The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Project Information Document/ Identification/Concept Stage (PID) Public Disclosure Copy Concept Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 23-Feb-2022 | Report No: PIDC246922 Feb 23, 2022 Page 1 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Environmental and Project ID Parent Project ID (if any) Social Risk Project Name Classification Moderate No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro P176749 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Region Country Date PID Prepared Estimated Date of Approval EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC Philippines 23-Feb-2022 Public Disclosure Copy Financing Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency Consortium of Investment Project Bangsamoro Civil Financing Society, Inc. (CBCS) PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions) SUMMARY -NewFin1 Total Project Cost 2.75 Total Financing 2.75 Financing Gap 0.00 DETAILS -NewFinEnh1 Non-World Bank Group Financing Trust Funds 2.75 Japan Social Development Fund 2.75 B. Introduction and Context Country Context Pre-COVID19, the Philippines was a fast-growing, lower middle-income country in Southeast Asia with Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of US$3,850 and a population of 108.1 million in 2019.[1] The Philippines is now dealing with a severe economic contraction because of the COVID19 pandemic. The annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth has accelerated significantly, average 3.4 percent per year between Feb 23, 2022 Page 2 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) 1986–1995; 4.1 percent per year between 1996–2005 and 5.4 percent per year between 2006–2015. In the period 2006-2015 the per capita income grew at an average of 3.6 percent per year, while the population grew at 1.8 percent annually. Between 2011 and 2015, the country sustained economic growth at 6.3 percent, which increased to 6.9 percent in 2016 and then slightly dipped to 6.7 percent in 2017. Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, the Philippine economy was one of the fastest growing economies among the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.[2] However, the economy contracted by 9.5 percent year-on-year in 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic and some of the strictest containment measures in region.[3] Economic growth in recent years has not benefitted all, 16.6 percent (2018) of the population live below the national poverty line.[4] Inequality in the Philippines are amongst the highest in the world, with the highest levels of poverty in the region, based on both the US$1.90 and US$3.20 earnings per day poverty lines.[5] Despite significant economic growth, the pace of extreme poverty reduction averaged 0.9 Public Disclosure Copy percentage points per year between 2006 and 2015, compared to the 1.4 points per year decline in the developing world overall. The rate of reduction is also much slower compared to other developing countries in East Asia using the lower-middle-income class line of US$3.20 earnings per day. Moreover, one in 10 Filipinos hovers just above the poverty line, and remains at significant risk, undermining the country’s ability to grow its middle class and providing sufficient economic opportunities for a vast majority of the population. It is expected that COVID-19 will have pushed back the pace of poverty reduction. The poverty incidence in BARMM is the highest in the Philippines, almost double the national average. The conflict-affected areas in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) continue to experience serious socio-economic challenges. The proposed project targets BARMM, an administrative region of the country affected by extreme poverty, increased vulnerability stemming from the negative effect of climate change, and conflict. The conflict challenges are largely a result of a prolonged history of ‘vertical’ conflicts between the Bangsamoro people[5] and the national government originating from the establishment of the Philippines as a sovereign country.[6] These ‘vertical’ conflicts, along with chronic ‘horizontal’ conflicts between different clans and cultures within BARMM, have led to decades of instability, weak governance, and underdevelopment. Subsequently, BARMM’s prolonged history of conflict has resulted in inadequate economic development, insufficient health provision and limited quality education provision [1] World Bank. World Development Index (WDI). https://databank.worldbank.org/home. [2] World Bank. 2018. Global Economic Prospects, January 2018. [3] World Bank. 2021. Philippines Monthly Economic Developments. February 2021 [4] Philippine Statistics Authority Feb 23, 2022 Page 3 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) [5] Different entities have been recognized as representing the aspirations of the Bangsamoro peoples. The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was the first such entity to enter into negotiations with the Government of the Philippines (a peace agreement was negotiated in 1996). The MILF were not satisfied with the peace agreement and broke-away from MNLF. MILF entered peace negotiations with the Philippine government which resulted to the signing of the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), abrogating the 1996 Final Peace Agreement. The MNLF has indicated its support for the current peace process while other groups, e.g., the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) do not support the current peace process. The 2015 Global Peace Index Report ranked the Philippines at 141 of 162 countries and 18th of the 19 countries in Southeast Asia on the degree of peacefulness. The ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’ conflicts in the BARMM contributed to the low ranking of the Philippines. [6] The foundation of conflict can be traced to the assertion by the Bangsamoro peoples that they were never ‘conquered’ by Spain and thus were not part of the Philippines when Spain transferred the Philippines Public Disclosure Copy to the United States of America under the ‘Treaty of Paris’. Sectoral and Institutional Context The productivity of a child born in the Philippines today is estimated to be only half of his/her potential due to insufficient education opportunities and inadequate health provision.