FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Report No: ICR00005344 IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION AND RESULTS REPORT IDA Credit No. 5807-KH ON A CREDIT IN THE AMOUNT OF SDR18.2 MILLION (US$25.06 MILLION EQUIVALENT) TO THE KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA FOR THE KH - LAND ALLOCATION FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT II July 7, 2022 Agriculture And Food Global Practice East Asia And Pacific Region This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS Exchange Rate Effective December 31, 2021 Currency Unit = Cambodian Riel (KHR) KHR1 = US$ 0.00025 US$ 1.00 = KHR 4072 SDR1 = US$ 1.3996 FISCAL YEAR July 1 - June 30 Regional Vice President: Manuela V. Ferro Country Director: Mariam J. Sherman Regional Director: Benoit Bosquet Practice Manager: Dina Umali-Deininger Task Team Leader: Mudita Chamroeun ICR Main Contributors: Lindsey Knowles Larson, Paula Beatrice Magcale Macandog ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AC Agriculture Cooperative APG Agriculture Production Group AWPB Annual Work Plans and Budget BCR Benefit-Cost Ratio CDAF Community Development and Agriculture Facilitator CDP Commune Development Plan CEN Country Engagement Note CIP Commune Investment Plan COM Community Operations Manual CPF Country Partnership Framework CSO Civil Society Organization DA Designated Account E&S Environmental and Social EA Executing Agency EA-EMP Environmental Assessment - Environmental Management Plan EFA Economic and Financial Analysis EIRR Economic Internal Rate of Return EMP Environmental Management Plan GDA General Department of Agriculture GDH General Department of Housing GDP Gross Domestic Product GIS Geospatial Information System GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism GSSLC General Secretariat for Social Land Concession HFIAS Household Food Insecurity Access Scale IA Implementing Agency ICR Implementation Completion and Results Report IDPoor Cambodian Government’s Poverty Identification Process IDA International Development Association IFR Interim Financial Report IRI Intermediate Results Indicator IRM Immediate Response Mechanism ISR Implementation Status and Results Report JSDF Japan Social Development Fund LASED Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development LR Land Recipient MAFF Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries MIS Management Information System MLMUPC Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning, and Construction NCDD National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development NCDDS National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development Secretariat NCSLC National Committee for Social Land Concession NGO Non-governmental Organization NPV Net Present Value O&M Operation and Maintenance PAD Project Appraisal Document PCR Project Completion Report PDO Project Development Objective PIM Project Implementation Manual RFG Revolving Fund Group RGC Royal Government of Cambodia SLC Social Land Concession SLM Sustainable Land Management TOC Theory of Change TABLE OF CONTENTS DATA SHEET .......................................................................................................................... 1 I. PROJECT CONTEXT AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES ....................................................... 5 A. CONTEXT AT APPRAISAL .........................................................................................................5 B. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES DURING IMPLEMENTATION ................................................................9 II. OUTCOME .................................................................................................................... 10 A. RELEVANCE OF PDOs ............................................................................................................10 B. ACHIEVEMENT OF PDOs (EFFICACY) ......................................................................................11 C. EFFICIENCY ...........................................................................................................................17 Assessment of Efficiency and Rating..........................................................................................17 D. JUSTIFICATION OF OVERALL OUTCOME RATING ....................................................................19 E. OTHER OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS .........................................................................................19 III. KEY FACTORS THAT AFFECTED IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOME ................................ 21 A. KEY FACTORS DURING PREPARATION ...................................................................................21 B. KEY FACTORS DURING IMPLEMENTATION .............................................................................21 IV. BANK PERFORMANCE, COMPLIANCE ISSUES, AND RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME .. 23 A. QUALITY OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E) ............................................................23 B. ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND FIDUCIARY COMPLIANCE .....................................................25 C. BANK PERFORMANCE ...........................................................................................................27 D. RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME .......................................................................................29 V. LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................. 29 ANNEX 1. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND KEY OUTPUTS ........................................................... 32 ANNEX 2. BANK LENDING AND IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT/SUPERVISION ......................... 43 ANNEX 3. PROJECT COST BY COMPONENT ........................................................................... 46 ANNEX 4. EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS ........................................................................................... 47 ANNEX 5. RECIPIENT, CO-FINANCIER AND OTHER PARTNER/STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS ...... 54 ANNEX 6. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS .................................................................................. 55 ANNEX 7. COMMUNICATIONS SUMMARY AND LINK TO FEATURE STORIES .......................... 56 ANNEX 8. RECIPIENT END OF PROJECT COMPLETION REPORT .............................................. 64 ANNEX 9. MAP OF PROJECT AREA - IBRD MAP 41147, JUNE 30, 2022 ................................... 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) DATA SHEET BASIC INFORMATION Product Information Project ID Project Name KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development P150631 Project II Country Financing Instrument Cambodia Investment Project Financing Original EA Category Revised EA Category Partial Assessment (B) Partial Assessment (B) Organizations Borrower Implementing Agency Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA Construction (MLMUPC), National Committee for Sub- National Democratic Development Secretariat (NCDDS) Project Development Objective (PDO) Original PDO The project development objective is to help improve target beneficiaries' access to agriculture resources and selected infrastructure and social services in project communities. PDO as stated in the legal agreement The project development objective is to help improve target beneficiaries' access to agriculture resources and selected infrastructure and social services in project communities. Page 1 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) FINANCING Original Amount (US$) Revised Amount (US$) Actual Disbursed (US$) World Bank Financing 25,060,000 23,032,485 23,270,212 IDA-58070 Total 25,060,000 23,032,485 23,270,212 Non-World Bank Financing 0 0 0 Borrower/Recipient 1,800,000 0 0 Total 1,800,000 0 0 Total Project Cost 26,860,000 23,032,485 23,270,212 KEY DATES Approval Effectiveness MTR Review Original Closing Actual Closing 19-May-2016 08-Aug-2016 16-Sep-2019 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 RESTRUCTURING AND/OR ADDITIONAL FINANCING Date(s) Amount Disbursed (US$M) Key Revisions 20-Nov-2020 20.85 Change in Results Framework Change in Disbursements Arrangements Change in Institutional Arrangements KEY RATINGS Outcome Bank Performance M&E Quality Satisfactory Satisfactory Substantial RATINGS OF PROJECT PERFORMANCE IN ISRs Actual No. Date ISR Archived DO Rating IP Rating Disbursements (US$M) 01 06-Sep-2016 Satisfactory Satisfactory 0 Page 2 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) 02 12-Apr-2017 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 1.81 03 04-Dec-2017 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 2.42 04 26-Jun-2018 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 5.05 05 12-Dec-2018 Satisfactory Satisfactory 8.05 06 27-Jun-2019 Satisfactory Satisfactory 10.31 07 21-Jan-2020 Satisfactory Satisfactory 13.44 08 14-Aug-2020 Satisfactory Satisfactory 19.35 09 22-Mar-2021 Satisfactory Satisfactory 22.03 10 14-Oct-2021 Satisfactory Satisfactory 23.67 SECTORS AND THEMES Sectors Major Sector/Sector (%) Agriculture, Fishing and Forestry 67 Public Administration - Agriculture, Fishing & 5 Forestry Other Agriculture, Fishing and Forestry 62 Social Protection 33 Social Protection 28 Public Administration - Social Protection 5 Themes Major Theme/ Theme (Level 2)/ Theme (Level 3) (%) Private Sector Development 100 Jobs 100 Social Development and Protection 20 Social Inclusion 20 Participation and Civic Engagement 20 Page 3 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Urban and Rural Development 80 Rural Development 80 Rural Infrastructure and service delivery 60 Land Administration and Management 20 ADM STAFF Role At Approval At ICR Regional Vice President: Victoria Kwakwa Manuela V. Ferro Country Director: Ulrich Zachau Mariam J. Sherman Director: Juergen Voegele Benoit Bosquet Practice Manager: Nathan M. Belete Dina Umali-Deininger Task Team Leader(s): Mudita Chamroeun Mudita Chamroeun ICR Contributing Author: Lindsey Knowles Larson Page 4 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) I. PROJECT CONTEXT AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES A. CONTEXT AT APPRAISAL 1. Cambodia has achieved impressive economic growth and poverty reduction over the last two decades. Between 1999 and 2013, Cambodia was one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with an average annual growth rate of 8.3 percent. 1 By 2015, the country achieved lower middle-income status, with a GDP per capita (constant 2015 prices) of US$1,163, increasing from US$452 in 1999. The main sources of growth included garment export, tourism, construction, and agriculture. 2 During 2007-2009, the agricultural sector made a major contribution to the growth performance when agricultural commodity prices rose markedly, leading to a booming rice subsector. This boosted rural households’ incomes and generated multiplier effects, leading to higher revenues from non-farm businesses and higher wage rates for rural workers. As a result, the percentage of Cambodians living under the national poverty line fell from 50.2 percent in 2004 to 17.7 percent in 2012. 2. Despite significant poverty reduction, economic vulnerability and extreme poverty persisted, with the subsequent slowdown in agricultural growth. In 2011, most households escaped poverty by a small margin, with an economic shock of just US$0.30 per day projected to double the poverty rate to 40 percent. 3 In addition, agriculture GDP growth flattened, expanding by just 0.3 percent and 0.2 percent year-on-year in 2014 and 2015, respectively 4, against an average growth rate of 5.5 percent from 2005 to 2013. This decline in the agriculture growth rate directly affected the country’s rural population, which accounted for 80 percent of the total population and 90 percent of the poor. It was largely driven by the drop in key commodity prices, low levels of farm productivity, and lack of adequate access to land for cultivation, notably among the most vulnerable rural poor. More than 10 percent, or roughly 1.1 million people, were landless 5 and many rural farmers cultivated less than 0.5 ha, which provided less than half of a typical family’s basic nutritional needs. 3. The government formulated its Social Land Concession (SLC) policy in 2003 with the view to promote secured access to land for the landless or land poor rural households. The SLC policy aims to enhance equitable growth in and through the agriculture sector. The framework for the operationalization of the SLC policy was established in 2003 through the adoption of Sub-decree 19 of the Land Law, which defines the criteria and procedures for granting SLCs. The Land Law (2001) provides the basis to achieve legal recognition of ownership rights to land. The SLC approach features two types of transparent processes of land allocation: “nationally-initiated” and “locally-initiated.” Locally-initiated SLCs allowed landless and land poor people to obtain land with legal tenure security within a commune as an alternative to illegal settlements. Commune Councils had primary responsibility for planning and implementing locally initiated SLCs, with support from provincial and district line agencies as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society organizations (CSOs). The national development strategy (2006-2010) committed to “accord priority to the strengthening of land tenure rights of the people who need small lots for settlement and farm family production within the SLC framework, as a mechanism to assist poor households and vulnerable groups.” 4. During 2008 to 2015, the government of Cambodia piloted a comprehensive implementation of locally initiated SLCs funded by the World Bank and the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF). The Bank-funded Land 1 Calculation based on data retrieved from Word Development Indicator (WDI) accessed on May 2, 2022. 2 Calculation based on Asian Development Bank Key Indicators 2021. 3 World Bank. 2013. Where Have All the Poor Gone? : Cambodia Poverty Assessment. Washington, DC. World Bank. 4 World Bank Group. 2016. Cambodia Economic Update: Improving Macroeconomic and Financial Resilience. 5 Ibid. Page 5 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Allocation for Social and Economic Development (LASED) pilot project (P084787) covered eight locally-initiated sites and the Bank-managed JSDF-funded SLC projects (TF091833, TF091836, TF091839) administered by NGOs covered five locally-initiated sites. The land recipients across the 13 sites were selected based on the established poverty identification process in Cambodia (IDPoor 6). The combined land coverage of the SLCs (10,273 ha) and land recipients (3,148) exceeded the project targets. This LASED pilot provided a proof of concept for the SLC approach, helping establish an elaborate and transparent seven-step beneficiary selection process 7 through which land recipients were selected and allocated land. It also included an effective complaint handling mechanism accessible to potential beneficiaries and through which eventual governance issues on the land allocation process were addressed. The pilot yielded critical lessons to secure the long-term development outcomes of the SLC beneficiaries and communities. First, most land recipients were hitherto agricultural workers hired by other farmers; thus, their transition into sustainable farmers required support to strengthen their technical and management skills as well as institutional capacities, both in terms of content and duration. Second, careful planning for the timely provision of basic social services such as education, health, potable water, and road infrastructure was critical for the SLCs to thrive as sustainable communities. These lessons informed the design of LASED II, which partly aimed to complement and sustain achievements under the pilot phase. 5. The LASED II project has nested SLC implementation within a broader, integrated approach to development. It covered the first 13 sites of the LASED pilot, plus one new site. It provided a more comprehensive support package, combining secured access to land with infrastructure development, social services, and technical assistance to enhance the production capacities of beneficiary populations and the sustainability of their livelihoods. To implement the project’s integrated design, multiple line ministries and provincial and local government actors were involved to coordinate the delivery of activities. 6. LASED II was designed to contribute to the achievement of one of the objectives in the World Bank’s Country Engagement Note (CEN) for Cambodia (104843-KH - FY2016-2017) – “to generate opportunities for the poorest to build assets and develop income earning opportunities.”. The project meant to help address an important development challenge for Cambodia i.e., as set forth in the CEN, “the need to contain risks to vulnerable populations while reducing poverty further”. During the CEN consultations, “land tenure security and SLCs” were among the common themes that emerged from many stakeholder groups. Subsequently, the government requested Bank support for a follow-on project to the LASED pilot, owing to its longstanding collaboration with the government on land issues, technical expertise, and unique familiarity with the LASED initiative. LASED II was, therefore, included in the portfolio on new investment projects under the World Bank’s CEN. Theory of Change (Results Chain) 7. The development objective of the LASED II project was to help improve target beneficiaries' access to agriculture resources and selected infrastructure and social services in project communities. While the Project Appraisal Document (PAD) did not require a Theory of Change (TOC), one has been developed ex-post for this Implementation Completion and Results Report (ICR), (Figure 1). The Theory of Change is grounded in the assumption that poverty reduction for the land recipients and sustainability of the established communities will be achieved through: (i) access to agricultural resources for land recipients, including secured access to agricultural land, improved and sustainable agricultural production practices and technologies, and access to finance for members of farmers’ groups to fund income generating activities; and, (ii) access to basic infrastructure and social services for established communities, 6 RGC. https://www.idpoor.gov.kh. 7 LASED II Project Implementation Manual. Page 6 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) which provide them with the capacities to meet the social needs of their members and contribute to building social capital and resilience. The project activities reflect an integrated approach to rural development, which allows beneficiary households to build assets like natural capital (land, water), physical capital (housing, technology), human capital (skills, health), and social capital (association membership, community cohesion, and trust). Project investments were expected to help break the generational poverty cycle. The outcomes supported sustainable income generation, diversified livelihoods, gender equity, and social development. Figure 1: Theory of Change To help improve target beneficiaries' access to agriculture resources and selected infrastructure and social services in project communities. OUTPUTS/INTERMEDIARY INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTCOMES/IMPACTS OUTCOMES 1. Prepare and update SLC plans 2. Identify, prioritize, and plan Investment in SLC planning, Infrastructure and service provision, technical assistance 1. Access to agriculture appropriate technology and resources infrastructure investments a. Individual SLC land titles Households’ incomes and 3. Collect data and process land titles for processed nutritional security increases eligible land recipients in the first 13 b. Initial land preparation, • Land recipients have sites including cover crops, ownership rights 4. Enhance project management provided to new land documented recipients Poverty c. Improved agricultural • Land in SLCs under productive use with SMP reduction technologies adopted 1. Provide settling-in assistance to new d. Agricultural marketing • Improved agriculture land recipients plans, including contract productivity 2. Provide initial land preparation farming, established • Sub-projects generate assistance, including a first cover crop e. Small income generating revenues for land recipients 3. Provide agricultural services and sub-projects funded and extension support following a implemented Resilience pluralistic service provider approach 4. Establish farmer-managed 2. Access to infrastructure and social services demonstration plots and model a. Social Infrastructure farms facilities and roads • Effective delivery of social 5. Establish and/or strengthen farmer constructed services (health, education, organizations, agriculture potable water) b. Productive/economic and cooperatives, production and social infrastructure • Mobility within and from marketing groups and other provided SLCs is facilitated by built community interest groups road infrastructure across 6. Establish community development SLC communities Sustainable funds and provide community grants Communities 7. Provide productive and social community infrastructure Assumptions: (i) The government is committed to award titles to all land recipients who meet eligibility; (ii) Land recipients adopt improved extension services and profitable/sustainable technologies; (iii) Farmers’ group members, particularly women, will make profitable use of funding from their revolving fund groups. Page 7 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Project Development Objectives (PDOs) 8. As stated in the Financing Agreement, the Project Development Objective is to help improve target beneficiaries' access to agriculture resources and selected infrastructure and social services in Project communities. Key Expected Outcomes and Outcome Indicators 9. The LASED II project includes two expected outcomes: (i) to improve access to agriculture resources, and (ii) to improve access to public infrastructure and social services. Four indicators were used to assess achievement against these expected outcomes. • Eligible families that have received support for land tenure security (percentage); • Public infrastructure and other services provided as elaborated in the Annual Work Plans and Budgets (AWPB), (percentage); • Number of targeted beneficiaries reached with agricultural services (disaggregated by gender); and • Number of targeted beneficiaries that are satisfied with agricultural services (disaggregated by gender). Components 10. The project had three components: (1) Infrastructure and Livelihood Systems; (2) Project Management; and (3) Contingent Emergency Response. 