the new competencies/ training 200 teachers trained, up modules to a maximum of USD 1,000,000, with a minimum payment threshold of 200,000 TOTAL AMOUNT USD 2,909,486