[1] Despite recent progress in ensuring access to basic education, significant challenges remain. The Human Capital Index (HCI)—which measures the future productivity of a child born today, relative to the benchmark of complete education and full health—for the Philippines is estimated to be only 0.52 in 2020. One of the HCI components, the expected years of schooling in the Philippines are 12.9 years, but when adjusted for the quality of learning, learning-adjusted years of schooling (LAYS) is only 7.5 years with a substantial disparity between [2] The prolonged school closures are expected to lead to a significant decline of LAYS for many students. COVID19-related school closures are affecting all students, but places especially the poorest at risk of permanent learning loss, child labor and mental and physical health challenges. School closures present a logical solution to enforcing social distancing within communities, but prolonged closures are expected to have long-lasting negative impacts on the education sector in the Philippines. School closures compounded by income inequalities will disproportionally affect students from marginalized households, notably in conflict affected and rural areas. The impact of school closures transcends education with additional ramifications for children’s health, nutrition, and protection. There is a risk that children from vulnerable households will be drawn into child labor to mitigate the economic impact on families and will not return to school, resulting in an increase in out-of-school children (OOSC) nationwide with evident downstream effects. Girls and female youth are more at risk of dropping out, due to societal norms and expectations regarding their share of the burden of domestic chores, but also to the risk of early marriage in the poorest households. There is also a heightened risk of sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEA/SH) and early pregnancy due to lockdown measures, which in turn negatively affect girls’ ability to access education.[3] The mental health and wellbeing of students will also be negatively impacted, especially if teachers, parents and caregivers are poorly equipped to provide socioemotional support.[4] Extended school Feb 23, 2022 Page 4 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) closures may cause not only loss of learning, but also further loss in human capital and diminished economic opportunities over the long term. A dire situation is poised to become worse, particularly where safety nets are weakest. In BARMM, a long history of deprivation and under-funding in education has resulted in profound levels of learning poverty well below the national average. BARMM is an autonomous region beset with extreme poverty and decades of conflict. Among the country’s regions, BARMM consistently ranks last in most socio- economic and Human Development indicators, including access to schooling and student performance, across all grade levels. There are approximately 2,150 elementary schools across nine educational divisions in five provinces (Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur, and Maguindanao) in BARMM, all of which have experienced some level of violence, from sporadic clashes to extended periods of conflict, between the military and armed groups. Almost 30 percent of children do not complete the six-year elementary education, and only 10 percent complete junior high school on time.[5] While many parents and out-of- Public Disclosure Copy school youths and adults (OSYAs) see the value of education, financial constraints and the fragile peace are the two major factors responsible for the high rate of school dropouts in BARMM. The share of OSYA among the 16–30-year-old population, in BARMM, is about 45 percent, double the national average. These staggering numbers indicate a significant crisis which must be addressed.[6] There are significant disparities between the divisions in BARMM. Communities with high conflict intensity[7] have significantly lower human capital attainment compared to communities with limited or lower levels of conflict (such as Davao), or non- conflict-affected communities.[8] Indigenous Peoples (IPs) living in remote areas are particularly disadvantaged in terms of access to basic education services which are often offered in languages that children do not understand and or learning materials are not contextualized to the local culture. BARMM consists of a high percentage of Indigenous Peoples (IPs). Approximately 52 percent of elementary students in BARMM are IPs.[9] IP communities in general, especially those located in remote and mountainous areas, experience significant difficulties in accessing government services. Those that have schools within their communities are faced with shortages of essential inputs, such as teachers and learning materials. The limited access to education services in some areas are compounded by the fact that in communities where schools are accessible to IP students, many have limited or no capacity to provide culturally appropriate education in their mother tongue (MTB-MLE) or a language that most students understand (L1). Indigenous elders and community leaders have noted that the educational system has failed to respect and recognize their communities’ knowledge, worldviews, and identities.