11. Component 1: Infrastructure and Livelihood Systems (total estimated cost US$22.71 million financed by IDA Credit; total actual cost US$20.95 million). This component consists of three complementary sub-components that support the SLC process and address the priority needs of beneficiaries. 12. Sub-component 1.1: Social Land Concession Investment Planning and Prioritization (total estimated cost US$3.44 million financed by IDA Credit, total actual cost US$2.68 million). This sub-component supported planning and prioritization of investments through activities, including: (i) participatory preparation and updating of SLC development plans; (ii) identification, prioritization, and planning of appropriate agricultural technology and community infrastructure investments; (iii) processing of land titles for eligible land recipients; (iv) enhancement of the project management information system (MIS) to inform the planning and prioritization of activities in the SLCs; (v) equipment support; and (vi) technical assistance. 13. Sub-component 1.2: Land Preparation and Infrastructure Development (total estimated cost US$14.80 million financed by IDA Credit, total actual cost US$15 million). This sub-component supported the provision of technical and funding assistance for beneficiary households and communities, including: (i) provision of settling-in assistance to new land recipients; (ii) provision of initial land preparation assistance, including a first cover crop; and (iii) provision of productive and social community infrastructure such as rural roads, small-scale irrigation systems, rural water supply and sanitation, education facilities, health posts, and community centers. 14. Sub-component 1.3: Agriculture and Livelihood Development (total estimated cost US$4.47 million financed by IDA Credit, total actual cost US$3.28 million). This sub-component supported the provision of technical assistance and community grants to beneficiaries to improve agricultural production systems, livelihoods, food security, and nutrition, including: (i) implementation of community organization and development activities; (ii) provision of Page 8 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) agricultural service and extension support following a pluralistic service provider approach; (iii) establishment of farmer- managed demonstration plots and model farms; (iv) establishment and/or strengthening of farmers organizations, agriculture cooperatives, production and marketing groups, and other community groups; and (v) establishment of a community development fund and provision of community grants to strengthen successful local initiatives in the participating SLC sites. 15. Component 2: Project Management (total estimated cost of US$4.15 million, including US$2.35 million financed by IDA Credit and government’s in-kind contribution of US$1.8 million equivalent; total actual cost of US$2.31 million funded by IDA and US$1.8 million by government). This component supported the provision of technical and operational assistance for the overall project administration and coordination, including: (i) social and environmental safeguards management; (ii) procurement planning and contracts management; (iii) financial management, disbursement, and audit; and (iv) monitoring, evaluation, and communication. The government’s in-kind contribution during the entire project implementation period included office space, utilities, and staff time for all government personnel at the national and sub-national levels involved in project activities across the project provinces. 16. Component 3: Contingent Emergency Response (total estimated and actual cost US$0.00 million). The component was part of IDA’s support to an Immediate Response Mechanism (IRM) in Cambodia. The IRM allows reallocation of a portion of undisbursed balances of IDA-financed investment projects for recovery and reconstruction support following a formal Government request in the event of an eligible emergency or crisis. The IRM option was not utilized during the project period. B. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES DURING IMPLEMENTATION Revised PDOs and Outcome Targets 17. The PDO did not change over the life of the project. The outcome indicator targets were updated to reflect the total number of project beneficiaries. As part of the project restructuring on November 20, 2020, the end target values for the four PDO indicators and the end target values for five intermediate indicators were revised to reflect the correct number of beneficiaries (see Annex 1 for details). In addition, the baseline number of land recipients was found to be incorrect, which limited the ability to set relevant and accurate outcome targets. The baseline included land recipients from a site that was dropped during the appraisal stage and the number of land recipients in the new Dong SLC site was overestimated at project launch. Updating the target outcome values was delayed until after the land recipients in Dong were confirmed to limit confusion and multiple revisions. The revised targets enabled a more accurate evaluation of project impact and achievement against the PDO. Revised PDO Indicators 18. There were no changes to the PDO indicators. Revised Components 19. There were no changes to the project components. Page 9 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Other Changes 20. The disbursement and institutional arrangements were also revised during the November 20, 2020, project restructuring. 21. Disbursement Arrangements. The Designated Account (DA) ceilings were increased. Specifically, the DA-A (NCDDS), DA-B (GDH), and DA-C (DGA) ceilings were increased from US$1.60 million to US$3.00 million, from US$0.15 million to US$0.25 million, and from US$0.05 million to US$0.10 million, respectively. The DA ceilings were increased to meet the financing needs of the project operations as implementation unfolded and to reduce the administrative burden of submitting multiple replenishment applications. These ceiling increases were approved by the Task Team Leader (TTL) following justification (such as cash forecasts) provided by the project. 22. Institutional Arrangement. The unit within the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning, and Construction (MLMUPC) involved in the LASED II project was changed from the “General Secretariat for Social Land Concession (GSSLC)” to “General Department of Housing (GDH)” during an institutional restructuring (Sub-decree no. 66, dated May 16, 2019). The functions and responsibilities of the GSSLC, as set forth under the Financing Agreement, were transferred to the GDH along with the same staffing and structure which were found satisfactory to the World Bank. This change did not affect project implementation or management. Rationale for Changes and Their Implication on the Original Theory of Change 23. The changes in the indicator targets, disbursement, and institutional arrangement did not affect the theory of change. The changes in the indicator targets improved the accuracy of the results of monitoring and evaluation activities. II. OUTCOME A. RELEVANCE OF PDOs Assessment of Relevance of PDOs and Rating Rating: High 24. The PDO has maintained strong relevance with the World Bank Group’s engagement in Cambodia and the Royal Government of Cambodia’s (RGC) development agenda. The PDO of LASED II, “to improve access to agriculture resources, infrastructure, and social services,” is highly relevant to the World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework (CPF) (2019-2023, Report No. 136500-KH). The CPF outlines several development challenges, including “sustaining pro-poor growth, attracting private investment, and continuing Cambodia’s economic transition.” It is also calls for “improving agriculture productivity and diversification” and makes specific references to the SLC approach, which “continues to contribute to reducing rural poverty and enhancing equitable growth through land distribution to the landless and land- poor households.” The PDO is, therefore, well aligned with the CPF. Furthermore, the beneficiaries under LASED II represent the poorest segments of Cambodia’s population, thus making the project highly relevant for achieving and sustaining the World Bank’s twin goals of ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity in a sustainable way in Cambodia. Page 10 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) 25. The LASED II PDO closely aligns with the RGC’s development agenda. The current Phase IV of the RGC’s Rectangular Strategy (2019-2023) outlines a broad development agenda based on four “strategic rectangles“, including “sustainable and inclusive development”. The government considers the SLC model a key contributor to its sustainable and inclusive development strategy for poverty reduction. Impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic have made addressing inclusive development and poverty reduction even more urgent. B. ACHIEVEMENT OF PDOs (EFFICACY) Rating: Substantial 26. The project fully achieved or exceeded its development objectives, as measured by the PDO indicators and supported by the intermediate results indicators. All targets for PDO indicators were met or exceeded, but some intermediate indicators did not completely meet the expected targets. Assessment of Achievement of Each Objective/Outcome Outcome 1: Improved access to agriculture resources for target beneficiaries in project communities PDO Indicator 1: Eligible families that have received support for land tenure security (Target: 100%; Actual: 100%) 27. Access to land tenure security followed a two-step process: (i) provision of user rights for agricultural and/or residential uses once the eligibility criteria for land allocation were met; and (ii) provision of ownership rights (hard title) once the land recipient (user) met the eligibility criteria. 8 The project beneficiaries were composed of two “cohorts” of land recipients: (i) land recipients from the 13 sites covered under the LASED pilot, and (ii) land recipients at the new site at Dong. Since the settlement of land recipients from the latter cohort started only during the third year of the project (see paragraph 74 on land encroachment issues), their eligibility for titles could not be achieved during the project life. Thus, the provision of land titles during the project period was completed only for land recipients from the 13 sites. The project funded the development of an enhanced monitoring system to track eligibility for land title issuance. LASED II supported data collection to serve as official documentation of land use and related information in the MIS were regularly updated and publicly available. 28. By December 2021, all land recipients that were eligible for land titles (3,987 families from the 13 sites) obtained their titles. This represented 9,450 land titles, for either residential or agricultural land. Land use was carefully observed and documented to confirm eligibility, or lack thereof. At the same time, 277 families (representing 494 plots) did not meet the eligibility criteria to receive titles. This is because they either did not use one of their allocated lands (agricultural or residential plot) or did not move at all into the SLC site, several years after the land was allocated to them. As a result, a parallel process of land revocation was instituted. Despite the project team’s encouragement of the beneficiaries to meet the eligibility requirements to receive titles, some families opted out of the project as a result of their changed priorities. 29. By December 2021, all 650 land recipients at the new Dong site were settled in the SLC. The Dong SLC site was registered as private state land in July 2018, using the seven-step process that was developed under the LASED pilot and codified in the Project Implementation Manual (PIM). The process included comprehensive land use planning. The land 8 Land recipients must live and develop their land for five years to be eligible to receive a title. Page 11 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) use plans were reviewed annually, which supported land title distribution and informed the overall SLC plans. At the same time, the project supported defined, transparent processes to select recipients for land plots. Selection followed a ten- step process and the criteria included factors like gender and being IDPoor. Significant outreach and awareness raising were conducted to reach all eligible families with information on how to participate in the Dong SLC (Annex 7). Grievances about land recipient selection, land demarcation, and encroachment were handled effectively through the project’s Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM). To encourage faster settlement, a communication campaign was implemented, targeting land recipients who were migrant laborers when they returned to their home communities on weekends and holidays. As a result, settlement of sites increased from 2019, signaling that messaging and awareness raising encouraged land recipients to move to their plots and use the land. In addition, the project offered settling-in packages with agricultural supplies (e.g. vegetable seeds, tree seedlings, rice) and other essentials (e.g. solar lamps, plastic tents, water filters, water containers, blankets, mats, and shelter construction materials like 40 zinc sheets) as well as land preparation assistance to facilitate prompt site settlement, which was necessary to minimize delays in meeting eligibility for a land titling. However, the provision of “other essentials” was delayed because it required the completion of a lengthy land use planning processes. In addition, the first two biddings for the procurement of the package were not responsive, which contributed further to the six-month delay in its provision. The 650 families who have settled in the new Dong site are expected to meet the eligibility criteria in 2024 and 2025, depending on their respective settlement dates. The government has reiterated its strong commitment that all land recipients will receive their titles once they meet their eligibility criteria. PDO Indicator 3: Targeted clients satisfied with agricultural services (percentage) (Target 70%; Actual: 95%) 30. Ninety-five percent of the project beneficiaries were satisfied with the agriculture services, 25 percentage points higher than the target. This is in large part due to the effective delivery by the project of settling-in support materials, extension services, support to organize producer groups, and access to markets. 31. Following the LASED’s operating principles, as new land recipients in Dong prepared for their first growing season, they were given initial cover crops to preserve and improve soil condition. The cover crops, which included leguminous plants such as mung beans, were selected based on an agroecological assessment, including soil analysis. These cover crops improved soil health and preserved soil stability, which are critical factors to strong agricultural production. IRI 2: Land prepared and planted with cover crop (Target: 100%; Actual: 98%) 32. Agricultural production and value addition in all 14 sites benefited from improved access to technical trainings, farm demonstration plots, and targeted agricultural extension services. At the end of 2021, 95 percent of the 3054 trainees, or 3,219 (1,259 male and 1,795 female) trainees, expressed satisfaction with the techniques introduced and applied them on their farms, exceeding the target of 70 percent 9 (PDO Indicator 3). M&E data in the project’s Results Framework show year-by-year improvements in satisfaction rates. The high participation rate of women in technical trainings and the number of satisfied female land recipients reflect the project’s proactive approach to address gender issues (see section on “Gender”). With beneficiaries attending different trainings, the total number of attendance in training events over the five-year project exceeded 27,000. The project also supported a total of 600 demonstration plots, covering integrated farming systems, chicken production, and vegetable production. These sites demonstrated effective farming techniques and technologies, as reflected in the number of land recipients who adopted improved technologies 9 The share of “targeted clients satisfied with agricultural services” is calculated based on the number of participants in trainings during the reporting period. The statistical population are the trainees during the reporting period, not the overall number of beneficiary families (“targeted clients”). Page 12 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) (5,455 total and 2,788 female), (IRI 5). 10 This number is somewhat overestimated since the documentation on adoption by training attendees did not capture some double counting within the same beneficiary families, where both participated in training courses and both reported adoption of new techniques. Combining the demonstration plots with extensive technical training and tailored extension services meant that land recipients were effectively supported to implement sustainable land management (SLM) practices and improve agricultural production technologies. The 930 technical trainings conducted also included value addition processes, food processing, and product development, many of which were targeted to women. These capacity strengthening activities were complemented by consultations with extension specialists, like village animal health volunteers who increased awareness about animal disease and husbandry. From 2018 to December 2021, a total of 77,284 chickens were vaccinated against Newcastle, Fowl pox, and cholera in the target provinces, facilitated by 13 village animal health workers and 26 village extension workers. The mortality rate of chickens decreased by more than 50 percent and 81 percent of the households were able to vaccinate their own chickens. IRI 5: Clients who have adopted an improved agriculture technology promoted by the project (Target number: 3,640; actual number 5,455; target number of females: 910, actual number of females: 2,788). 