The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report LA-Scaling-Up Participatory Sustainable Forest Management (P130222) LA-Scaling-Up Participatory Sustainable Forest Management (P130222) EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC | Lao People's Democratic Republic | Environment, Natural Resources & the Blue Economy Global Practice | IBRD/IDA | Investment Project Financing | FY 2013 | Seq No: 17 | ARCHIVED on 27-Oct-2022 | ISR49658 | Implementing Agencies: Lao People's Democratic Republic, The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao People's Democratic Republic Key Dates Key Project Dates Bank Approval Date: 31-May-2013 Effectiveness Date: 08-Aug-2013 Planned Mid Term Review Date: 23-Nov-2015 Actual Mid-Term Review Date: 09-Nov-2015 Original Closing Date: 31-Aug-2018 Revised Closing Date: 31-Jul-2022 pdoTable Project Development Objectives Project Development Objective (from Project Appraisal Document) To execute REDD+ activities through participatory sustainable forest management in priority areas and to pilot forest landscape management in four provinces Has the Project Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project Objective? Yes Board Approved Revised Project Development Objective (If project is formally restructured) To strengthen participatory sustainable forest management in targeted production forest areas, and forest landscape management in targeted provinces Components Table Name 1: Strengthening and Expanding PSFM in PFAs:(Cost $23.03 M) 2: Forest Landscape Management:(Cost $2.99 M) 3: Enabling Legal and Regulatory Environment:(Cost $4.81 M) 4: Project Management, Learning, and Investment Development:(Cost $5.99 M) Overall Ratings Name Previous Rating Current Rating Progress towards achievement of PDO Satisfactory Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP) Satisfactory Satisfactory Overall Risk Rating Moderate Moderate Implementation Status and Key Decisions The project closed in July 2022. It has achieved most of its key outcome targets and in doing so has strengthened participatory sustainable forest management and forest landscape management, contributed to reduction of carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and supported diverse livelihoods activities. 10/27/2022 Page 1 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report LA-Scaling-Up Participatory Sustainable Forest Management (P130222) More than 976,000 hectares of forests have been brought under sustainable community-based management plans and over 117,000 people in forests areas have seen increased monetary and non-monetary benefits from both forest-related and non-forest activities. More than two-thirds of these beneficiaries are ethnic minorities. The project’s sustainable management interventions and project-supported regulatory measures are estimated to have reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) by about 1.8 million tons CO2 equivalent (CO2e) and reduced the annual rate of forest cover loss by about one-third. To date, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification has been issued for 99,607 hectares as meeting either its forest management or controlled wood standard (roughly half under each standard). While this is less than half the certification target, the shortfall is mainly due to Covid-restrictions limiting certification activities. Livelihood development grants have been provided to 666 villages in 41 Production Forest Areas to support sustainable forest and non-forest economic activities. A total of 20,600 individual Village Livelihoods Development Grants were distributed to 21,344 households. Risks Systematic Operations Risk-rating Tool Risk Category Rating at Approval Previous Rating Current Rating Political and Governance -- Moderate Moderate Macroeconomic -- Moderate Moderate Sector Strategies and Policies -- Moderate Moderate Technical Design of Project or Program -- Low Low Institutional Capacity for Implementation and -- Moderate Moderate Sustainability Fiduciary -- Substantial Moderate Environment and Social -- Moderate Moderate Stakeholders -- Low Low Other -- Substantial Moderate Overall -- Moderate Moderate Results PDO Indicators by Objectives / Outcomes To strengthen participatory sustainable forest management in targeted production forest areas IN01082361 ►Forest area brought under management plans (Hectare(Ha), Corporate) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 976,211.00 976,211.00 976,211.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 10/27/2022 Page 2 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report LA-Scaling-Up Participatory Sustainable Forest Management (P130222) Target achieved. Unchanged since last ISR. This indicator measures the extent of Production Forest Areas where go plans prepared with support from SUFORD-SU are under implementation. The total area under PSFM plans has bee Comments: up the areas provided in the 40 individual PSFM plans prepared with support from SUFORD-SU. Note that one of the to receive project support is inaccessible due to security reasons, and the end target was formally revised accordingl IN01082362 ►People in forest and adjacent community with monetary/ non-monetary benefit from interventions (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 117,400.00 117,400.00 117,400.