[10] Subsequently, the education system is a significant driver of resentment amongst IPs, fulling feelings of alienation from their culture and community, among indigenous learners feeling alienated. BARMM’s Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) has highlighted the need to address the educational needs of IPs. As a very first step to set the direction of educational reforms in BARMM, MBHTE developed the Bangsamoro Education Code (BEC) or the Act “providing for the establishment, maintenance, and support of a complete and integrated system of quality education in the Bangsamoro.” The BEC provides that MBHTE shall initiate the creation of a tribal university system to provide a school system where the IPs’ language, culture, and traditional knowledge of their elders are incorporated in the curricular and extracurricular activities of the students.[11] To support MBHTE’s effort, development Feb 23, 2022 Page 5 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) partners have been supporting the implementation of various key reform activities that focus on the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children in BARMM, e.g., providing alternative access to education in school- less communities (barangays) and providing teacher training programs focusing on basic literacy and numeracy among others. Yet, there are so many children who are already out-of-school or at risk of dropping out which will have been worsened due to the pandemic. The need to support those children is urgent and higher than ever before [1] World Bank. 2020. Philippines: Human Capital Index 2020. Washington, DC: World Bank. https://databank.worldbank.org/data/download/hci/HCI_1pager_PHL.pdf?cid=GGH_e_hcpexternal_en_ext. [2] LAYS Boys, 7.2 years; LAYS, girls 7.8 years Public Disclosure Copy [3] UNICEF Education COVID19 Response Issue Brief: COVID19 and Girls’ Education in East Asia and Pacific October 2020 [4] Ibid [5] https://Copenstat.psa.gov.ph/PXWeb/pxweb/en/DB/DB__3E__CH__IP/0023E3D2080.px/?rxid=a215c6a2- 499f-45a4-a1f4-b37b1c058afe (2015) [6] World Bank. 2019. Unlocking the Potential of the Bangsamoro People through the Alternative Learning System. Washington, DC: The World Bank. [7] As of 2019, Maguindanao was the most conflict-ridden province in the Bangsamoro, followed by Lanao del Sur, Sulu and Basilan. Tawi-Tawi was the least conflict-affected. International Alert, 2020. Enduring Wars. Quezon City: International Alert Philippines [8] Provinces of Lanao del Sur (0.248), Sulu (0.325) and Maguindanao has the lowest human development among provinces in the Philippines. UNDP, 2021. Philippine Human Development Report 2020/21 [9] DepEd. 2020. Draft Indigenous Peoples Implementation Framework. [10] Institute of Philippine Culture, 2012. Inception Report for the Philippine’s Response to Indigenous People and Muslim Education (PRIME) Programme. Their baseline survey in 2011 and 2012 showed that “sources of tensions among IP and Muslim parents and caregivers derive from the often-negative stereotypes, misunderstandings, or sheer lack of information about their cultures they see as prevailing among some teachers and education personnel dealing with their children. Such experiences can lead to hesitations about sending their children to school, fearing the young ones will be discriminated against in some way. These concerns may stem from the following situations perceived as happening in school: the unfamiliar learning set-up; pejorative attitudes and demeaning treatment by the teachers; lack of respect for Indigenous or Muslim cultures, religious beliefs, practices and traditions; teachers‘ failure to understand the children‘s Feb 23, 2022 Page 6 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) language and their assumption that the children should speak the dominant language; lack of proper attention to the role of the elders or religious leaders in the community; and other traditions." [11] https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest-news/barmm-education-code-signed-into-law/ Relationship to CPF The proposed project supports the Philippines Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022, the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) FY2020–2025 and aligns with the World Bank’s twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. The literature on human capital has documented a positive correlation between investment in human capital and social-economic development.[1] The proposed project will underpin the Government’s education reform[2] and focus on accelerating human development in BARMM. The regional focus is consistent with the Performance and Learning Review (PLR) part of the Public Disclosure Copy “Comprehensive program for regional development in Mindanao.” The project design aligns with the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) FY2020–2025, Focus Area 1 “Investing in Filipinos”, Object 1 “Improved access to quality education and health services.” BARMM is the most disadvantaged region in the Philippines with the lowest access to quality education and health services. The proposed project will aim to reduce and prevent elementary school dropouts so that it can contribute to this pillar of the CPF among the most disadvantaged children in BARMM. In addition, the proposed interventions link to the World Bank’s twin goals - eradicating extreme poverty and increasing shared prosperity. [1] World Development Report 2018. [2] Basic Education Act of 2013 (Republic Act 10533), or commonly referred to as K-12 Program. C. Project Development Objective(s) Proposed Development Objective(s) The number of potential beneficiaries is estimated to be approximately 29,100 elementary-age (6-11-year-old) children over three school years, of which 22,500 are out-of-school children (OOSC) and 6,600 are at-risk children in school. The PDO is to re-enroll 30 percent of the OOSC (6,750 of 22,500, of which 50 percent are female) and to retain 35 percent of at-risk children (2,640 of 6,600, of which 50 percent are female) in 