33. The extension services and training provided were based on extensive assessments of the agroecological conditions and best practices in sustainable agriculture and land management. The project introduced biologically and organically produced vegetables and fruits. This new system was widely embraced by the SLC farmer beneficiaries because it produced continuing results. As a result, over 4,200 hectares of land were under SLM practices by project close. IRI 4: Hectares of land area where sustainable land management practices were adopted as a result of project (Target: 5,000, Actual: 4,209). 34. Under LASED II, 64 agriculture production groups (APGs) and eight agriculture cooperatives were established to help improve access to agriculture resources and increase access to markets. The APGs were organized based on animal (25), vegetable (25), and fish (14) production activities. Participation in the APGs favored women because they were on the frontline of production and possessed significant practical and technical knowledge. 11 In the second semester of 2021, members of the APGs produced 299,175 kilograms of vegetables and 3,404 kilograms of chicken, earning US$149,687 from contract farming and selling to individual traders. 12 Through the cooperatives, it was possible to create cottage industries for processing local products (e.g. cashew, cassava) that were largely sold in raw form. These groups helped bring down the cost of inputs and negotiate with buyers. Based on the positive results from LASED II, the government plans to continue supporting the APGs to increase membership and will provide technical advisory and market focal points. 13 The government will also promote the establishment of more agriculture cooperatives under LASED III (P171331). 14 Agriculture cooperatives are viewed as more sustainable because they are legally recognized and they can benefit from multiple sources of support, including provincial government and international donors. IRI 6: Percentage of targeted clients who are members of an association (Target: 90%, Actual 79%, Target males: 3,115, Actual male: 1,102, Target female 1,170, Actual female: 1,667). 35. The land recipients engaged in the production of a variety of cash crops, vegetables, aquaculture, and livestock on their agricultural and residential plots, resulting in increased household income. The total agricultural land allocated for land recipients was 7,069 ha, 91 percent of which was under cultivation by project close, exceeding the target of 80 10 The uptake of improved technologies in particular in vegetable production and chicken production was higher than anticipated. Adoption of sustainable land use practices (IRI 4) was slightly below target. 11 Project Completion Report. 2021. Royal Government of Cambodia. 12 Ibid. 13 Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (LASED II). Exit and Sustainability Strategy. October 15, 2021. 14 LASED III was approved in June 2020. Page 13 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) percent (IRI 3). Agricultural activities were heterogeneous and farmers had wide agency to pick the crops that best suited their resources and agroecological conditions. Harvested crops were used for subsistence, trading between households, and sale through community businesses, market centers, and traders. Farmers produced vegetables and rice mainly for subsistence, while cash crops and commodities were grown for sale. Forty-four percent of production is marketed (Annex 4). Farmers utilized their residential plot for home gardens and poultry production, in addition to their agricultural plots, and this increased food security and access to nutrition. Among the crops planted, melons, gourds, and legumes provided the highest income per hectare, while commodities and crops grown for export, like mangos and cashews, could be profitable but also suffered large price fluctuations due to supply chain impacts and demand shifts associated with the COVID-19 crisis. Livestock husbandry was also a popular income-generating activity undertaken. Chickens were produced for both household consumption and sale, whereas pigs, cattle, and ducks were raised almost exclusively for market. Beneficiaries also engaged in aquaculture for subsistence and household consumption. While this did not contribute to income directly, fish are a source of high-quality protein and essential nutrients. During project design, farm income was projected to range from US$268 to US$815 per ha (PAD). Data from 600 demonstration farms at SLC sites estimates actual annual profits of production systems to range from US$355 to US$1,505 per ha for crops and US$133 to US$202 per household for chicken production and fish culture (Annex 4). IRI 3: Land under productive agriculture (Percentage) (Target: 80%, Actual: 91%). 36. Access to agriculture resources was also important in safeguarding food security and nutrition, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns when most of the farm products were utilized for home consumption and helped to avoid hunger. At the start of the project, the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) 15 reflected that all beneficiary households were food insecure (100), but, by the end of the project, the index reduced to 1, indicating very low food insecurity. In general, the improved access to agriculture resources of LASED II beneficiaries enabled families to escape extreme poverty and persistent food insecurity. IRI 8: Household Food Insecurity Access Scale-HFIAS- (Index). Self-assessment of beneficiaries’ food and nutrition security. (Target: 50, Actual: 1) Outcome 2: Help improve target beneficiaries' access to selected infrastructure and social services in project communities PDO Indicator 2: Percentage of public infrastructure and other services provided as elaborated in the Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB) - (Target; 90%, Actual: 100%) 37. Building a network of accessible productive and social infrastructure enabled land recipients to settle in the SLC sites, reach agricultural markets and traders, and develop other sources of livelihoods. The PDO indicator definition reflected the flexibility needed to determine appropriate infrastructure on a site-by-site basis and as the project and beneficiary needs developed, and lessons learned from the LASED pilot provided valuable guidance on accessible infrastructure positioning. The LASED II project achieved all infrastructure targets, including the construction of 345 kilometers of earth and laterite roads, exceeding its target of 313 kilometers, and 43 community buildings—primary schools (8), community centers (12), health posts (5), teacher and nurse housing (14), and community markets (4). The project also built 79 Afridev pumping wells to support access to drinking water. 16 There was variability in the infrastructure constructed by project site, but this was informed by the participatory land use planning and mapping exercise, beneficiary needs assessment and existing infrastructure. 15 The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale is an index that ranges from 1 (very low food insecurity) to 100 (highest insecurity). The HFIAS assessment was integrated into the recipient endline survey and the results are incorporated in the recipient end of project completion report. 16 Dong (54 wells), Chambak (6 wells), Thmey (19 wells). Page 14 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) 38. Social infrastructure. The project increased beneficiary accessibility to social infrastructure by constructing and capacitating schools, health posts and community centers in the SLC sites. In the LASED pilot, these types of services were noted as critical to incentivize the land recipients to move permanently into the SLC sites and foundational to a functioning community. Twelve community centers were built to strengthen civic identity and were utilized by various groups as a central meeting location, 17 including by associations supported under LASED II. For example, the Revolving Fund Groups (RFGs) use the centers to conduct annual public audit meetings and to broadcast public announcements about seed grant recipients. 18 The schools supported access to education for land recipients and surrounding communities, with the construction of eight schools and support for a further ten schools from the LASED pilot. These 18 facilities served 1,992 children ranging from kindergarten through primary grades. 19 The Tipo 1 site also included facilities for a secondary school (Grade 7-9). The schools were staffed with 70 teachers (23 female), and 14 teacher/health worker houses were constructed to incentivize staff to move to these rural locations. 20 The provincial Department of Education allocated staff and budget following project handover, ensuring continuous operations. 39. LASED II also supported the delivery of health services through the construction of five health posts and an additional five health posts from the LASED pilot. These health posts provided access to basic services and medicine and served as a frontline for delivering public health campaigns, like the COVID-19 vaccination program. Four posts operate continuously as satellite offices of the commune’s larger health center. These posts have dedicated staff and resources (about US$1,500) allocated from a national budget. The other six posts operate 2-4 times/month and cooperate with district health officials. The health posts under LASED II were operated by 23 staff who addressed 754 cases (558 female). This staffing was deemed adequate based on caseload and beneficiary needs, and there was at least one female health care professional on-site at each location. Four LASED sites were not prioritized for a health post because of their proximity to an existing health post or health center. 40. Road and irrigation infrastructure – Improved access to infrastructure facilitated other forms of employment and income generation. The LASED II project exceeded its original target of 313 km of roads constructed to achieve 345 km of earth and laterite roads. While 61 percent of households surveyed indicated that they relied on family labor full- time for farming, the project’s endline survey 21 also revealed that one or two family members would also travel outside of the SLC to work in commercial agriculture or factories. Households who have non-farm income sources reportedly earned an average of US$1,238 per year from employment such as work in factories, and US$2,392 per year from family- owned small businesses. Roads facilitated access to this important income source (Annex 4). Road improvement also helped to reduce transport and handling costs, improve access to more competitive markets, and increase transport availability. With the provision of roads, producers were able to avoid 25 percent of post-harvest losses and 40 percent of transport losses (out of the 44 percent marketed) that were previously lost to spoilage and wastage due to poor road conditions. Under LASED III, additional investments will be made to further improve access to the main roads and maintenance of flood control and drainage systems. 17 Community centers are utilized by various groups as a central meeting location, including by associations supported under LASED II. For example, the Revolving Fund Groups (RFGs) use the centers to conduct annual public audit meetings and to broadcast public announcements about seed grant recipients. - Source: The endline survey. 18 Project Completion Report. 2022. Royal Government of Cambodia. 19 MIS. 2022. Royal Government of Cambodia. 20 MIS. 2022. Royal Government of Cambodia. 21 The project endline assessment was conducted by a RGC’s consultant for a contracted period of 4 months. The survey consultants visited 14 sites. The survey methodologies covered household interviews with a sampling size of 510 respondents out of a total population of 5,091; and 14 Key Informant Interviews and 7 Focus Group Discussion sessions. The survey relied on the logical framework adapted from OECD/DAC 2017 for the assessment of the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the project. Page 15 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) 41. The LASED II project increased access to water for irrigation through the construction of reservoirs at seven SLC sites, which serviced 235 LRs. The total area covered by irrigation was 16 percent of the land targeted for agricultural development under the project. 22 Construction of irrigation systems was constrained by topography, with some SLC sites having too steep a grade to accommodate reservoirs. Evidence from the endline survey demonstrated that access to irrigation infrastructure resulted in an increased yield for farmers growing cash crops and vegetables (Annex 4). The irrigation structures are self-maintained through Water User Groups and will be registered with the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MoWRAM) for additional maintenance budget, thus ensuring long-term operation. This is an activity which will carry over into LASED III, where the project will focus on extending canals from existing reservoirs. 42. Formally recognizing SLCs as villages strengthens land recipients’ long-term access to agriculture resources and the maintenance of infrastructure. Once the SLC sites reach a critical mass of residents, they can qualify for registration as villages, which is important because the sites will receive a portion of the commune’s annual budget. Currently, 14 villages are registered under 12 SLC sites. Two SLCs 23 are in the process of being registered, with the process well underway for the Dong site, while for the Thmey SLC in Kratie Province is in the early phase of data collection. 43. The project supported the development of financial infrastructure by launching a local savings/lending mechanism to improve access to finance for individuals and groups of farmers. During LASED II, 101 RFGs were established, including 77 Savings and Credit Groups and 24 Most Vulnerable Household Groups consisting of 2,137 household members, including 1,341 women. The RFGs provided agriculture and business loans to members and relied on microfinance institutions for banking. The project initially planned to support the RFGs with three tranches of seed grants. However, there were significant delays in releasing the funds to the RFGs. In order to receive the grants, the groups had to receive training from a contracted firm, demonstrate good management, and submit a business plan. The selection of the consulting firm to support the assignment was delayed and the COVID-19 pandemic delayed training deliveries. Further, the fund flow modalities were new for the Executing Agency (EA)—MLMUCP—and the Implementing Agencies (IAs)—the National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development (NCDD) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), which led to confusion and incorrect assumptions of how the process would be executed. Discussions to clarify the process started in July 2020 and concluded in February 2021. The first tranche was released in April 2021, and the process required that the initial tranche be fully distributed and evaluated before release of the second. As a result, there was no time for the second and third rounds of funding before project closure. Justification of Overall Efficacy Rating Rating: Substantial 44. The overall efficacy is rated as Substantial, because the project fully achieved or exceeded its objectives and expected outcomes. 22The seven irrigation schemes were in: Kratie (2), Kampong Thom (1), Kampong Speu (1), and Kampong Chhnang (3). 23Letter from the Provincial Governor to the Ministry of Interior formally requesting the registration of the two SLC sites was issued on February 14, 2022. Page 16 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) C. EFFICIENCY Assessment of Efficiency and Rating 45. The economic analysis demonstrated how the project investments have translated into results and confirms that the project funds were efficiently utilized to achieve the project objectives. The Economic and Financial Analysis (EFA) of the ICR analyzed the economic impact of investments made by LASED II during their useful lives (2016-2025). The analysis reflected the net benefits from agriculture investments as well as from investments in rural road and irrigation infrastructure. The EFA was not able to model the impacts of other infrastructure investments such as potable water systems and social infrastructure, due to data limitations (i.e. lack of quantifiable information on socio-economic impacts). Nonetheless, anecdotal evidence in project reports point to the positive impacts of these investments (Annex 8). The EFA analytical framework is described further in Annex 4. 46. The datasets and assumptions were drawn from LASED II’s online MIS, project monitoring and technical reports, endline survey, and the client’s Project Completion Report (PCR) conducted in 2021. The EFA benefit streams comprised two main categories—agriculture benefits and non-agriculture benefits. The agriculture benefits encapsulated economic returns from investments on agriculture-related activities, including partial irrigation structures (i.e., water storage and reservoirs without distributional canals) and access roads to agricultural lands. The non-agriculture benefits capture: (i) income from employment opportunities generated by improved accessibility and mobility in SLC sites, and (ii) revenue from family business operations established due to ease of transportation of goods and services. In addition, the cost streams of the EFA comprised: (a) project costs and investments, (b) estimated costs of agriculture-related activities in the post-LASED II that were necessary for the sustainable agriculture production of the land recipients, and (c) operation and maintenance (O&M) costs for completed irrigation and road infrastructure. The EFA was calculated over a 10-year period (2016-2025) using the social discount rate of 12 percent for estimates of Net Present Value (NPV). 47. The results of the EFA confirmed that the project investments yielded a substantial net positive impact from both farm and non-farm gains. The EFA included an evaluation of the profitability of main agricultural production models used by land recipients (as a proxy for farm income) as well as calculated the estimated NPV, benefit-cost ratio (BCR), and economic internal rate of return (EIRR) under two scenarios—with irrigation and without irrigation. Findings from a comparison of the results of the ex-post (ICR) EFA with those made ex-ante (PAD) included: • Farm and non-farm incomes. The ex-post estimates of the annual profits of different cropping models ranged from US$355 to US$1,505 per ha for crops and from US$133 to US$202 per household for chicken production and aquaculture, compared with US$268 to US$815 per ha estimated at appraisal. In addition, households who have non-farm income sources reportedly earned an average of US$1,238 per year from employment, such as work in factories, and US$2,392 per year from family-owned small businesses. • NPV and BCR. Under the “with irrigation” scenario, ex-post NPV and BCR are estimated at US$7.03 million and 1.39, respectively. These results are commendable, although the NPV is lower than the ex-ante estimate (US$8.93 million). Under the “without irrigation” scenario, ex-post NPV and BCR are estimated at US$7.70 million and 1.44, respectively, and are close to the ex-ante estimates of US$7.24 million and 1.44, respectively. • EIRR. Under the “with irrigation” scenario, ex-post EIRR are estimated at a commendable 32.18 percent, almost identical to the ex-ante estimate of 32.26 percent. Under the “without irrigation” scenario, ex-post EIRR are estimated at 34.79 percent, close to the ex-ante estimate of 35.67 percent. Page 17 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) 48. A sensitivity analysis was also undertaken to simulate the impacts of LASED II under more challenging conditions: (a) increased costs; (b) reduced benefits, and (c) delayed benefits. The analysis which is applied to the “with irrigation” scenario, shows the project’s robust viability with the EIRR remaining above 14 percent when costs increase by 30 percent, or benefits decrease by 20 percent, or benefits are delayed by one year (Annex 4). 