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 This is the sum of the number of people in households implementing village sub-projects with funds available from Village Livelihood Development Grants (VLDGs) provided by SUFORD-SU in 666 villages (direct beneficiaries of VLD Grants: 21,344 recipient households x avg of 5.5 people in rural households, according to 2015 census). The VLDGs are fully disbursed and implementation underway with monitoring Comments: and extension support from DOF, PAFOs and DAFOs. In addition, separate impact assessments and other research shows significant welfare improvement effects. The latest is the FIP poverty study independently carried out by the Bank's poverty GP. Prior to that the client prepared similar studies. Also released in 2019 is a FIP report on SUFORD-SU. IN01082363 People in targeted forest and adjacent community with increased benefits from interventions-female (Number, Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 58,700.00 58,700.00 58,700.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 IN01082364 People in targeted forest & adjacent community with increased benefit from interventions -Ethnic minority/ indigenous (Number, Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 90,500.00 90,500.00 90,500.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 IN01082365 ►Enhanced carbon storage from improved forest protection and restoration (tCO2e) (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 33,500.00 33,500.00 35,000.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 The original target of 15,000 tCO2 was achieved and surpassed. Under AF the target was raised to 35,000. The substantial increase is due to a change in calculation methodology occurred during 2018 Restructuring, as well as the increased contribution to national level emission reduction through more efficient law enforcement. Comments: Estimated on the following assumptions:  average monthly sequestration if all village projects successfully implemented: 2,500 tCO2e; Since May 2018, 100 % of village projects were under implementation (48 months); based on evaluation on the AF village projects, the success rate for SUFORD-SU is assumed to be same, 90%. 10/27/2022 Page 3 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report LA-Scaling-Up Participatory Sustainable Forest Management (P130222) IN01082366 ►Reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (tCO2e) (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 1,800,000.00 1,800,000.00 2,000,000.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 The original target of 121,000 tCO2 was achieved and surpassed. Under AF, the end target was increased to the current 2,000,000 tCO2 by the end of the project. The substantial increase is due to a change in calculation methodology occurred during the 2018 Restructuring, as well as the increased Comments: contribution to national level emission reduction through more efficient law enforcement. (Kukkonen, M. & Langner, A. 2017. Assessment of Forest Degradation Monitoring Methods in Lao P.D.R. Technical Report. SUFORD-SU. Vientiane, Lao PDR) IN01082367 ►Rate of annual forest cover loss in targeted Production Forest Areas (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.27 0.18 0.18 0.18 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 Based on the Forest Cover Change Assessment carried out using RapidEye (2015) and Sentinel 2 images (2017-2018) to assess forest cover loss observed during 2000-2005, 2005-10, 2010-15, and Comments: 2015-17 intervals. and (to strengthen) forest landscape management in targeted provinces IN01082345 ►Forest area brought under forest landscape management plans (Hectare(Ha), Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 3,380,170.00 3,380,170.00 2,680,000.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 Unchanged. This indicator measures the area under plans for Forest Landscape Management (FLM) in Bokeo, Luang Namtha, Oudomxay and Xayaboury provinces. The FLM area has been defined through Comments: remote sensing, field checks and consultations with stakeholders. Overall Comments PDO Almost all PDO level indicators have fully achieved the targets, resulting in satisfactory overall outcome. Intermediate Results Indicators by Components Strengthening and Expanding PSFM in Production Forest Areas IN01082368 10/27/2022 Page 4 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report LA-Scaling-Up Participatory Sustainable Forest Management (P130222) ►Beneficiaries who receive technical services of adequate quality (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 76.00 76.00 83.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 This indicator measures the percentage of the direct beneficiaries among the village population who perceive that the services of adequate quality. Direct beneficiaries include members of the Village Forest and Livelihood Committee, a Comments: Grants. The Survey was conducted in April-May 2019 (Daviau, Steeve. 2019. Assessment on quality of technical ser Engagement. Special Assessment. SUFORD-SU. Vientiane, Lao PDR.) IN01082373 VFLC who receive services of adequate quality in Forest Management and Village Livelihood Development (Percentage, Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 71.00 71.00 80.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 IN01082375 Production groups who receive services of adequate quality in Livelihood Support (Percentage, Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 95.00 95.00 95.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 IN01082377 ►Participants who perceive the CEF process is adequate (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 97.00 97.00 97.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 Survey conducted in April-May 2019 (Daviau, Steeve. 2019. Assessment on quality of technical services Comments: and Community Engagement. Special Assessment. SUFORD-SU. Vientiane, Lao PDR.) IN01082379 ►Forest area under MoU-PSFM (Hectare(Ha), Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 976,211.00 976,211.00 976,211.