100 pilot elementary schools in three divisions (Lanao Del Sur I, Lanao Del Sur II and Marawi City) in the Lanao Del Sur Province in BARMM. With the project interventions, the elementary graduation rate is expected to improve by 3 percent by the end of the project period. It is also estimated that 350 households per year will improve their livelihood by earning incomes contributing to the school feeding program. The PDO will be achieved through a sequence of interventions. The project will first identify existing OOSC and at-risk children and mobilize community and school members to understand the factors causing the dropouts, to find local solutions addressing those factors, and to implement remedial measures at community/school levels using school Feb 23, 2022 Page 7 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) grants. The project will also offer seed funds to organize a school feeding program that can benefit both students and households. By contributing labor and/or ingredients for the program, household members could earn incomes, while students could have access to nutritious food at school. Key Results The project aims to increase the number of OOSC who re-enroll in school by 30 percent and reduce the number of children who drop out of school by 35 percent in three target divisions in the Lanao Del Sur Province, BARMM. The PDO indicators are: Table 1: PDO indicators Baseline Public Disclosure Copy (Baseline survey will be conducted at PDO indicators the outset of the project Target implementation and finalized within six months) Total: Number of OOSC; percent of elementary age children Percentage of OOSC who were re- Total: 30 percent of the baseline enrolled in 100 pilot elementary Boys: Number of OOSC; percent of OOSC (Equally divided between schools (disaggregated by gender, elementary age children the boys and girls) ethnicity, IP) Girls: Number of OOSC; percent of elementary age children Total: Number of at-risk students; Total: 35 percent of the at-risk Percentage of at-risk children percent of enrolled students student baseline who were identified by school principals but remained in school Boys: Number of at-risk students; Boys: 35 percent of the at-risk annually in 100 pilot elementary percent of enrolled students student baseline schools (disaggregated by gender, ethnicity, IP) Girls: Number of students; percent of Girls: 35 percent of the at-risk enrolled students student baseline Total: Percent of grade 1 students Total: Increased by 5 percentage who transition to grade 2 points Change in transition rate from Boys: Percent of grade 1 students Boys: Increased by 5 percentage grade 1 to 2 in 100 pilot who transition to grade 2 points elementary schools Girls: Percent of grade 1 students who Girls: Increased by 5 percentage transition to grade 2 points Feb 23, 2022 Page 8 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Php. 18,900,000 over three years Change in income of the 350 beneficiary parents (primarily (Php. 150 per day x 120 days = mothers) by providing labor or 0 Php. 18,000 per year or Php. ingredients for the school-based 54,000 over three years per feeding program person. Php. 54,000 x 350 = Php. 18.9m)[1] 1] Equivalent to approximately US$ 1,800 over three years. D. Preliminary Description Public Disclosure Copy Activities/Components The proposed project consists of three components. Component 1 will support community mapping of OOSC and at-risk students, using the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) to develop a dropout prediction model. Based on the findings from the community mapping and prediction model, the component will identify appropriate mitigation measures targeted at reducing and preventing dropouts. Component 2 will support the development and implementation of mitigation measures aimed at reducing dropouts and retaining children at-risk, identified under Component 1. Activities will include development of a menu of standard mitigation measures, development, and provision of training programs for school principals and teachers, provision of sub-grants for community-based small projects, and provision of seed funds to establish a sustainable school feeding program. Component 3 will support the project management and administration and monitor and evaluate the implementation of dropout mitigation measures and community outreach activities. Given its piloting nature, and to rigorously gauge the effectiveness of the implementation modalities, the project will conduct a thorough mixed method evaluation including all 100 schools. The project will publish the findings of the evaluation, contributing to increasing the knowledge repository on activities aimed at reducing dropout in BARMM. This component will also support program management and knowledge dissemination.[1] Component 1: Identifying out-of-school and at-risk elementary-age children (US$ 119,750) Through in-depth mapping and ethnographic interviews, this component will support communities and schools to jointly identify OOSC and at-risk students, and develop measures aimed at reducing and preventing school dropouts in 100 schools across three divisions (Lanao del Sur I, Lanao del Sur II, and Marawi City) in the Lanao del Sur Province. The location includes two Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF[2] Sub-component 1.1: Community mapping (US$ 86,000). The mapping and ethnographic interviews will take a Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach where tribal leaders, parents, and children consider their own socioeconomic and cultural contexts and identify both demand-side (e.g., children needing to work) and supply-side (e.g., schools not available nearby) factors causing school dropouts. The interviews will also Feb 23, 2022 Page 9 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) include other key stakeholders such as divisional education officials and local NGOs/CSOs. Also, a