49. However, the analysis shows that realizing the full benefits of the irrigation investments will require further investment in distribution infrastructure. While data collected during the EFA confirmed that access to irrigation infrastructure under LASED II resulted in increased farm yields, the scale of irrigation coverage was relatively small and, thereby, has limited its economic impact on the project. This explains why the results of the EFA under the “without irrigation” scenario are more attractive than those under the “with irrigation” scenario. The irrigation structures built under LASED II were primarily water storage reservoirs. The absence of distribution canals has significantly limited the reach of the irrigation facilities. Six of the seven completed irrigation structures serviced a range of 10 to 55 hectares of agriculture land, with only one able to reach 210 hectares (Annex 4). As a result, the investments in irrigation currently outweigh the benefits generated. With the distribution canals planned to be built under LASED III, the larger potential benefits of the installed irrigation infrastructure would materialize, reinforcing the project’s attractive economic benefits. 50. The living conditions of the land recipients have also improved significantly. Based on the endline survey, 84 percent of households have metal or zinc roofs, in contrast with the baseline of 52 percent. At the start of LASED II, half of households had dwellings made with thatch, straw, or bamboo walls, and that is now reduced to 6 percent with a majority upgraded to wood board or zinc. In addition, household ownership of assets like mobile phones and motorbikes increased by 50 percent. Beneficiaries also saw a significant rise in access to electricity, including a 25 percent increase in solar energy use and a 34 percent increase in national grid connection. From a health standpoint, this shift in the energy mix has resulted in less than 1 percent of households now using kerosene lamps, down from almost 50 percent. The households in LASED II sites that have latrines increased from 25 percent to 82 percent. This increase in ownership was accompanied by behavioral marketing campaigns to educate beneficiaries on the benefits of latrine use and sanitation. 24 Similarly, access to clean drinking water increased due to water pumps provided through LASED II, water quality testing, and awareness raising about unsafe sources (e.g., irrigation reservoirs). 51. Overall, the project’s implementation efficiency was substantial, with the disbursement of 93 percent of allocated funds to achieve the PDO. Despite the challenging start, procurement activities improved markedly over the life of the project, with support from the World Bank’s specialists and consultants hired by the government. The procurement guidelines, which were followed closely, implemented transparency measures in the bidding process that resulted in cost savings that were used to finance other support services. Specifically, these cost savings were generated from shortening the procurement cycle by adopting good practices such as minimizing the time for producing and approving requisitions, proactively monitoring requests from operating units, monitoring vendor and supplier performance and delivery lead times, communicating time lags, and closely monitoring compliance with negotiation terms. These ensured the cost-effectiveness for expenditures on goods and services and, thereby, contributed to implementation efficiency. 24 The local government in collaboration with the Provincial Department of Rural Development had conducted awareness campaigns in the communities on latrine use and clean water as part of a sanitation and hygiene behavior change campaign. Reportedly, the access to drinking water and latrine coverage in those communities is now 100 percent following construction and awareness raising; with communities building using the receipts from their harvest/production to build tube wells and latrines in cluster houses since not every house had their own facilities. Page 18 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Justification of Efficiency Rating Rating: Substantial 52. Efficiency is rated Substantial, reflecting expected economic and financial results and achievement of planned activities in a cost-effective manner. D. JUSTIFICATION OF OVERALL OUTCOME RATING 53. The overall outcome is rated Satisfactory. This is based on ratings of High for Relevance: Clear evidence was provided for alignment of PDOs to current CPF objectives; Substantial for Efficacy: The operation fully achieved or exceeded its objectives/intended outcomes; and Substantial for Efficiency. Results exceeded expectations. E. OTHER OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS Gender 54. The project approached gender as a cross-cutting focal area, in line with the RGC’s national policies on gender and gender mainstreaming. Despite a legal framework that favors gender equality, in practice, concrete actions to address women’s’ discrimination and economic disparities, particularly in rural environments, have been undertaken very slowly. For instance, gender-sensitive approaches to agriculture-based livelihoods were not too common with MAFF/PDAFF extension services. The project adopted a pragmatic approach to the empowerment of rural women by carefully identifying their individual needs and capacities. This targeting was done to ensure women’s participation in land use planning and the beneficiary selection process (Component 1.1). Social and productive infrastructure was designed for equal access, including separate toilets in public buildings for men and women, and the project constructed accommodations that supported female teachers and health providers (Component 1.2). The project sponsored 930 training courses, many of which were tailored specifically for women’s livelihood generation and agricultural activities (Component 1.3). Training providers also reacted dynamically based on demand and feedback from women, providing new trainings and demonstration pilots on topics like growing vegetables and chickens in the home gardens surrounding residences (Component 1.3). Women were also active participants in community organizations. RFG leadership included 167 women and annual public audit meetings included trainings on gender representation in RFG management. 25 Women also represented more than half of the membership across all categories of APGs (Component 1.3). 26 This encouraged the unexpectedly high number of women who participated in trainings and community groups. Institutional Strengthening 55. The project design followed the evolving decentralization policy of the RGC. The focus on local governance encouraged capacity strengthening at all levels of government, including NCDDS, which supported subnational training and coaching. Provincial teams also received training on the project policies and guidelines, which built capacity to implement best practices across a range of important topics. At the Commune level, the project aligned with the Commune/Sangkat Fund PIM and the Community Operations Manual (COM) and enhanced the annual Commune Development Plans and Commune Investment Plans (CDP/CIP). The project trained local leadership and created new institutional capacity through community groups to ensure equitable, sustainable access to project investments, like the 25 Ibid. 26 Ibid. Page 19 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) infrastructure maintenance groups and the water user groups. The project increased capability in the provincial administration and district councils to implement and maintain rural infrastructure subprojects following infrastructure- related training. Once community groups were established, they were supported through capacity building. For example, the project conducted 20 multi-day training courses for 303 RFG leaders. The project employed 12 Community Development and Agriculture Facilitators (CDAFs) to support implementation in the communes. 56. Active engagement and training from the World Bank task team and technical specialists contributed to the enhancement of institutional capacity. During the project, the World Bank team provided regular technical support on M&E, procurement, safeguards, financial management, and communications. Both formal and informal channels were used to build capacity. This included Telegram group chats where project officials could text questions informally to World Bank specialists, enabling everyone involved in project implementation to benefit from responses to real-time challenges. Government counterparts were also supported by consultants who often played a critical role in terms of capacity strengthening and coordination, particularly for communications activities, which cut across all agencies. In addition, the government counterparts noted improved interagency capacity in terms of knowledge sharing, collaboration, and coordination. The capacity strengthening also cascaded, with national teams coaching subnational colleagues. This was especially important considering Cambodia’s decentralized governance structure. One government official noted that even though their department will not be involved in LASED III, they will take their learnings under LASED II back to their institution. This suggests that the project’s capacity strengthening impact will extend beyond the life and scope of the project. Mobilizing Private Sector Financing 57. Not applicable. Poverty Reduction and Shared Prosperity 58. The LASED II Project contributed to poverty reduction for land recipients across all SLC sites. The selection process of land recipients was transparent and effective, ensuring that selected beneficiaries met the government’s established poverty criteria (IDPoor 1 and 2). 27 Based on the endline survey, the average annual income for beneficiary households was US$2,352 at the close of LASED II, which is significantly higher than the baseline of US$1,220. Other Unintended Outcomes and Impacts 59. The project impacts extended beyond the beneficiaries to the populations surrounding LASED II SLC sites, including other farming households who benefitted from improved infrastructure and services (i.e., access to roads, schools, and health posts) and improved marketing activities. Local traders and businesses also benefitted from increased production and infrastructure. In addition to generating ease of movements within the community, roads connected populations to different livelihood opportunities outside of the commune, such as non-farm employment. While the initial investment in irrigation systems and reservoirs helped farmers reduce costs and increase efficiency and yields, it also presented an unanticipated public health concern, as a small number of land recipients initially drew the untreated reservoir water for household use. A behavior change campaign to educate land recipients on these risks was implemented (see paragraph 50). 27 Ibid. Page 20 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) III. KEY FACTORS THAT AFFECTED IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOME A. KEY FACTORS DURING PREPARATION 60. Readiness for implementation. The project built on existing sites and operational experience from the previous World Bank-funded LASED pilot project (P084787) and the JSDF-funded, Bank-managed SLC projects (TF091833, TF091836, 091839). The SLC process was proven as an effective method in the Cambodian context and lessons learned were incorporated into the design of LASED II. The project design also reflected lessons learned in technology transfer, extension and advisory support, start-up assistance, access to finance, market linkages, and capacity building of community groups. 28 The LASED pilot experience validated LASED II’s stronger focus on a comprehensive, integrated approach to sustaining livelihoods. The project design reflected that the land recipients would need broader support to transition out of poverty and food insecurity. The engagement process during preparation also built a model of collaboration across government agencies. 61. The overall risk to the achievement of the PDO was assessed as substantial. The project design brought experiences and lessons learned under the SLC pilots. However, sustaining the livelihoods of land recipients from various agricultural ecosystems was an institutional and capacity challenge for the delivery of agricultural extension services. The increased scope and coverage of project activities also required improved and sustained fiduciary management capacity. In addition, the political and governance context was deemed of high risk, because the land sector in Cambodia was considered prone to corruption and fraud, despite an evolving favorable policy and regulatory framework. 62. Political will. The project formulation process benefitted from strong political will for SLCs as a solution to equitable land distribution and poverty reduction. The RGC referenced SLCs under its Rectangular Strategy for development and the Deputy Prime Minister / Minister of MLMUPC was a key champion and enabler for the project. 63. Favorable institutional environment. At appraisal, Cambodia’s decentralization and de-concentration process was devolving governance power to the commune level. To ensure sustainability of institutional arrangements, LASED II implementation was designed around a commune-led approach which would utilize existing systems for channeling investment support and capacity strengthening for implementation. 64. Appropriate selection of stakeholders. Targeting beneficiaries using the IDPoor criteria was an effective and objective method to reach the poorest and most vulnerable populations. B. KEY FACTORS DURING IMPLEMENTATION 65. Factors subject to government and/or implementing entities control 66. Integrated approach. The approach to livelihoods development offered a package of interrelated activities delivered through coordination across implementing agencies and partners. Implementation decisions reflected the integration of different stakeholder perspectives, including land recipients and commune residents. The EA/IA addressed challenges jointly and collaborated across disciplinary silos to sequence activities. 28 LASED ICR. Page 21 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) 67. Commitment and leadership. The RGC, including the Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of MLMUPC, consistently elevated the SLC approach as a critical vehicle to implement its development agenda. Government leadership articulated that their primary goal was to transfer titles to the land recipients. They worked in service to the beneficiaries in terms of allowing adequate time to take up residence at SLC sites and make productive use of the agricultural plots. Under the project, the government was flexible, given extenuating circumstances like COVID-19. The pandemic made project implementation more challenging, including frequently delays in staff travel to the field. Innovative mitigation approaches were implemented, such as frequent use of online communications as well as the use of tablet computers to collect data for transmission and processing at the national level. 68. Legislation and regulation. A regulatory framework for the operationalization of SLCs was established in 2003 through the adoption of Sub-decree 19 on SLCs and the Land Law of 2001, which defines specific criteria and procedures for granting SLCs. In addition, a detailed, seven-step process has been set out, leading to the formal allocation of land to selected land recipients. These informed and facilitated the implementation arrangements of the project. 69. Coordination and engagement. The EA and IAs worked well together, building collegial relationships and minimizing bureaucratic silos. Each agency had clearly defined roles and responsibilities and participated in regular Project Management Team (PMT) meetings to share information and coordinate implementation. 70. Organizational capacity. Capacity issues to implement the project was a key challenge for all involved agencies, particularly during the first few years of the project. Lack of skills and knowledge was compounded by staff turnover, which made training a repeated endeavor. For this reason, capacity was supplemented through national and international consultants as well as a strong partnership with the World Bank, which availed its technical specialists for coaching and guidance throughout implementation. 71. Flexibility in investments and activities. The project was designed with flexibility, which allowed local communities to make decisions on investment activities during implementation. The project experienced changes in the demand from targeted beneficiaries for specific infrastructure investments of various sub-projects, such as greater preference for paved roads because of lower O&M costs. This flexibility enhanced the ability of the project to achieve its intended outputs, encouraged more participation, and ensured the sustainability of project investments. 72. Key activity delays. There were initial delays in procuring and contracting for key elements of the project, including the settlement packages for land recipients and infrastructure construction for the Dong site (see paragraph 91). 73. Exit and Sustainability Strategy. The World Bank and counterparts formulated and initiated an exit and sustainability strategy one year before the project closing date. The strategy identified major actions to be included in that year’s AWPB and for implementation by the EAs and subnational teams to ensure achievement of the project’s objectives by project completion. The strategy features: (i) activities with self-sustaining impact on project outcomes such as the acceleration of the provision of land titles to all eligible land recipients; (ii) activities that would contribute to the continuous delivery of service provisions, such as the training of trainers (technical government officials at local level) for the delivery of agricultural extension services after project closure; and, (iii) activities to be consolidated for continued support under LASED III, such as irrigation. Page 22 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Factors subject to World Bank control 74. Adequacy of supervision and field level presence (Cambodia-based) of most of the task team members. The World Bank task team was proactive in identifying and resolving implementation issues and adapting to changing conditions. This includes the transition to virtual supervision during the last two years of implementation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The task team’s composition mostly remained constant throughout the project. Factors outside the control of government and/or implementing entities 75. Land encroachment. Encroachment was fairly widespread during the planning and preparation of the new SLC site. This led to delays in the implementation of project activities at the site, as the issues of occupied areas on the site needed to be resolved. The project meticulously documented and referenced all encroachment problems. A formal record of encroachments was put in place, along with a mechanism to handle complaints officially and transparently. The implementing agencies closely coordinated with subnational officials to carry out the necessary consultations with all relevant parties and to reach agreed-upon resolutions on all cases. 76. COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic was a major disruption, but implementation efforts were adapted to deliver the intended project outcomes. Initially, World Bank and counterpart staff could not meet in person, travel to the field, or conduct trainings. Several government counterparts and World Bank team members and consultants became sick over the two-year period. The project adjusted its implementation approach successfully by transitioning quickly to virtual missions and trainings. The pandemic challenged financial management because the budget could not be spent on activities like in-person training and travel. Thus, budget preparation was based on overly optimistic assumptions and execution had to be adjusted. Despite the setbacks, the counterparts persevered to accelerate implementation. Lockdowns and social distancing also impacted land recipients’ ability to access markets and participate in trainings and community groups. IV. BANK PERFORMANCE, COMPLIANCE ISSUES, AND RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME A. QUALITY OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E) M&E Design 77. The project’s Theory of Change and Results Framework provided a clear, consistent structure through which to monitor progress towards the PDO. The PDO and key indicators were defined and measurable and their selection built on experience in measuring impact under LASED I. A comprehensive MIS was set up to capture large amounts of data. M&E Implementation 78. Implementation of the M&E process started slowly, with the baseline survey completed in 2018, followed by a transition in data management systems. At project start, data were managed in spreadsheets and the project adopted an online MIS to make the data publicly accessible in English and Khmer. The MIS captures 600 indicators with data and can generate customized reports for downloading and analysis. The transition between Excel and the MIS caused technical challenges, but they were identified and corrected. The monitoring process relied on collecting and transmitting data through multiple levels of government before reaching a central repository. The roles and responsibilities for data Page 23 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) collection were made explicit and refined during implementation. The CDAFs played a critical role in data collection at the site level, which was quite intensive. Some indicators are much more difficult to collect information for, and the CDAF’s needed to cover a lot of physical ground. 29 Quality assurance of data was conducted at a subnational level, but was not always effective in eliminating inaccuracies. The tools used to collect, store, and analyze the data evolved over the life of the project to incorporate digital solutions. Due to COVID-19, the project relied increasingly on the use of tablets to collect and upload data from the field. Electronic collection of data was introduced to improve the speed and quality of data collection. Using tablets was effective, given COVID-19, but this tool is only useful if data collectors have access to the internet and are properly trained, which was not uniformly the case and difficult to address during the pandemic. 79. Institutional capacity to collect and analyze data was a challenge. For example, there were challenges with double counting in household surveys for one indicator on the adoption of agriculture technology. The Recipient noted there was improvement over time as they learned by doing. The World Bank team provided technical support and training as well as a guidance note for LASED III on M&E best practices. 80. A comprehensive data collection exercise was conducted for the project’s endline survey. The backbone of this survey was 510 household surveys, which took an average of 1.5 hours to complete. In addition, 14 key informant interviews, 7 focus group discussions, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with national and local level project officials and local authorities and/or representatives of communities and farmer groups to supplement information obtained from the beneficiary households. M&E Utilization 81. The M&E data were particularly relevant for title issuance and project management. Land titles were provided based on a set of eligibility criteria. Close monitoring of land recipients’ activities and proper documentation of eligibility was essential to ensure that the provision of land titles was efficient and accurate. For project management, the M&E data were used to assess and inform implementation progress through documents like the project progress reports, Implementation Status and Results Reports (ISRs), Interim Financial Reports (IFRs), and the mid-term review. Data were also utilized to identify issues and determine course corrections (e.g. monitoring the number or trend in grievances). If an area of the project was starting to underperform, it was flagged for both the project management and the World Bank to work collaboratively towards a solution. Data from the endline survey was translated into a Project Completion Report, which complements this ICR with a summary of impact, operational performance, and lessons learned. 82. The MIS infrastructure under LASED II will be used to store data from LASED III and the RGC has identified its potential as a database for MLMUPC’s entire portfolio. The RGC also noted that the same data should be collected in LASED III and analyzed to demonstrate impact over a longer time horizon in the project sites. Justification of Overall Rating of Quality of M&E 83. The overall rating of quality of M&E is Substantial. Monitoring was an important aspect of project implementation and the client invested in the design and creation of a dynamic MIS to serve as a public repository of data. By project close, the two intermediate results indicators related to M&E were fully achieved. Despite early delays and inconsistencies in data, the Recipient improved its capacity to deliver and remains committed to the MIS site and its use in LASED III. 29 This refers, in particular, to the assessments of the readiness of producers’ groups for seed fund disbursements. Page 24 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) B. ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND FIDUCIARY COMPLIANCE 84. Safeguards compliance. The project is classified as Environmental Category B (partial assessment) because the typologies of project activities induced minimal, short-term environmental and social impacts. The project triggered six safeguard policies: Environmental Assessment-Environmental Management Plan (EA-EMP) (OP/BP 4.01), Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04), Forests (OP/BP 4.36), Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37), Physical Cultural Resources (OP/BP 4.11), and Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12). A Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) was prepared by the client to address potential impacts from land acquisition and asset loss. All safeguard instruments used on the project were prepared and disclosed at the project website, at http://www.ncdd.gov.kh on March 30, 2016, and the World Bank website on March 30, 2016. The project complied with all triggered safeguards policies satisfactorily. 85. Environmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01) was triggered due to potential irreversible environmental impacts caused by land use implementation and small-scale infrastructure investments. However, these impacts were managed within the EA-EMP, which was prepared for: (i) the land use planning and livelihood development activities, and (ii) infrastructure investment, which included one small-scale civil works contract. The Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04) policy was triggered because of potential adverse impacts, including the loss of habitat as well as erosion and sedimentation associated with land conversion or inappropriate land use practices that were not consistent with site plans. However, there was no issue reported during project implementation. The Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37) policy was triggered due to the financing of small-scale irrigation systems under sub-component 1.2, but there was no issue reported related to this policy during implementation. Physical Cultural Resources (OP/BP 4.11) was triggered because the infrastructure investments may impact unknown, buried physical cultural resources. The project referred carefully to the provincial level “hot spots” maps and the commune level SLC demarcation and land use planning and found no cultural heritage sites in the project areas. 86. Social and environmental safeguards screening reports were prepared by the implementing agency and endorsed by the World Bank Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists. Consultation and disclosure requirements were well performed during project appraisal. The World Bank Environmental and Social (E&S) specialists provided extensive support for the implementation of public consultations and of the PIM as well as for the use of the Safeguard Screening checklists and forms. The proper completion of the Safeguard Screening forms often required follow-up by the World Bank’s E&S specialists during field visits and supervision meetings. The government counterparts noted that the forms could be confusing for Commune Chiefs, although they were largely adapted from the government’s Commune/Sangkat PIM. The implication of this important lesson has been an agreement between the government and the World Bank to jointly review the forms and to identify options for their appropriate simplifications under LASED III. 87. Institutional capacity. NCDDS is one of the implementing agencies with good experience in implementing the E&S safeguards provisions in the Commune/Sangkat PIM, but it needed additional support in capacity development through hands-on training and mentoring. Further, the project assigned one national operational advisor and three provincial safeguards and Geospatial Information System (GIS) advisers to manage the safeguards implementation and to provide capacity development (training and mentoring) to the implementing staff based at the subnational level. As a result, the project’s implementation capacity gradually improved. Furthermore, when the World Bank Task Team noted a lack of sufficient attention to safeguard instruments such as the EA-EMP and capacity constraints for IAs to monitor and comply with E&S safeguard requirements, the World Bank’s E&S specialists and the government’s consultants provided trainings to relevant project staff. These trainings were conducted online and face-to-face, and government counterparts Page 25 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) noted that the field and site visits conducted during the trainings were particularly effective. The trainings led to notable improvements in the monitoring and compliance with E&S safeguard requirements. 88. The COVID-19 pandemic affected overall project implementation progress from February 2020 through the end of the project. The restrictions associated with the pandemic disrupted field activities, including demonstrations, and delayed monitoring and training. 89. Environment. The project investments had minimal E&S impacts during implementation. Given the small-scale nature of investment activities, impacts were successfully managed using the standardized EMP in the EA-EMP instrument prepared for small scale infrastructure. Ownership by project management of the need to ensure full compliance with the EA-EMP was effective when the issue was framed as a means to mitigate danger or risk to households. The project complied with all environmental policies and IAs confirmed they integrated the EMP into all bidding documents. 90. Social. The project complied with all social safeguard policies. However, during the first few years of implementation, documentation on voluntary land donations were not properly carried out. Voluntary land donations were used in the project as the mechanism for acquiring land for community infrastructure. Towards the end of the project, documentation processes were corrected, with IAs using land donation “forms” established by the Communes/Sangkats to record relevant information and to ensure that the documentation follows established protocols. 91. Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM). The project included a GRM to address concerns of individuals and groups who may consider themselves adversely affected by the project. The GRM included: (i) a recording and reporting system wherein grievances were filed both verbally and in writing; (ii) designated staff with responsibility at various levels of governments; and (iii) a timeframe to address the filed grievances. This mechanism was detailed in the sub-project safeguards documents. The functioning of the GRM was regularly monitored and evaluated during project implementation. In addition, the project’s complaints handling mechanism and the Bank’s Grievance Redress Service were detailed in the PIM. During project implementation, 143 grievances were received and resolved properly by the GRM Committees at the local and provincial levels. The grievances related to land recipient selection, encroachment, especially in Dong, temporary use of public lands, 30 and land demarcation. 31 Fiduciary Compliance 92. Procurement. Under LASED II, 219 packages out of 220 were contracted for civil works, goods, and services, amounting to US$17.41 million against the committed budget plan of US$19.84 million. Procurement occurred at the national, commune, and community levels. All planned activities under the procurement packages were completed. However, 16 contract packages for individual consultants were terminated when the consultants found alternative employment. One service package to strengthen community forest conservation was cancelled in April 2021 at the request of the contracted NGO who would be unable to complete the tasks before the project closed, due to COVID-19 related constraints. This activity was transferred to the General Department of Agriculture of MAFF, which successfully completed all activities through the Department of Forestry, MAFF. 30 The case of “temporary use of public land” was dealt with in the GRM upon request by World Bank, when safeguard staff noticed the cultivation of lands allocated to administrative areas at the Tipo SLC site. However, the beneficiaries using this land had signed (thumb printed) a letter agreeing to return the land as soon as it will be used/needed by authorities for public purposes. No complaints from any beneficiaries were raised on this. The respective, proper documentation is available. 31 The “demarcation” cases referred to plots where due to inaccurate measurement of boundaries, some beneficiaries at different sites raised complaints. All cases were resolved by a project-wide application of technical equipment that allowed very precise boundary measurements before land titles were issued. Page 26 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) 93. Procurement arrangements were implemented satisfactorily. Clear accountability and responsibilities were applied, in line with the provisions of the government’s Standard Operating Procedures. Procurement staffing was sufficient and assigned staff had appropriate procurement knowledge and experience gained from hands-on experience and training provided by the World Bank’s specialist. Procurement at the national level was carried out by the IA and procurement at the sub-national level was led by communes and communities. The IA’s procurement staff and consultant regularly organized training for commune and community-level procurement teams. The IA also conducted annual reviews of subnational procurement activities, which showed compliance with agreed procedures. The LASED II project operated on an 18-month procurement plan, which could be updated as needed. This procurement plan was coordinated with the AWPB, but operated independently, which allowed the team to maintain momentum in contracting. 94. Financial Management (FM). Key institutional arrangements allowed for a clear structure to execute financial management in an acceptable manner and in accordance with the government’s Standard Operating Procedures on FM. FM was supported by a clear accounting system, software, financial policies and procedures, and implementation manual. The project followed a decentralized FM model, which builds on existing governmental arrangements. The World Bank team provided training, including virtual engagements. The EA led the preparation of a workplan and budget annually, which included projected expenditures by category and component and comprised the necessary activities for national and subnational implementation. Financial reports were generated monthly from the accounting system to track progress against this indicative budget. The COVID-19 pandemic challenged FM, because the budget could not be spent on activities like in-person training and travel, which led to underspending in certain periods. The required Interim (unaudited) Financial Reports were mostly submitted on time. The independent external auditor prepared a review of the annual project financial statements for each implementation year and the auditor’s opinion was unqualified throughout the project life. However, the external auditor also identified a few minor control weaknesses indicating there was room for improvement in certain aspects of the project’s FM. C. BANK PERFORMANCE Quality at Entry Rating: Satisfactory 95. The World Bank’s performance for ensuring quality at entry is rated Satisfactory. 96. As noted, the strategic relevance and approach of LASED II was strongly aligned with both the World Bank and Recipient’s development agendas. The project development objective and key indicators were well-designed, measurable, achievable, and indicative of broader development outcomes. The design of LASED II was based on existing legal and operational frameworks. The project design accounted for technical and cross-cutting elements comprehensively from the outset, including gender. The World Bank task team also ensured that fiduciary arrangements were sound and that environmental and social issues were adequately assessed. Implementation arrangements were complex, but matched the agencies’ respective expertise, jurisdiction, and the decentralized nature of governance in Cambodia. Similarly, M&E arrangements were necessarily layered, given the different levels of government involved. Quality of Supervision Rating: Satisfactory Page 27 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) 97. The World Bank’s performance in terms of quality of supervision is rated as Satisfactory. The World Bank focused on development impact and the team anticipated challenges to achieving the target outcomes with adequate time to course correct. The World Bank task team conducted eight implementation support missions and addressed the client’s concerns and requests in a timely manner. Aide Memoires and ISRs consistently reinforced the focus on development objectives, monitored compliance, highlighted key challenges and next steps, and followed-up to ensure issues were resolved. Supervision of fiduciary and safeguards performance was comprehensive and specialists in procurement, financial management, and E&S safeguards actively participated in missions. Fiduciary and safeguards issues were adequately addressed. Based on reporting discrepancies, the World Bank conducted extensive discussions and TA support to ensure consistency of data to track important metrics like the number of land recipients, their progress in meeting eligibility for titles, and those remaining to receive titles. While capacity and turnover were challenges for the government, the World Bank team assisted in maintaining foundational knowledge and skills for best practice in project management and implementation. Based on demand, World Bank technical staff conducted periodic trainings on financial management, procurement, M&E, communications, and safeguards. 98. Some key implementation challenges such as proper planning and coordination of diverse project activities could have been anticipated and addressed more effectively. For example, the project was challenged by multiple factors in choreographing land use planning and preparation to encourage legal settlement of land recipients. The infrastructure construction to support beneficiary access to sites could have been earlier to better align with the start of the planting season, but not so early that informal settlers occupy the SLC sites. Similarly, settling-in assistance packages could have been procured and disbursed on a rolling basis to match the timing of land recipient occupation. The World Bank team could have performed more due diligence, drawing from the experience of the LASED pilot, to ensure that the planning and coordination mechanisms were in place to minimize delays in the settlement of land recipients. 99. The World Bank and the project officials developed a high degree of trust, open lines of communication, and a productive relationship based on shared goals. These factors all contributed significantly to the quality of supervision for the World Bank team. The two parties communicated regularly through both formal and informal channels, including Telegram “help desk” groups where project officials’ staff could pose technical questions and learn together. Traditional means of project supervision were challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rapport and partnership with the government and IAs mitigated many potential challenges in World Bank oversight. The World Bank shifted to virtual missions and technical support, conducting three implementation support missions and two trainings remotely. Supervision oversight was supported by consistent project reporting to NCDD, NCSLC, and the World Bank, with 11 Reports, including one mid-term report submitted by project close (IRI 9). 