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 Original target of 975,000 was achieved and surpassed. Under AF the final end target was increased slightly to the value that had been achieved at the time of AF approval, to be maintained through the project completion. [PMB1] The original target reflected the signing of MoU in all project villages, which at Comments: the time of appraisal collectively managed an estate of 975,000ha of production forest area. IN01082381 10/27/2022 Page 5 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report LA-Scaling-Up Participatory Sustainable Forest Management (P130222) ►Forest area under MoU-VFMA (Hectare(Ha), Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 10,750.00 10,750.00 10,750.00 Date 12-Aug-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 Original target of 10,000 ha was achieved and surpassed. Under AF the end target was raised to the current value, to Comments: project completion. MoUs signed in all 31 villages with VFMPs; the figure includes Village Use Forests and Bamboo F IN01082382 ►VLD Grants disbursed to villages and under implementation (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 Village Livelihood Development Grants (VLDGs) have been fully distributed to all 666 targeted villages (approximately 21,344 recipient households and 117,400 beneficiaries), and a wide range of livelihood activities are well implemented, monitored and supported with extension services, resulting in improved Comments: livelihoods from alternative income activities (agriculture, agroforestry, and small animal husbandry, etc.) and reduced dependence on forest exploitation. IN01082383 ►Aggregate forest area under certification as a result of the project (Hectare(Ha), Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 108,068.00 99,607.00 230,000.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 End target was increased from the original target of 175,000ha to match the renewed national target set by the Government at 230,000 ha by 2022. Audit verifying the status conducted in January 2022 (FSC FM Comments: certificate issued by Preferred by Nature 2022) IN01082384 Forest area under certification (FSC Forest Management Standard) as a result of the project (Hectare(Ha), Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 50,534.00 41,259.00 112,000.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 IN01082385 Forest area under certification (FSC Controlled Wood Standard) as a result of the project (Hectare(Ha), Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 57,534.00 58,348.00 118,000.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 10/27/2022 Page 6 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report LA-Scaling-Up Participatory Sustainable Forest Management (P130222) Forest Landscape Management IN01082369 ►Number of FLM Frameworks developed (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 The exercise was successfully completed in the 4 target provinces. The AF approved in 2020 was designed, in part, to build on these frameworks and make them more sustainable by complementing them Comments: with Forest Landscape Investment Plans. IN01082371 ►Areas with Forest Landscape Management implementation plans (Hectare(Ha), Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 1,110,000.00 1,110,000.00 1,110,000.00 Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 The original target of 1,080,000 ha was achieved and surpassed. The current increase matches the actual value from May 2019 ISR. The AF aims to maintain this achievement by project completion. Comments: IN01082374 ►Forest Landscape Investment Plans approved (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 4.00 Date 17-Dec-2019 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 This is a new indicator approved in the 2020 AF to address the absence of provincial investment plans to sequence and locate public and private projects within a landscape of different forest and land uses. The investment plans, currently under development but delayed by restrictions related to Covid-19, will highlight tradeoffs among land uses within the landscape, to help reduce risks to investment. While considerable progress was made and key data collected, the output was not yet sufficient to finalize Comments: and roll-out approved plans before project closing. However, the overall outcome of the project will not be significantly affected, as the FLIPs were designed to strengthen and enhance the sustainability of project outcomes that were already mostly achieved. Finalization and approval of the FLIPs will be undertaken by the closely related Landscapes and Livelihoods project (P170559) under which the plans are intended to provide continuing support to decision making at landscape level. Enabling Legal and Regulatory Environment IN01082370 ►Reforms in forest policy, legislation or other regulations supported (Yes/No, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value No Yes Yes Yes 10/27/2022 Page 7 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report LA-Scaling-Up Participatory Sustainable Forest Management (P130222) Date 01-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 Support has been provided to completed or on-going policy or legal work on village forestry, salvage logging, preparation of the pending new Forest Law (including forestry legal compendium, wildlife and aquatic legal compendium, penal code, TLAS, Forest Certification Systems), implementation of PMO-15, Comments: National REDD+ Strategy, approval of PMO5 (wildlife law enforcement), and PMO9 allowing forest plantation in PFAs. IN01082372 ►Investigations of breaches of forestry law and wildlife and aquatic law referred to criminal courts (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 8.00 7.50 10.00 Date 31-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 The original target of 5 was achieved and surpassed. Based on the highly satisfactory performance of this activity, th AF, also considering the increased inter-agency coordination envisaged under AF that will likely increase the number investigations. Of the 5,655 investigations carried out over the total SUFORD funding period (Oct 2013-May 2022), about 7.5 percen to criminal courts. During the SUFORD-AF funding period (2000-May 2022 DOFI undertook 19 joint investigations with the Environmen Army, all of which were referred to criminal courts. This was 14% of all referrals (142) during this period. Challenges have been identified in the lack of a clear operational pathway for meaningful joint investigations among D Comments: Police, and Customs. The mission has urged DOFI to reach out to the other agencies and finalize as soon as possibl Law Enforcement Network (Lao WEN) Cooperation Framework, in line with the new Decision No, 2239/MAF dated 3 appointment of the Advisory Committee for the Lao Wildlife Enforcement Network (Lao-WEN) to enforce the Wildlife Forestry Law. At the provincial level, the groundwork for achieving strengthened interagency law enforcement cooperation has bee Khammouane and Bolikhamxay provinces, through the development of pilot operational guidelines for Provincial Wild (P-WEN), but further work on the pilots is needed to get to official approval. IN01082376 Investigation of breaches of forestry law and wildlife and aquatic law referred to criminal courts, proportion of which are joint inter-agency investigations (Percentage, Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 57,534.00 14.00 20.00 Date 17-Dec-2019 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 IN01082378 ►STEPP field activities resulting in enforcement action (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 85.00 82.00 80.00 Date 31-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 10/27/2022 Page 8 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report LA-Scaling-Up Participatory Sustainable Forest Management (P130222) Share of human resources involved in activities resulting in enforcement action; figure based on expenditure in 2017. Enforcement activities include detection, disruption, dismantling, discouragement, and ultimately prosecution. Field activities refer to activities undertaken by provincial and district staff. Enforcement includes patrolling but excludes education and administration. Comments: The figure refers to total investigations minus ongoing. 2017 (baseline): 710 cases-152 = 558 (79%). 2021 = Actual (Current): 699 cases-124 = 82.2% (2021 is the last full year) (DOFI Project Completion July 2022, to be finalized). IN01082380 ►POFIs in compliance with DOFI best management practice operating procedures (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 16.00 18.00 18.00 Date 31-Jul-2013 15-Sep-2021 29-Jul-2022 29-Jul-2022 18 of the 18 provinces have an average score between 1 and 3 (on a 5-point scale) in monthly evaluation audits of th of work: (a) patrol activity, (b) timber seizures, (c) wildlife seizures, (d) NTFP, (e) land illegally cleared, (f) equipment, Comments: community education activity). An average score of 4 or 5 indicates failure to pass the audits. Figure based on DOFI finalized in April 2022. Overall Comments IR All PDO indicators achieved their targets by project closure, except total emission reduction which achieved 90% of the target. Six intermediate indicators did not achieve their target by project closure, although mainly by only modest margins and without a significant impact on the overall project outcomes. On FLIPs see the description on the indicator above relating to COVID delays. On forest certification, the government has decided to pause the expansion of the certified PFAs due to the persistence of the ongoing logging ban, which since 2013 has prevented any sustainable logging activity (and thus associated revenues for smallholders and the state) to occur. The policy dialogue continues weighing costs and benefits of certification, even without immediate financial returns. The Bank provided a document outlining the main issues and key steps for the DOF to take was the government to decide to recall the logging ban. Performance-Based Conditions Data on Financial Performance Disbursements (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Currency Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed % Disbursed P130222 IDA-65350 Closed USD 5.00 5.00 0.00 5.17 0.00 100% P130222 IDA-H8520 Closed USD 19.00 19.00 0.00 17.96 0.00 100% P130222 TF-15286 Closed USD 12.83 12.83 0.00 12.83 0.00 100% 10/27/2022 Page 9 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report LA-Scaling-Up Participatory Sustainable Forest Management (P130222) Key Dates (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Approval Date Signing Date Effectiveness Date Orig. Closing Date Rev. Closing Date P130222 IDA-65350 Closed 11-Feb-2020 19-Feb-2020 19-Mar-2020 31-Aug-2021 31-Jul-2022 P130222 IDA-H8520 Closed 31-May-2013 08-Aug-2013 30-Aug-2013 31-Aug-2018 30-Mar-2020 P130222 TF-15286 Closed 08-Aug-2013 08-Aug-2013 08-Aug-2013 31-Aug-2018 30-Mar-2020 Cumulative Disbursements Restructuring History Level 2 Approved on 25-May-2018 ,Level 2 Approved on 21-May-2019 ,Level 2 Approved on 09-Aug-2021 Related Project(s) P170810-Additional Financing for Scaling Up Participatory Sustainable Forest Management Project 10/27/2022 Page 10 of 10