language mapping will be conducted to determine language diversity spoken in the implementation areas and define the methodology to select a best feasible option for the language of instruction to be used in each school. The mapping will also pay attention to climate and disaster related factors that could lead to increased school dropout rates. Such factors may include: (a) likelihood of children having to work after a disaster; (ii) longer/extended school hours to complete missed lessons and meet the required number of school days after a disaster put an additional burden to a still recovering household/family; and (iii) disruptions from temporary displacement/evacuation which may easily become extended (if not permanent). Drop-outs (and now school closures) disproportionately affected students from marginalized households, notably in rural and conflict-affected areas. Girls and female youth are more at risk of permanently dropping out and face heightened risks of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and early pregnancy. Reducing the number of children that drop out of school can be expected to positively impact these overall risk factors. Public Disclosure Copy Sub-component 1.2: Developing a dropout predication model and mitigation measure (US$ 33,750). Based on inputs from community leaders, and key stakeholders such as local government, divisional offices, and local NGOs/CSOs, together with those from school principals and teachers, this sub-component will develop a contextualized dropout prediction model[3] and identify corresponding mitigation measures to reduce and prevent dropouts. The prediction model’s ability to accurately identify and mitigate dropouts is a key innovation to be piloted in the project. Component 2: Implementing community-driven school dropout mitigation measures (US$ 2,249,550) Component 2 will support the development and implementation of mitigation measures aimed at reducing dropouts and retaining children at-risk, identified under Component 1. Sub-component 2.1 will develop a menu of standard mitigation measures. Sub-component 2.2 will develop and provide training programs for school principals and teachers to identify and develop context appropriate dropout mitigation measures for their respective schools, in collaboration with community stakeholders. Sub-component 2.3 will provide sub- grants for community-based small projects to reduce dropouts. Sub-component 2.4 will provide seed funds to establish a sustainable school feeding program at the school level. Sub-component 2.1: Development of standard mitigation measures (US$ 32,750). This sub-component will develop a menu of standard mitigation measures such as (i) Alternative Delivery Modes (ADM)[4] and remedial programs to provide continued education services to students on the verge of dropping out; (ii) provision of books (Read@Home program); (iii) development of teaching and learning materials in local languages; and (iv) teacher training on multiple language teaching (Mother tongue based-Multilingual education (MTB-MLE)). The standard programs can be modified for the needs of communities/schools as appropriate. Feb 23, 2022 Page 10 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Sub-component 2.2: Development and provision of training program for school heads and teachers (US$ 212,800). This sub-component will develop and provide training programs for school principals and teachers to identify and develop context appropriate dropout mitigation measures for their respective schools, in collaboration with community stakeholders. This training will also include topics like children’s rights to education and problems with child labor. Sub-component 2.3: Provision of sub-grants for community-based small projects to reduce dropouts (US$ 1,625,000). This sub-component will provide grants to communities/schools to select and implement suitable dropout mitigation measures at the community level. Such measures could be selected from the menu of possible mitigation measures developed under sub-component 2.1 or any other measure the communities Public Disclosure Copy may develop. The recipients of the grants will be schools, but they will need to design and implement the community-based projects together with community members. All sub-grants will be allocated from CBCS to schools and partners. A comprehensive sub-grant manual will be designed, clearly outlining the governance structure; eligibility criteria and guidelines; responsibilities of grant agent and sub-grant recipients, guidelines on anti-corruption; and risk mitigation measures. In its role as grant agent, CBCS is accountable for due diligence, monitoring and auditing of all grant recipients and grants disbursed Sub-component 2.4: Provision of seed funds for school feeding programs (US$ 378,000). This sub- component will provide seed funds to communities/schools to establish a sustainable school feeding program. Involvement of parents and communities in the provision of school feeding program and other community-specific measures is expected not only to help improve their livelihood by earning incomes from contributing goods and labor, but also to improve awareness of the importance of nutrition and education for their young children, both for boys and girls. This activity will collaborate with the WASH project which is expected to launch in the second half of 2022 if the geographical coverage overlaps so that the school feeding will be nested within the wholistic child development, linking education with health and nutrition. Component 3: Project Management and Administration, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Knowledge Dissemination (US$ 500,000) [5] Sub-Component 3.1: Project management and administration (US$ 266,750) The local NGO, Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society Inc. (CBCS) is the implementing Agency. CBCS has intensive experience in implementing education projects and is a recurrent choice for other development partners in BARMM for education related activities due to their reach and community-driven approach to their activities.