100. The World Bank task team and expert consultants remained consistent throughout the life of the project, which encouraged relationship-building with the government. Project supervision was enhanced markedly with a Cambodia- based TTL and technical team, which improved accessibility to field sites, ease of troubleshooting, and awareness of the cultural and political context. The project also benefited from consistency in World Bank staff oversight across LASED I, LASED II, and LASED III. The World Bank drew on previous experience to inform LASED II’s implementation and sustainability. Justification of Overall Rating of Bank Performance 101. Overall Rating: Satisfactory. The World Bank task team and experts played a critical role in ensuring project quality at entry and driving the project towards reaching and exceeding its target indicators and broader development Page 28 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) outcomes. The World Bank provided substantial input, expertise, and partnership towards the success of the LASED II Project. Thus, the overall World Bank performance is rated as Satisfactory. D. RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME 102. Risks to note beyond the immediate transition of LASED II to LASED III include: 103. Economic fragility. Even though household income has increased, the financial security of beneficiaries remains relatively insecure, given their baseline socioeconomic situation. Most households do rely on more than one source of income, which is a good sign of resiliency. However, 71 percent of surveyed farmers have taken out loans since 2019 and some farmers leveraged their prospective land titles as collateral, using the same collateral for multiple loans 27 percent of the time. 32 While some debt can be constructive, the amount of debt assumed by many land recipients that appears excessive could affect their long-term economic prospects. On average, the farmers surveyed had US$1,255 in outstanding debt at an average of 1.3 percent monthly interest.33 This is compared to actual profit from on-farm activities ranging from US$355 to US$1,505 per ha. To mitigate the potential risk of undue indebtedness, government officials conducted a communication campaign to sensitize land recipients about the dangers of excessive debts. 104. Land title issuance. At the time of the ICR, the government had provided land titles to all eligible households and had a good record of the status of eligibility for land recipients from the new Dong site. The efficiency of title issuance has improved, and the RGC has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring that every eligible land recipient receives a title. The SLC process will continue into LASED III, which will support continuity in the process, and there is sufficient political will to project that the titling process will be completed as planned. 105. Operation and maintenance of infrastructure. LASED II investments in physical infrastructure will require ongoing O&M to provide full and ongoing benefits to land recipients and SLC communities. The endline survey conducted by the RGC revealed that some roads are already deteriorating, and the exit and sustainability strategy has not sufficiently addressed commune resources and experiences in managing and operating infrastructure and facilities. The project is handing over community infrastructures to the relevant provincial departments, districts, communes, and communities in line with the RGC decentralization policy. O&M budgets for local community infrastructure will be included in the O&M budgets of the respective communes, while O&M budgets for other infrastructure, such as access roads and small-scale irrigation schemes, will be included in the O&M budgets of the respective provincial departments. However, the overall annual O&M commune budgets are limited and there are competing priorities. 106. Access to services and technology. To maintain productivity, land recipients will need continued access to services and technology. The project has been successful in setting up an effective extension delivery system, which provides a good framework to build on, including properly designed on-farm demonstrations of improved technologies and cultural practices. The Provincial Departments of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (PDAFFs) are responsible for the continuous delivery of extension services to land recipients and will, therefore, need dedicated resources and technical capacities to provide ongoing support to them. V. LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 32 Endline Assessment. 2021. Royal Government of Cambodia. 33 Ibid. Page 29 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) 107. Political commitment. A clear legal framework for land titling existed and was championed by the Deputy Prime Minister / Minister of MLMUPC. This enabling environment was key to the successful implementation of LASED and LASED II. 108. Selection of beneficiaries. Using national poverty criteria was an effective way to select beneficiaries. Selected land recipients should be based in local communities to preserve social capital and to leverage familiarity with agricultural and marketing conditions. This methodology will be implemented in LASED III. 109. Land use planning. The project timeline should provide adequate time for a strong planning phase to avoid conflict, conserve common resource areas, and avoid E&S risks. LASED II was ambitious in estimating the time to complete land use planning, including a detailed screening, stakeholder engagement, and a technical study. Following a transparent, participatory approach can also require more time upfront, but these steps are a necessary foundational investment. All planning activities involved commune councils and beneficiary representatives at different stages of the process (e.g., reviewing hotspot maps for possible UXO contamination, agro-ecological assessments), which technically and administratively requires considerable time. 110. Scenario planning. Project teams should be encouraged to conduct scenario planning to identify interdependences in activities and determine the best sequencing of delivery. For instance, in LASED II, delays in the provision of important start-up activities, such as settling-in assistance, could have been addressed or solved through better scenario planning (see paragraph 29. Similarly, through design thinking or scenario planning, some infrastructure and support services would have been identified as more critical than others and sequenced accordingly, like availability of potable water at schools and health posts. 111. Implementing an integrated approach. Creating effective mechanisms for collaboration across implementing agencies and stakeholders is critical to avoid siloed implementation and leverage comparative strengths. A very successful example under LASED II was the collaboration between communications and infrastructure experts on behavior change campaigns targeting issues such as the need to increase access to latrines, and the mitigation of unintended project consequences like the unsafe use of irrigation reservoirs for domestic purposes including drinking water. 112. Extension services. Access to quality extension services and capacity-strengthening are critically important for transitioning hitherto agricultural workers into settled farmers. Adopting a pluralistic service delivery system that responded to the needs and demands of project beneficiaries was effective and well-received by LASED II beneficiaries. 113. Communications. Development projects should leverage the full breadth of communications tools and channels to increase engagement, change behaviors, and manage sensitive issues. A strong communication strategy evolves with audience preferences and habits, as LASED II demonstrated by adopting Facebook and Telegram as powerful channels to share key messages. Behavior change campaigns were tailored to target audiences in familiar fora (e.g., radio programs and loudspeakers in villages during holiday migrations). Campaigns played a critical role in encouraging land recipient applications and in motivating beneficiaries to settle and use their plots, while also dissuading illegal encroachment. 114. Market linkages/Contract farming. Connecting buyers and traders to producers can offer market integration, stable income, access to inputs, and support to transition to new technologies and sustainable practices. Contract farming was noted as a success story for vegetable crops under LASED II and some buyers assisted farmers in becoming certified organic by assuming the burden of testing production sites. The COVID-19 pandemic also prompted companies in Page 30 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Cambodia to consider new ways to purchase and aggregate agricultural produce at the farm-level using technology. The LASED III project will continue to support and promote these connections between buyers and producers. 115. Exit and Sustainability Strategy. Proactively planning for the project closure during implementation creates a strong accountability mechanism and engagement process with stakeholders. The process clarifies whether activities and impacts will be self-sustained, require additional attention in the final year, or be transitioned into subsequent investments. In LASED II, strategy development started early enough to inform the final AWPB and serve as a bridge to . LASED III. Page 31 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) ANNEX 1. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND KEY OUTPUTS A. RESULTS INDICATORS A.1 PDO Indicators Objective/Outcome: Access to agriculture resources and infrastructure Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target Target Completion Eligible families that have Percentage 0.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 received support for land tenure security 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): [Fully Achieved] As of December 2021, 100% of all eligible LRs composed of 3,987 families at the 13 sites (Choam Krovien, Tipo1, Tipo2, Sambok, Chankrang, Dar, Thmey, Chambak, Kraing Lvea, Peam, Chhean Loeung, Prey Thom and Reaksmey Samaki) have received land titles. Between January to August 2021, 421 land titles were issued because139 LRs in KCH SLC sites and 1 LR in KPT had met the eligibility criteria for additional titles to be distributed. Since September, a total of 485 LRs in KRT also met the eligible criteria with land titles distributed on 28 December 2021, thus, this indicator remains [fully achieved] also during project Year 5 (2021). The expected title issuance plan will be pursued for remaining families when they meet the eligibility criteria in 2022, except for the 277 families (or 494 plots) that have opted out of the plan by formally returning their lands back to the project. These 277 families do not use the lands (or they use only residential land or only agriculture land although they have received both lands from the project); and a few families that did not move in after some years following land allocation, and who are subjected to having their land revoked. After 2021, the project’s remaining land titles will be provided at all LASED II communities and to all eligible beneficiaries even after project closing. This specifically applies to the 650 families in Dong who are expected to meet the eligibility criteria in 2024 (509 families) and 2025 (141 families). Page 32 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target Target Completion Public infrastructure and Percentage 0.00 90.00 90.00 100.00 other services provided as elaborated in AWPB 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): [Exceeded] 100 percent (100%) of the planned infrastructure and services activities outlined in the AWPB and budgeted for 2021 have been implemented as per the plan. [Year 5, Target 90%]. The proposed water supply facilities in Peam (Kampong Chhnang) were canceled in March 2020 due to the change of the proposed water supply design and the limited time available for completing the feasibility study, detailed design, and supervision. Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target Target Completion Targeted clients satisfied with Percentage 0.00 70.00 70.00 95.00 agricultural services (percentage) 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Targeted clients satisfied Number 0.00 1,911.00 2,422.00 1,259.00 with agricultural services - male (number) 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Targeted clients satisfied Number 0.00 637.00 1,140.00 1,795.00 with agricultural services - female (number) 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Page 33 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Targeted clients- male Number 2940.00 3,900.00 3,467.00 3,467.00 (number) Targeted clients – female Number 1501.00 1,300.00 1,624.00 1,624.00 (number) Comments (achievements against targets): [Exceeded] 95 percent out of a total number of 3,219 trainees in 2021 (1,795 female trainees), expressed satisfaction with the agriculture techniques introduced and have started applying the techniques on their farms. [Year 5, Target 70%]. Overall target client numbers had been adjusted following the baseline correction [Year 5, target: 3,467 (male) and 1,624 (female)], these final numbers of land recipients include the new site at Dong. The high absolute number of (satisfied) female LRs is a result of the surprisingly high active participation of women in the project. [Year 5, Target: 1,140]. A.2 Intermediate Results Indicators Component: Sub-Component 1.1: Social Land Concession Investment Planning and Prioritization Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target Target Completion Target popln with use or Number 4,441.00 5,141.00 5,091.00 5,091.00 ownership rights recorded as a result of the project 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Page 34 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Comments (achievements against targets): [Fully achieved] 5,091 LRs reached with use or ownership rights recorded as a result of the project. Following the correction of the baseline numbers, this equals 100% of the target population. All LRs, including at the Dong site have at least signed the SLC contracts, documenting their right to the allocated lands. Component: Sub-component 1.2: Land Preparation and Infrastructure Development Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target Target Completion Land prepared and planted Percentage 25.00 100.00 100.00 98.00 with cover crop 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): [Partially achieved] 98% of agriculture lands have been planted with a variety of cover crops by December 2021. Only a small portion of the agricultural land has not been prepared and planted with cover crops, not affecting the overall land use achievements. Component: Sub-component 1.3: Agriculture and Livelihood Development Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target Target Completion Land under productive Percentage 30.00 80.00 80.00 91.12 agriculture 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Page 35 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Comments (achievements against targets): [Exceeded]. The total agricultural land allocated for LRs is 7,068.54 ha out of which 91.12% are currently cultivated with annual and perennial crops. [Year 5, target: 80%]. Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target Target Completion Land area where sustainable Hectare(Ha) 500.00 5,000.00 5,000.00 4,209.00 land mgt. practices were adopted as a result of proj 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): [Partially achieved] For 4,209ha of their agricultural land, LRs have adopted sustainable land management practices as a result of project interventions. [Year 5, Target 5,000 ha]. More focused training activities should be conducted as follow-up support to bring more land under sustainable management after the project is closed. SLM practices do not everywhere cover entire farms. Nevertheless, as a result, still over 4,200 hectares of land can be reported as under sustainable land management (SLM) practices. Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target Target Completion Clients who have adopted an Number 1,350.00 3,640.00 3,640.00 5,455.00 improved agr. technology promoted by the project 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Clients who adopted an Number 350.00 910.00 910.00 2,788.00 improved agr. technology promoted by project – 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Page 36 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) female Comments (achievements against targets): [Exceeded] A total of 5,455 LRs have adopted improved agriculture technology. [Year 5, Target 3,640 LRs]. The documentation of adoption by training attendees did not capture some double counting within same beneficiary families, where both participated in training courses and both reported adoption of new techniques. (Exceeded) The number of female LRs that have adopted improved agriculture technology has increased from 2,650 (August 2021) to 2,788 in December 2021). [Year 5, Target 910]. Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target Target Completion Targeted clients who are Percentage 8.00 90.00 90.00 79.09 members of an association (percentage) 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Targeted clients who are Number 234.00 3,510.00 3,115.00 1,102.00 members of an association - male (number) 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Targeted clients who are Number 121.00 1,170.00 1,466.00 1,667.00 members of an association – female (number) 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): [Partially achieved] Overall numbers of LRs that joined an AC or another form of the organized and registered group remained surprisingly low if compared to the total number of LRs (5,091). The main reason is the only temporary presence at the site of a significant number of beneficiaries who use their land Page 37 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) but don’t stay permanently on the site. Those permanent on sites, facilitating their joining associations, are mainly women, which is reflected in their high membership numbers. (Exceeded) 1,667 LR members of associations are female. [Year 5, Target 1,466 LRs]; (Marginally achieved) 1,102 LR members of association are male. [Year 5, Target 3,115 LRs]. Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target Target Completion Household Food Insecurity Text 100.00 50.00 50.00 1.00 Access Scale (HFIAS) (Index) (Self-assessment of 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 beneficiaries? food and nutrition security) Comments (achievements against targets): [Fully achieved]. The index has dropped down to 1 in 2020. [Year 5, target: 50]. HFIAS assessment was integrated into the endline survey, which was conducted by the selected local firm in 2021, and the results are incorporated in the project completion report. Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target Target Completion Beneficiaries that feel project Percentage 0.00 75.00 75.00 88.00 Page 38 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) investments reflectd their 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 needs (percentage) Beneficiaries that feel Number 0.00 731.00 1,222.00 1,413.00 project investment reflected their needs - female (number - sub-type) Beneficiaries that feel Number 0.00 2,925.00 2,596.00 2,479.00 project inv. reflected their needs - male (number) Comments (achievements against targets): [Exceeded] 88% of LRs feel that the project activities respond to their needs. [Year 5, Target 75%]. The project reaches a considerably higher number of female LRs than anticipated and respectively, the absolute numbers for (satisfied) male LRs are lower, due to their (mostly temporary) migration. (Exceeded) The project reaches considerably more female LRs (1,413 female LRs). [Year 5, Target: 1,222] (Substantially achieved) The project reaches a lower number of male LRs (2,479 male LRs). [Year 5, Target: 2,596]. Component: Component 2: Project Management Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target Target Completion Reporting to NCDD, NCSLC Number 0.