[6] The organization specializes in community work and has established trust and confidence in the local communities (including IP communities) and is able to operate in locations that most others are not. It also has strong project management, administration, and monitoring capacities. However, since CBCS Feb 23, 2022 Page 11 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has not implemented Bank-funded projects, and may need technical support for fiduciary responsibilities, the project will finance procurement, financial management and environment and social safeguard experts, as needed. This sub-component will finance the mandatory annual audits. Sub-Component 3.2: Monitoring and Evaluation (US$ 77,250) Work under this sub-component focuses on monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the dropout mitigation measures and community outreach activities. The project will use participatory approaches to ensure ownership and empowerment of beneficiaries. Tribal leaders will be engaged in community mapping to locate out-of-school children to encourage them to go back to school and in information campaigns to clarify cultural and religious concerns related to education. At present, monitoring of dropouts and at-risk students may be limited at the school level, and there is a weak tracing of those children. Therefore, the Public Disclosure Copy project will engage community members and parents to monitor dropouts and at-risk students. First, this sub-component will develop a monitoring and evaluation tool for communities and schools to: (i) monitor school attendance of dropouts and at-risk children who are benefiting from mitigation measures; and (ii) evaluate the effectiveness of various mitigation measures in terms of bringing back dropouts and keeping at- risk students in school. Capacity building will be provided to teachers and school heads to develop dropout mitigation measures, monitor the educational status of at-risk children, and strengthen communication with parents. This sub-component will also support a baseline survey, mid-term evaluation, and final outcome evaluation feeding into the completion report. The baseline survey on the monitoring indicators will be conducted at the onset of the project. CBCS has intensive experience and staffing in monitoring and evaluation of project implementation, but as needed, the project could finance additional staffing to support monitoring and evaluation. Also, the project team will include the MBHTE in monitoring and evaluation activities and ensure capacity building. The project will not conduct a robust impact evaluation but evaluate outcomes to identify what interventions work and what do not, and what factors may contribute to the success and failures. Sub-Component 3.3: Knowledge Dissemination (US$ 16,500) Based on the evaluation findings, this sub-component will support community leaders, principals, and teachers to discuss project outcomes and develop a post-project implementation plan to reduce school dropouts. This sub-component will also support divisions to consolidate those findings and develop a strategy to disseminate the findings to other schools within each participating division, and to representatives from other divisions. At the regional level, the findings can be disseminated together with awareness campaigns on the benefits of completing formal education and demystification of parents’ concerns about sending their children to formal schools. Feb 23, 2022 Page 12 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) [1] For the implementing agency, CBCS, “Operating Costs” means the reasonable costs, as shall have been approved by the World Bank, for the incremental expenses incurred on account of Project implementation, management, monitoring and evaluation, consisting of vehicle operation and maintenance, communication and insurance costs, banking charges, rental expenses, support for information systems, office (and office equipment) maintenance and repairs, expenditures for materials and supplies, utilities, document duplication/printing, interpretation and translation costs, consumables, and travel cost and per diem for Project staff for travel linked to the implementation of the Project, salaries of GBCS personnel up to 5% of the Grant amount (excluding consultants’ services, salaries of civil service officials of the Recipient, and salaries of personnel from sub-contracting agencies). [2] The Chief of Staff of MILF, Sammy Al Mansor, explained in his message on the Camp Transformation Plan that MILF camps are different from typical military camps; it looks like communities with residents composed of combatants and civilians. These camps have markers, schools, mosques, barangay health facilities and Public Disclosure Copy other civilian facilities. There are two MILF camps in Lanao del Sur—Camp Bushra, located in Butig; and Camp Bilal covering barangays of Saguiaran, Piagapo, Marantao, Wato-Balindong, Pualas and Calanogas. Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority, 2020. Camp Transformation Plan. According to a survey of needs and skills of Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) members in 2018, BIAF households have a higher percentage of school-aged children (age 6-14) at 31.3 percent against the national average at 25.3 percent. In terms of rate of school attendance, children from BIAF households are seven times more likely to be out of school than similar aged children across the rest of the country at 17.3 percent compared to 2.4 percent nationally. Institute of Bangsamoro Studies (IBS). 2018. Needs and Skills of Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) Members. [3] Adelman, A. F. Haimovich, A. Ham and E. Vazquez. 2017. Predicting School Dropout with Administrative Data: New Evidence from Guatemala and Honduras. Policy Research Working Paper 8142. Washington, DC: World Bank. [4] ADM refers to the nontraditional education program recognized by DepEd which applies a flexible learning philosophy and a curricular delivery program that includes non-formal and informal sources of knowledge and skills. [5] Component requirement of the JSDF [6] The Bank team gathered information on other Civil Society Organizations operating in the Maguindanao Division for the iTeach Project. There are 16 groups, but no other CSOs had experience in managing projects and activities of a comparable scope and scale. Table 2: Activities, Outputs and Outcomes Expected Component Activities to be financed Expected outputs outcomes Component 1: Identifying out-of-school and at-risk elementary age children Feb 23, 2022 Page 13 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Number of OOCS children in the targeted Public Disclosure Copy communities reduced by 30 percent Livelihood improved of 350 beneficiary households in the targeted communities Feb 23, 2022 Page 14 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)  Comprehensive mapping of OOSC and at-risk children in  Data collection and three divisions in Lanao Del analysis Sur Sub-component 1.1:  Community consultation Community mapping  Community awareness workshops about the risk and consequences of OOCS and at-risk children  Development of a Public Disclosure Copy dropout prediction  A school dropout prediction model Sub-component 1.2: model developed Developing a dropout  Community consultation  Taxonomy with predication model and workshops corresponding mitigation mitigation measure  Designing of measures designed corresponding mitigation measures Component 2: Implementing school dropout mitigation measures  Standardized community- Sub-comp 2.1:  Development of based dropout Development of standard standard mitigation reduction/prevention mitigation measures measures measures developed  Training packages developed Sub-comp 2.2: Development and  Development of context  Training provided provision of training specific training  School heads and teachers program for school heads programs able to develop and and teachers implement appropriate mitigation measures Sub-comp 2.3: Provision  Development and  Community stakeholders of sub-grants for provision of Alternative mobilized community-based small Delivery Modes (ADM)  Contextualized school-level projects to reduce and remedial programs mitigation measures dropouts Feb 23, 2022 Page 15 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) developed and implemented Sub-comp 2.4: Provision  Provision of seed funds  A sustainable community- of seed funds for school for school feeding based school feeding feeding programs programs program established Component 3: Project Management and Administration, Monitoring and Evaluation, Knowledge Dissemination Sub-component 3.1: Project management Project management and administration Annual audit report, and ICR Public Disclosure Copy  Baseline survey, mid-term evaluation, and final  Development of outcome evaluation monitoring and  Development of monitoring evaluation tools (expert, Sub-component 3.2: and evaluation tools for operational expenses) Monitoring and communities and schools evaluation  Analysis of project  Development of post- findings project implementation plan for successful and sustainable project activities  Stakeholder workshops  Knowledge products shared Sub-comp 3.3:  Dissemination events with key counterparts at Knowledge dissemination  Dissemination international, national and workshops district level Environmental and Social Standards Relevance E. Relevant Standards ESS Standards Relevance Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social ESS 1 Relevant Risks and Impacts ESS 10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure Relevant ESS 2 Labor and Working Conditions Relevant Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and ESS 3 Not Currently Relevant Management Feb 23, 2022 Page 16 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) ESS 4 Community Health and Safety Relevant Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary ESS 5 Not Currently Relevant Resettlement Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of ESS 6 Not Currently Relevant Living Natural Resources Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically ESS 7 Relevant Underserved Traditional Local Communities ESS 8 Cultural Heritage Not Currently Relevant ESS 9 Financial Intermediaries Not Currently Relevant Legal Operational Policies Safeguard Policies Triggered Explanation (Optional) Public Disclosure Copy Projects on International Waterways OP No 7.50 Projects in Disputed Areas OP 7.60 No Summary of Screening of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts The environmental risk of the project is assessed to be low. The project includes the provision of sub-grants for community-based small projects and seed funds to establish a sustainable school feeding program under Component 2. Measures related to this component will not involve any physical infrastructure investments and civil or rehabilitation works. The government has an existing school feeding program and basic kitchen facilities that the project intends to utilize. The key environmental issues that can be anticipated at this stage are mainly associated with hygiene, food safety, and fire accidents. These impacts can be prevented by following good practices and residual impacts, if any, would be mitigable by implementing the pertinent provisions of the relevant environmental and social standards and application of relevant Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines. Guidance regarding how to manage these impacts and measures for how to mitigate them will be included in the Environmental Social and