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 and Bank on time (Number) 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Page 39 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Comments (achievements against targets): [Fully achieved] 10 Reports have been submitted as of August 2021 including 1 Mid-Term Report (submitted since October 2019. The last report, the annual progress report 2021 will submit to the Bank by early 2022. [Year 5, Target 10]. Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target Target Completion MIS system developed and Text 0.00 Yes Yes Yes information regularly updated and publicly 23-Mar-2016 31-Dec-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Dec-2021 available Comments (achievements against targets): [Fully achieved] The MIS has been developed. Open access to the public is available at http://lased.ncdd.gov.kh/mis/km/Home/Public. [Year 5, Target YES]. Page 40 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) B. KEY OUTPUTS BY COMPONENT Objective/Outcome 1: Improve target beneficiaries' access to agriculture resources in project communities. 1. Percentage of eligible families that have received support for land tenure security: 100% (Original target: 100%) 2. Percentage of targeted clients satisfied with agricultural services: 95% (Original target 70%) 3. Number of targeted clients satisfied with agricultural services – male: 1,259 (Original Outcome Indicators target: 1911 in Year 5) 4. Number of targeted clients satisfied with agricultural services – female: 1,795 (Original target: 637 in Year 5) 5. Number of targeted clients – male: 3,467 (Original target: 3,467) 6. Number of targeted clients – female: 1,624 (Original target: 1,624) Sub-Component 1.1: Social Land Concession Investment Planning and Prioritization 1. Number of target population with use or ownership rights recorded as a result of the project: 5,091 (Original target: 5,091) Sub-Component 1.2: Land Preparation and Infrastructure Development 2. Percentage of land prepared and planted with cover crop: 98% (Original target: 100%) Sub-Component 1.3: Agriculture and Livelihood Development 3. Percentage of land under productive agriculture: 91% (Original target: 80%) 4. Hectares of land area where sustainable land management practices were adopted as a result of project: 4,209 hectares (Original target: 5000 hectares) 5. Number of clients who have adopted an improved agriculture technology promoted by the project: 5,455 (Original target: 3640) Intermediate Results 6. Number of female clients who have adopted an improved agriculture technology promoted Indicators by the project: 2,788 (Original target: 910) 7. Percentage of targeted clients who are members of an association: 79% (Original target: 90%) 8. Number of targeted male clients who are members of an association: 1,102 (Original target: 3115) 9. Number of targeted female clients who are members of an association: 1,667 (Original target: 1170) 10. Number on Household Food Insecurity Access Scale: 1 (Original target: 50) 11. Percentage of beneficiaries that feel project investments reflected their needs: 88% (Original target: 75%) 12. Number of female beneficiaries that feel project investment reflected their needs: 1,413 (Original target: 731) 13. Number of male beneficiaries that feel project investment reflected their needs: 2,479 (Original target: 2,925) Page 41 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Sub-Component 1.1: 1. 3,987 families at 13 sites received land titles. 2. 650 Land Recipients (100%) settled in new Dong SLC. 3. Land use data for 14 sites updated in MIS. 4. 14 villages registered under 12 SLC sites. Sub-Component 1.2: Land Preparation and Infrastructure Development 1. Settling-in assistance provided to 650 LRs including agriculture, residential and housing Key Outputs by packages Component 2. 2,565 hectares prepared at new and existing SLC sites (linked to the 3. Provided 25,650 kg of mung bean seeds and 133,380 cashew tree seedlings achievement of the Sub-Component 1.3 Objective/Outcome 1) 1. 95% of 3,219 trainees in 2021 (1,795 female trainees), expressed satisfaction with the agriculture techniques introduced and have started applying the techniques on their farms. 2. 930 training courses delivered 3. 27,705 participants in training courses 4. 600 demonstration plots implemented 5. 77,284 chickens vaccinated 6. 64 Agriculture Production Groups established with 1,087 members (599 female) 7. 101 Revolving Fund Groups with 2,137 members (1,341 female) with 767 loans to members Objective/Outcome 2: Improve target beneficiaries' access to selected infrastructure and social services in project communities. 1. Percentage of public infrastructure and other services provided as elaborated in AWPB: 100 % (Original target: 90%) Outcome Indicators 2. Number of targeted clients – male: 3,467 (Original target: 3,467) 3. Number of targeted clients – female: 1,624 (Original target: 1,624 1. Percentage of beneficiaries that feel project investments reflected their needs: 88% (Original target: 75%) Intermediate Results 2. Number of female beneficiaries that feel project investment reflected their needs: 1,413 Indicators (Original target: 731) 3. Number of male beneficiaries that feel project investment reflected their needs: 2,479 (Original target: 2,925) Sub-Component 1.1: Social Land Concession Investment Planning and Prioritization 1. Infrastructure needs identified and planned for at all 14 sites Key Outputs by Sub-Component 1.2: Land Preparation and Infrastructure Development Component 2. 345km of laterite and earth road constructed (Linked to the 3. 43 community buildings constructed (8 primary schools, 14 teacher and nurse houses, 12 achievement of the community centers, 5 health posts, 4 community markets) Objective/Outcome 2) 4. 7 small-scale irrigation schemes installed 5. 79 Afridev pumping wells 6. 115 civil work contracts Page 42 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) ANNEX 2. BANK LENDING AND IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT/SUPERVISION A. TASK TEAM MEMBERS Name Role Preparation Mudita Chamroeun Task Team Leader Sreng Sok Procurement Specialist Reaksmey Keo Sok Financial Management Specialist Jun Zeng Senior Social Development Specialist Bunlong Leng Senior Environmental Specialist Martin Henry Lenihan Lead Social Development Specialist Andreas Groetschel Team Member Anis Wan Team Member Carmenchu D. Austriaco Team Member Dzung Huy Nguyen Team Member Maria Theresa G. Quinones Team Member Narya Ou Team Member Samnang Hir Team Member Sarin Khim Team Member Saroeun Bou Team Member Son Thanh Vo Team Member Ximing Zhang Team Member Guzman P. Garcia-Rivero Reviewer Surhid P. Gautam Reviewer Jonathan Mills Lindsay Reviewer Manush A. Hristov Reviewer Peter Leonard Reviewer Vilija Kostelnickiene Reviewer Josefo Tuyor Peer Reviewer Marianne Grosclaude Peer Reviewer Ratchada Anantavrasilpa Peer Reviewer Sitaramachandra Machiraju Peer Reviewer Steven N. Schonberger Peer Reviewer Valens Mwumvaneza Peer Reviewer Supervision/ICR Mudita Chamroeun Task Team Leader (Supervsion and ICR) Sirirat Sirijaratwong Senior Procurement Specailist (Supervsion) Sreng Sok Procurement Specialist (Supervision) Sereyvattana Chan Procurement Specialist (Supervsion and ICR) Reaksmey Keo Sok Financial Management Specialist (Supervision) Sophear Khiev Financial Management Abalyst (Supervision) Myo Sandar Aye Financial Management Specialist (ICR) Page 43 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Martin Henry Lenihan Lead Social Development Specailist (Supervision) Alkadevi Morarji Patel Senior Social Development Specialist (Supervision) Svend Jensby Senior Social Developemnt Specialist (Supervsion and ICR) Bunlong Leng Environmental Specialist (Supervsion and ICR) Sophy Ea Senior Environmental Specialist (Supervsion and ICR) Alassane Sow Agriculture Economist (Supervsion and ICR) Andreas Groetschel Land, and Monitoring and Evaluation Specailist (Supervsion and ICR) Dzung Huy Nguyen Senior Disaster Management Specailist (Supervsion and ICR) Keith Clifford Bell Senior Land Specailist (Supervision) Lyden Kong Operations Support (Supervsion and ICR) Monyrath Nuth Social Developemnt Specialist ((Supervsion and ICR) Samnang Hir Infrastructure Specailist (Supervsion and ICR) Saroeun Bou External Affairs Officer (Supervsion and ICR) Virak Chan Water Resources Management Specailist (Supervsion and ICR) Vanna Pol Program Assistant (Supervsion) Socheat Ath Program Assistant (Supervsion) Maly Prak Program Assistant (Supervsion) Vitra Tek Program Assistant (Supervsion and ICR) Page 44 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) B. STAFF TIME AND COST Staff Time and Cost Stage of Project Cycle No. of staff weeks US$ (including travel and consultant costs) Preparation FY14 0 2,720.42 FY15 17.347 144,576.95 FY16 29.571 113,200.00 FY17 1.600 8,058.30 FY20 0 0.00 Total 48.52 268,555.67 Supervision/ICR FY14 0 882.19 FY15 .800 5,172.77 FY16 0 795.12 FY17 22.517 63,019.31 FY18 15.848 54,176.21 FY19 28.071 127,456.81 FY20 22.330 103,575.89 Total 89.57 355,078.30 Page 45 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) ANNEX 3. PROJECT COST BY COMPONENT Amount at Approval Actual at Project Percentage of Approval Components (US$M) Closing (US$M) (US$M) Component 1: Infrastructure and Livelihood Systems 22.71 20.95 92% Component 2: Project Management 2.35 2.31 98% Component 3: Contingent Emergency Response 0 0 0 Sub-Component 1.1: Social Land Concession Investment 3.44 2.68 78% Planning and Prioritization Sub-component 1.2: Land Preparation and 14.8 15 101% Infrastructure Development Sub-component 1.3: Agriculture and Livelihood 4.47 3.28 73% Development Total by components 25.06 23.27 93% Page 46 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) ANNEX 4. EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS Economic and Financial Analysis 1. The economic analysis demonstrates how the project investments have translated into results and confirms that the project funds were reasonably utilized to spur rural development and generate agricultural and non-agricultural activities. The ICR Economic and Financial Analysis (EFA) analyzes the economic impacts of investments in infrastructure and livelihood systems made by LASED II over its project life of 2016-2021 (Figure 1). The analysis reflects the net benefits from agriculture and livelihood support investments such as land provision and preparation assistance, provision of start- up crops, technical assistance, and trainings. It also includes the net benefits from infrastructure investments, mainly from irrigation structures and access roads to both residential and agricultural lands. Due to data limitations (i.e., lack of quantifiable information on socio-economic impacts), the EFA is not able to quantify the economic impacts of other infrastructure investments such as potable water systems and social infrastructure. Nonetheless, anecdotal evidence in project reports point to the positive impacts of these investments. Figure 1. ICR EFA Analytical Framework 2. The datasets and assumptions were drawn from LASED II’s online MIS, project monitoring and technical reports, and endline survey and the government’s Project Completion Report (PCR) conducted in 2021. The EFA model translates the project’s achievements and the documented anecdotal impacts into cohesive quantifiable economic estimates (Table 1). The benefit streams of the analysis fall under two categories—agriculture benefits and non-agriculture benefits (Table 2). The agriculture benefits encapsulate economic returns from investments on agriculture and livelihood support, partial irrigation structures (i.e., water storages and reservoirs without distributional canals) and access roads to agricultural lands. The returns from these investments were modeled in terms of (i) farm revenue from select production systems (i.e., vegetables, cashew, cassava, chicken, and fish) across the 14 SLC sites, (ii) improved farm productivity due to irrigation, and (iii) avoided transport and post-harvest losses due to improved accessibility and transport availability brought about by access roads. Additionally, significant evidence from the PCR pointed towards the contribution of non-farm activities to household incomes. Considering the available data, the non-agriculture benefits captured by the EFA focus on the impacts Page 47 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) of residential access roads to household income. These non-agriculture benefits streams include: (a) income from employment opportunities generated by improved accessibility and mobility in SLC sites and (b) revenue from family business operations established due to ease of transportation of goods and services. The cost streams of the EFA comprise of: (a) project costs and investments (Table 3), (b) estimated cost of post-LASED II continued agriculture and livelihood support for sustainable agriculture production of land recipients, and (c) O&M costs for completed irrigation and road infrastructures. The EFA was calculated over a 10-year period (2016-2025) using the social discount rate of 12 percent. Table 1. Project Accomplishments (SLCs 1-7) Total Project Accomplishments 1. Changkrang 2. Sambok 3. Dar 4. Thmey 5. Chambak 6. ChoamKravien 7. Tipo1 HH settled in Resi Land HH 133 401 459 59 97 188 429 HH occupy on Agri land HH 331 500 897 364 536 250 224 Agri land prepared for farming ha 636.5 1110 145 388 127 7 616.9 (ha) Irrigation SPs (Water Storage unit 1 1 1 Structures/Reservoirs) (all completed in Yr 2020) Reservoir area ha 14.23 0.71 13.46 Reservoir capacity m3 260,000.00 5,400.00 234,700.00 Irrigated area ha 55.00 10.00 210.00 Length of access roads to km 6.05 17.62 20.26 10 24.82 5.24 16.09 agricultural land Length of access roads to km 0 0 1.25 10 11.5 0 46.23 residential land Road length connecting from km 0 0 10.8 10 4 0 9.56 the old village to the location of the land concession Table 1. Project Accomplishments (SLCs 8-14) Total Project Accomplishments 8. Tipo2 9. Dong 10. SambokKriel 11. Ksachsor 12. Peam 13. ChheanLeung 14. PreyThom HH settled in Resi Land HH 300 489 216 461 213 206 1,465 HH occupy on Agri land HH 393 2,648 518 445 213 204 2,039 Agri land prepared for farming ha 908.6 907.1 219.56 380 233 375 2,237.70 (ha) Irrigation SPs (Water Storage unit 1 1 1 1 Structures/Reservoirs) (all completed in Yr 2020) Reservoir area ha 1.30 3.44 2.80 2.65 Reservoir capacity m3 9,700.00 66,200.00 54,500.00 69,000.00 Irrigated area ha 30.00 40.00 10.00 40.00 Length of access roads to km 18.22 20.82 26.54 307.57 0 0 8 agricultural land Length of access roads to km 37.3 19.43 90.35 31.33 18.27 10.3 30.62 residential land Road length connecting from the km 12.44 16.91 0 0 0 0 32.9 old village to the location of the land concession Source: LASED II Project Online MIS. December 2021. Page 48 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Table 2. LASED II Investments and EFA Benefit Streams Investments EFA Benefit Streams Assumptions Based on 2021 data, the EFA calculated productivity of five (5) Agriculture and Livelihood Support farm practices (vegetable, cashew, cassava, chicken, and fish Farm Revenue, production) in the 14 SLC sites. with Irrigation Irrigation (water storage/reservoirs According to project reports, yields of vegetables, cashews, and without distributional canals) cassava increased by 35% with irrigation. 44% of production is marketed by farmers. With the provision of Avoided Transport roads, producers can avoid 40% of transport losses (out of the 44% Losses marketed) that were previously lost to spoilage and waste due to poor road conditions. Access Roads to Agricultural Lands 44% of production is marketed by farmers. With the provision of access roads, traders can reach farms much easier and faster. With Avoided Post-Harvest improved accessibility, farmers can avoid the 25% of post-harvest Losses losses (out of the 44% marketed) that were previously lost due to poor storage and transportation facilities. Access roads improved mobility in the project sites, which has Non-agriculture opened opportunities for residents to seek employment outside Employment Income Access Roads to Residential Lands the village. Non-agriculture family Access roads have provided avenues for residents to put up family business revenue businesses due to the ease of transportation of goods and services. Table 3. Overall Project Costs and Financing (US$ as of Feb 2022) 5 years adj Cumulative % Components plan 2020 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 disbursed Variance Disbursed 1. Infrastructure and Livelihood 23,396.90 System 22,561,540 863,921.36 4,964,508.90 5,314,822.76 7,657,283.21 2,134,867.63 20,958,800.76 1,602,739.69 93 1.1 SLC Investment Planning and Prioritization 2,962,985 23,396.90 115,478.37 425,410.06 882,820.53 705,823.68 522,624.18 2,675,553.72 287,431.12 90 1.2 Land Preparation and Infrastructure Development 15,264,834 0 390,984.36 4,118,933.20 3,687,412.07 6,046,115.76 762,590.97 15,006,036.36 258,797.53 98 1.3 Agriculture and Livelihood Development 4,333,722 0 357,458.63 420,165.64 744,590.16 905,343.77 849,652.48 3,277,210.68 1,056,511.05 76 2. Project Management 2,499,060 14,498.12 587,039.82 610,839.37 382,178.43 348,525.49 369,869.77 2,312,951.00 186,108.60 93 2.1 Project administration, FM, and reporting 1,231,351 9,822.17 140,180.48 222,691.66 273,896.63 241,653.11 249,831.65 1,138,075.70 93,275.30 92 2.2 LASED Support Staff 510,035 1,084.83 54,052.00 84,876.06 96,471.28 100,489.38 106,288.12 443,261.67 66,773.22 87% 2.3 Procurement and FM support to communes 307,472 0 207,371.40 93,401.00 715 0 0 301,487.40 5,984.60 98 2.4 M&E 450,202 3,591.12 185,435.94 209,870.65 11,095.52 6,383.00 13,750.00 430,126.23 20,075.48 96 Total 25,060,600 37,895.02 1,450,961.18 5,575,348.27 5,697,001.19 8,005,808.70 2,504,737.40 23,271,751.76 1,788,848.29 93 3. The EFA confirms that the project investments yielded a substantial net positive impact from both farm and non- farm gains. The implementation experience of LASED II has shown that access to agricultural land, livelihood support and Page 49 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) extension services, complemented by supporting rural infrastructure, results in high rates of return, owing to both direct farm gains and indirect non-farm gains. The ICR EFA presents an EIRR of 32.18 percent, which is higher than the social discount rate. The NPV, discounted at 12 percent, is US$7.03 million and the BCR is 1.39. 4. A comparison of the ICR EFA to the PAD EFA shows that LASED II has reached its projected impacts. While the PAD EFA purely captured the farm productivity gains from access to agricultural land, improved rural infrastructure, and adoption of improved agricultural technologies and soil management practices, the ICR EFA modeled the same farm productivity gains from agriculture and livelihood support services and infrastructure but expanded it to capture on-farm and non-farm benefits of access roads. The PAD EFA presented two project scenarios: with irrigation and without irrigation investments. With its real-world impacts, the ICR NPV (US$7.03 million) has nearly reached the PAD NPV (US$8.93 million for the with irrigation scenario and US$7.24 million for the without irrigation scenario). At appraisal, the highest EIRR for a five-member household producing mung bean, cassava, and rice was 35.67 percent without irrigation and 32.26 percent with irrigation. The project performed at a close rate, with an ICR EIRR of 32.18 percent for households producing vegetables, cashew, cassava, chicken, and fish and earning income from non-agriculture employment and small family businesses. This was achieved even while adopting conservative estimates for the farm production and revenue assumptions of the EFA model. In terms of farm income, the PAD EFA estimated the annual profits of different cropping models to range from US$268 to US$815 per ha. In comparison, the cost and returns data from 600 demonstration farms SLC sites estimates annual profits of production systems used in the ICR EFA to range from US$355 to US$1,505per ha for crops and US$133 to US$202 per household for chicken production and fish culture. In addition, households who have non- farm income sources reportedly earned an average of US$1,238 per year from employment such as work in factories and US$2,392 per year from family-owned small businesses. This illustrates that access to agriculture support services and infrastructure diversified the incomes of land recipients. 