Management Framework (ESMF) and reflected in the ESCP. Furthermore, the project does not involve land acquisition, and will not create disruption in natural resources or economic displacement nor resettlement of households. The project does not include activities that would affect biodiversity, consume natural resources and/or generate wastes or pollutants. Overall, the potential adverse risks to and impacts on the environment from the project component activities are likely to be minimal. The project has been screened for climate and disaster risks. The extent to which relevant climate and geophysical hazards have been considered in the project design and the experience of the implementing organization in disaster risk management lessens the potential risk. The project components include activities that could contribute to increasing the adaptive capacity and resilience of the target beneficiaries to climate and disaster risk. such as community mapping to include the analysis of climate and disaster related factors that could lead to increased school dropout rates (Component 1); interventions to reduce and prevent dropouts due to climate- and disaster-related events (Component 2); and assessing the effectiveness of of various mitigation measures (Component 3). The social risks rating is considered moderate. The project will not finance any direct physical infrastructure investments, and thus also would not require any land acquisition/ resettlement. Rather, the project will finance activities such as Feb 23, 2022 Page 17 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) community mapping; community consultation workshops; drop out prediction models and mitigation measures, Alternative Delivery Modes (ADM) and remedial programs, school feeding programs etc. Nonetheless, the social risk is moderate as the project consultation process require engagement with diverse stakeholders that may be contentious. There may also be possible risk of resentment concerning selection of communities as well as SEA/SH. Furthermore, the project will be implemented in a fragile and insecure context, with associated security risks and COVID-19 risk of transmission to project workers (e.g. CBCS staff) and the communities. The social risk rating will be monitored during project implementation and adjusted in the event of contextual changes like the eruption of violence that can escalate project risks. The project has substantial positive social benefits as it will directly contribute to increase the access and improve literacy of vulnerable OOSC and at-risk elementary students (including IP students) to education. The project will also contribute to empower not only school staff but also the caregivers and communities (particularly IPs and Maranao communities) by giving them a greater say in tailoring the development of prediction and mitigation measures to their context-specific needs and in a culturally appropriate manner; as well as Public Disclosure Copy allowing them to participate actively in mitigation measures (e.g. school feeding) to re-enroll and retain students from their schools/ communities. The community consultation workshops, mitigation measures and trainings/ programs will not only need to be tailored to the differentiated needs of the specific IP communities, Maranao communities and/or MILF camp circumstances, but also gender differences affecting dropouts (e.g. early and arranged marriages for girls; cultural attitudes towards girls in school; safety challenges especially for girls, Menstrual Hygiene Management at school, amongst others). The feeding program will also help increase the knowledge of communities, particularly caregivers/ parents, on the importance of nutrition, which will also have a positive impacts in improving the long-term well being and academic achievements of students in BARMM. However, there might be dissatisfaction or possible tensions arising from the selection of the 100 pilot schools, particularly the selection of the schools in three MILF camps. Thus, as part of outreach and awareness raising of the project and its activities, it is a criteria to clearly communicate the targeting and selection process (e.g. objective selection criteria) and the rationale for the inclusion of schools in the MILF camps as falling within the targeted districts that have met the selection criteria. There may also be potential COVID-19 related health and safety risks related to in-person community consultation workshops and training (e.g. with school staff) and community consultation workshops. These risks and impacts will be managed through the ESMF and enhanced Occupational health and safety (OHS) protocols under COVID-19 and security protocols/measures are to be included in the ESMF annex on Labor-Management Procedures (LMP). The ESMF will also include an annex for a brief Indigenous Peoples Planning Framework (IPPF) describing the strategy and process to address the needs of IPs and Maranao communities, who will be continually engaged during implementation as elaborated in the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP). All the components will be consistent with the World Bank Environmental and Social Standards of the ESF, including the ToRs for all Project activities. CONTACT POINT World Bank Feb 23, 2022 Page 18 of 19 The World Bank No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Contact : Sachiko Kataoka Title : Senior Economist Telephone No : 63-2-8465263 Email : Contact : Thomas Poulsen Title : Senior Education Economist Telephone No : 5220+3058 / Email : Borrower/Client/Recipient Implementing Agencies Implementing Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society, Inc. (CBCS) Agency : Contact : Guiamel Mato Alim Title : Chairperson Telephone No : 09177263530 Email : alim.guiamel@gmail.com Public Disclosure Copy FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects Feb 23, 2022 Page 19 of 19