5. A sensitivity analysis was undertaken to simulate the impacts of LASED II under more challenging conditions: (a) increased costs; (b) reduced benefits, and (c) delayed benefits. The analysis shows the project’s robust viability with the EIRR remaining above 12 percent, NPV staying at positive levels, and the BCR remaining well above 1.0 under scenarios of up to 20 percent increase in costs or 20 percent decrease in benefits. Additional analyses were done to simulate the performance of the project under worst-case scenarios of simultaneous occurrences of increased costs, decreased benefits, and the delayed realization of project benefits by one to two years. Under these extreme conditions, the project is barely viable when faced by cost increases and benefits decreases of 30 percent or a one-year delay in benefits. It is much less viable when faced by a two-year delay in benefits or under simultaneous increases in costs and decreases in benefits of at least 5 percent and a one-year delay in benefits. Table 4. Sensitivity Analysis (at 12% SDR) Sensitivity Scenarios IRR NPV at 12% BCR Base Scenario 32.2% 7,033,128 1.39 5% Cost Increase 28.9% 6,125,522 1.32 10% Cost Increase 25.9% 5,217,916 1.26 15% Cost Increase 23.1% 4,310,309 1.21 20% Cost Increase 20.5% 3,402,703 1.16 30% Cost Increase 15.7% 1,587,490 1.07 5% Benefits Decrease 28.8% 5,773,866 1.32 10% Benefits Decrease 25.3% 4,514,603 1.25 15% Benefits Decrease 21.7% 3,255,340 1.18 20% Benefits Decrease 18.0% 1,996,077 1.11 30% Benefits Decrease 10.4% -522,448 0.97 1-Year Delay of Benefits 14.4% 1,012,170 1.06 Page 50 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Sensitivity Scenarios IRR NPV at 12% BCR 2-Year Delay of Benefits 2.1% -4,253,272 0.77 Cost Increase + Benefits Decrease + 1 Year Delay of Benefits 5% 10.0% -853,652 0.96 10% 5.5% -2,719,473 0.86 15% 1.1% -4,585,294 0.78 20% -3.4% -6,451,115 0.70 30% -12.8% -10,182,757 0.57 Cost Increase + Benefits Decrease + 2 Years Delay of Benefits 5% -1.5% -5,855,821 0.69 10% -5.2% -7,458,370 0.63 15% -9.0% -9,060,920 0.57 20% -12.9% -10,663,469 0.51 30% -21.4% -13,868,567 0.41 LASED II EFA, Without Irrigation 6. The ICR EFA validated the evidence demonstrating that access to irrigation infrastructure results in increased yields, but that service areas and irrigation impacts are not fully maximized without distribution canals. Similar to the PAD, a second simulation of the ICR EFA was conducted to assess the project’s impacts if irrigation support services were not provided. This without irrigation scenario returned indicators for EIRR of 34.79 percent, NPV of US$7.70 million and BCR of 1.44, which are higher net impacts than the ICR with irrigation scenario. This is due to the fact that the irrigation structures built under LASED II are primarily water storage reservoirs. Its distribution canals are planned to be built under LASED III. The absence of distributional canals significantly limits the reach of the irrigation facilities. Six of the seven completed irrigation structures service a range of 10 to 55 hectares of agriculture land, while one can reach 210 hectares (Table 5). As a result, the investments in irrigation currently outweigh its benefits in improved productivity, with all other assumptions in the EFA left constant. Nonetheless, the project impacts in totality remain significantly positive and the construction of distribution canals would widen the reach of these impacts. Table 5. Completed small-scale irrigation structures Contract Amount Reservoir Dike, No. Batch Province Site and Description of works / Subproject Cost Area, Capacity, Irrigated Area, ha m (total in USD) Ha m3 1 Kratie Thmei: (Dike:600m, TW:5m, Laterite 600 249,917 14.23 260,000 55 Layer, 1 Single Concrete Pipe Culvert dia. 0.60m, 19m long with lifting Gates, 1 Spillway 5mx10m) 2 Chambak: (Dike:160m, TW:5m, 160 0.71 5,400 10 Laterite Layer, 1 Single Concrete Pipe I Culvert dia. 0.60m, 8m long with lifting Gates, 1 Spillway 5mx10m, Earth Works Approach Canal 30m) 3 Kg. Thom Tipo 1: (Dike:400m, TW:5m, Laterite 400 350,896 13.46 234,700 210 Layer, 1 Double Concrete Box Culvert with Lifting Gates Devices, 1 Spillway 5mx45m) 4 Kg. Speu Prey Thom: (Dike:460m, TW:5m, 1 460 330,749 2.65 69,000 40 II Single Concrete Box Culvert Page 51 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Contract Amount Reservoir Dike, No. Batch Province Site and Description of works / Subproject Cost Area, Capacity, Irrigated Area, ha m (total in USD) Ha m3 1.50mx2.00m x5.50m with Lifting Gates Devices, 1 Spillway 5mx45m) 5 Kg. Chhnang Kiri Akphiwat: (Dike:162m, TW:5m, 1 Single Concrete Pipe Culvert 162 2.8 54,500 10 diameter 0.8m with Lifting Gates Devices, 2 Spillways 5mx10m) 6 Sambok Kreal: (Dike:110m, TW:5m, 1Single Concrete Box Culvert 110 1.3 9,700 30 1.50mx2.00m x5.50m with Lifting 320,000 Gates Devices, 1 Spillway 5mx10m) 7 Khsach Sar: (Dike:230m, TW:5m, 1 Single Concrete Box Culvert 230 3.44 66,200 40 1.50mx2.00m x5.50m with Lifting Gates Devices, 1 Spillway 5mx10m) Grand Total 2,122 1,251,562 38.59 699,500 395 LASED II Investment Unit Costs 7. The project was efficient in accomplishing its intended outputs. The EFA indicators confirm the cost efficiency and effectiveness of LASED II’s implementation. By completion, the project was able to provide titling and agriculture support services and infrastructure investments to a wide range of beneficiaries in the 14 SLC sites. These investments are listed in Table 6, together with each respective unit cost. Additionally, efficiency was achieved through which the infrastructure investments and other support services were constructed and completed. The government’s PCR noted that, throughout implementation, the project ensured quality-based outputs and infrastructure expenditures following industry standard rates. The procurement guidelines implemented transparency measures in the bidding process that resulted in cost savings, which the project reallocated to provide other support services. Specifically, these cost savings were generated from shortening the procurement cycle by adopting good practices such as minimizing the time for producing and approving requisitions, pro-actively monitoring requests from operating units, monitoring vendor and supplier’s performance and delivery lead times, communicating time lags, and closely monitoring compliance with negotiation terms. Table 6. LASED II Investment Unit Costs Investments under COMPONENT 1: Accomplishments as of 2021 Estimated Unit Cost Total Disbursements INFRASTRUCTURE AND (USD as of Feb 2022) Unit Unit Unit Cost LIVELIHOOD SYSTEMS Accomplishment SLC Investment (Subcomponent 1.1) 2,675,554 HH settled in 5,116 USD/HH 523 residential land Agriculture and Livelihood 3,277,211 HH occupying 9,562 USD/HH 343 Development (Subcomponent 1.3) agriculture lands Land Preparation and Infrastructure Development (Subcomponent 1.2) Access Road to Agricultural Land 3,301,459 km 211 USD/km 15,611 Access Road to Residential Land 1,777,709 km 133 USD/km 13,326 Irrigation Infrastructure 1,251,562 structure 7 USD/structure 178,795 Pump wells 173,572 Well (pump) 79 USD/pump well 2,197 Health Post 160,034 Center 5 USD/center 32,007 School 693,314 School 8 USD/school 86,664 Community Center 333,130 Center 12 USD/center 27,761 Page 52 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Pipe culvert and box culvert 489,900 Unit 126 USD/unit 3,888 Community Markets 60,060 Market 4 USD/market 15,015 Sources: Project Costs and Financing by Sub-Component (as of Feb 2022); Accomplishments reported in LASED2 Project Online MIS; Progress of Small-Scale irrigation as of November 30, 2021 (presented in the Project Completion Report) Page 53 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) ANNEX 5. RECIPIENT, CO-FINANCIER AND OTHER PARTNER/STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS Page 54 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) ANNEX 6. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS A wide range of supporting documents are available providing both background material and details of various tools and Operation Manuals developed under the project. An extensive listing and links to such documents can be found at: LINK [to be added] Some of the key documents include: 1. Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (LASED II). Project Appraisal Document. IDA -5807-KH, April 25, 2016. 2. Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (LASED II). Disbursement Letter, June 9, 2016. 3. Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (LASED II). Financing Agreement, June 9, 2016. 4. Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (LASED II). Project Implementation Manual. April 22, 2016. 5. Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (LASED II). Community Operation Manual. April 22, 2016. 6. Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (LASED II). Mid-Term Evaluation-Final Report. 7. Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (LASED II). Restructuring Paper. Report No.: RES37922. November 3, 2020. 8. Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (LASED II). Implementation Review Aide Memoirs No.1 (2016) to 8 (2021), and summary Implementation Status and Results Reports (ISRs) No. 1 through 9 (Seq. No. 9 archived March 22, 2021). 8. Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (LASED II). Implementation Progress Reports & Interim Financial Reports (IFRs), 2016 to 2021. GDH, NCDDS, GDA. 9. Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (LASED II). Exit and Sustainability Strategy. October 15, 2021. 10. World Bank Group Country Engagement Note 2015-2016. World Bank Group. 11. Country Partnership Framework for Kingdom of Cambodia for the Period of FY2019-2023. World Bank. 12. Where Have All the Poor Gone? Cambodia Poverty Assessment 2013. World Bank. Page 55 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) ANNEX 7. COMMUNICATIONS SUMMARY AND LINK TO FEATURE STORIES 1. The LASED II project benefitted from a comprehensive communications and engagement strategy. The strategy was designed to help achieve the PDO, support project implementation, engage stakeholders, mitigate risks, demonstrate success, change behaviors, and promote safe, sustainable outcomes. 2. The communications strategy defined specific audiences who were key stakeholders or influencers. Communications activities and/or products were tailored to reach the following groups: • People in project areas – potential project beneficiaries • Land Recipients (LRs) • Affected land occupants • NGOs/CSOs • Government representatives from line-ministries, provincial departments, and local authorities • Project implementation teams • Private sector • Local media 3. The communications strategy also identified risks to the project, which were communications- related or could be mitigated effectively through proactive, coordinated outreach. Risks considered under the strategy included: • land is a sensitive issue in Cambodia; • outsiders and farmers who were not granted land could question the fairness of the selection process; • land allocation is a long process and requires the involvement of many stakeholders; • reaching the poorest populations could be difficult since many migrate for employment; and • slow move-in and slow progress on site and farm development of the poorest LRs. 4. The communications strategy identified four pillars of work based on the PDO, target audiences and identified risks: • Raising awareness about the LASED II PDO • Supporting landless and land-poor selection process • Building confidence for LRs • Building public and stakeholder support 5. Within each pillar, communications’ specialists from the World Bank and government counterparts identified and executed a range of activities, which are summarized below. Page 56 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Table 1: Summary of Communication Activities and Products Products Description Remark Project Achievement as % Target of 30 Nov. 2021 Raise awareness about the LASED II Project Development Objective Public Statement A public statement was Done: The public statement was issued to 1 1 100 issued when the project relevant participants during the launching was approved and workshop of the project. These documents signed were all translated in Khmer. Project Fact Sheet A factsheet was Done: The project factsheet was developed and 1 1 100 developed and printed disseminated to stakeholders in the launching for project launching workshop. workshop and distributed to all stakeholders Project Launch A project launching Done: The project was launched in September 1 1 100 Workshop workshop was held in 2016 at Intercontinental Hotel, Phnom Penh September 2016 Annual Reflection Annual reflection Done: Annual Reflection workshop 2017: Annual 1 1 100 workshop workshop was held in Reflection workshop 2017 and Next Plan 2018 of 2017 LASED II Project was held on January 23-24, 2018 at Angkor Paradise Hotel, Siem Reap province. There were 373 participants, 58 were females, from the national and sub-national levels of LASED II implementing partners including the World Bank officials. Annual reflection workshop was not done in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID 19. Leaflet Project leaflets Done: 5000 copies of project leaflets were 1 1 100 highlighting project designed in 2018 and printed in May 2019. objective, land ownership and land usage Radio Talk Show Radio talk shows aired. Done: There were 60 radio programs hosted at 60 60 100 local radio stations in Kampong Speu, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Thom and Kratie. In addition, the 60 radio programs were re- broadcasted 250 times. The numbers of radio call in the radio programs were not hosted in 2016 and 2017. Diary 300 pieces of diary were Done: 1,200 pieces of diary were produced and 1200 1200 100 produced and printed which were distributed to key disseminated to stakeholders in 2018, 2019, and 2020. stakeholders in 2017. 300 pcs of diary were developed in late 2019 and distributed to stakeholders in early 2020. Support landless and land-poor selection process in Dong Commune, Kampong Thom Province Page 57 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Products Description Remark Project Achievement as % Target of 30 Nov. 2021 Announcement of Conduct awareness Done: The communication team worked with No process of campaign in Dong land recipient team in developing and producing indicator selecting Commune in the 8 videos, 20 audio clips, 300 posters, and 1,000 set beneficiaries selection process of leaflets on the process of selecting beneficiaries. beneficiaries by renting a The videos were posted on Facebook, the loud speaker. audios were played through mobile loud speakers and radio programs. The posters and Messages were leaflets were posted at commune hall, village announced by meeting posts, and some other important places professional announcer across the commune and disseminated to target with attractive music land recipients. This was considered an effective medium to create awareness of LASED II. Leaflet Leaflet focused on the Done: 1,000 copies of a leaflet provided 1 1 100 procedures to select information on the procedures to select beneficiaries (selection beneficiaries (selection criteria and process) for criteria and process) for new SLC in Dong Commune were printed and new social land distributed to target beneficiaries. concession in Dong Commune Posters Posters were produced, Done: 300 pcs of poster were produced, 1 1 100 distributed and placed at distributed and posted at the targeted villages in the targeted villages in Dong Commune to inform the villagers about Dong Commune to applying for land and support, and procedures inform the villagers to select beneficiaries (selection criteria and about applying for land process) for new SLC in Dong Commune. and support, and procedures to select beneficiaries (selection criteria and process) for new SLC in Dong Commune Build confidence for land recipients and support livelihood activities Working with Work closely with Done: The provincial teams hosted many No NGOs/CSOs NGOs/CSOs to build trust meetings with NGOs/CSOs to build trust among indicator among land recipients by land recipients, explore potential collaboration set introducing and meeting to improve livelihood and update activities of with them at the the project and NGOs/CSOs. Regular meetings targeted provinces. boosted the confidence of stakeholders, specifically the LRs. Information Conduct information Done: The project purchased 14 sets of loud No campaigns using campaigns using mobile speakers. The Communication team produced indicator mobile loud loud speakers on related 15 audio clips and played 220 times in Kratie, set speakers issues, specifically on Kampong Thom, and Kampong Chhnang settling in and use of throughout loud speakers focusing on (1) land in targeted reinforce messages on Rights and Obligations of communes (bought loud the LRs, (2) Advantages of being a LR, and (3) speakers: 14 sets.) encouraging all LRs to use lands and settle in. Page 58 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Products Description Remark Project Achievement as % Target of 30 Nov. 2021 Livelihood support Work with project team Done: The communication team worked closely No campaign to disseminate with project team to disseminate information indicator information regarding regarding livelihood support such as agricultural set livelihood support such and residential kits, shelter material, food for as agricultural and work, and land preparation in the five target residential kits, shelter provinces. The dissemination activity was material, food for work, proven to be very effective. and land preparation Educational Produce educational Done: 4 educational videos to train LRs about 4 4 100 videos videos to train LRs about livelihood improvement. The videos focused on livelihood improvement (1) Residential preparation and agricultural (livestock raising, production, (2) chicken raising, (3) growing farming, for example): 4 morning glory and (4) operating businesses in videos SLC sites. Gathering Days The gathering day Done: The project has launched a campaign to 14 14 100 campaigns in 14 target celebrate the 10th National Sanitation Day 2019 SLCs to disseminate information and best practice on water and sanitation among land recipients in all 14 SLC sites in the 5 target provinces. The campaigns were launched following the spread out of Prime Minister’s key messages on National Sanitation Day, model LRs shared best practice on water and sanitation, key messages on water and sanitation play through loudspeaker, question and answer/game, and campaign throughout the villages. There were are 1,191 land recipients, 652 females, that participated in the campaign. In 2019, the communication team has continued to cooperate with project teams at the 5 target provinces to disseminate key messages on COVID-19 and water and sanitation to LRs through mobile loudspeaker, community meeting, radio program, and Facebook. In total, the team held 38 meetings with 1,806 land recipients (Female 1,051). In addition, the project manager of each project site has alerted the land recipients to protect themselves from COVID-19 in any meeting at the community. These activities have also proven useful in avoiding open defecation in the target areas. Build Public and Stakeholders Support Result stories Result stories produced Done and Ongoing: Since 2017, the 14 13 93 and disseminated communication team at national and sub- through social media to national level produced 13 result stories promote project highlighting key progress of land recipients and achievement project activities. In addition, the project printed 300 copies of the produced result stories and disseminated to land recipients and stakeholders. These are useful materials to gain greater awareness of activities in the target areas. Page 59 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Products Description Remark Project Achievement as % Target of 30 Nov. 2021 Profile video Prepare a minimum of Done: There were 7 profile videos of 8 7 86% stories two profile videos of outstanding farmers/projects produced and outstanding farmers and disseminated through website and social media. post on websites and The rest of the videos were produced in 2021. social media These videos are good for LRs in adopting certain hero and models in their communities. Project videos Two project videos to Done: There was one project video highlighting 2 2 100 highlight the project key achievements of the project produced and progress and to highlight disseminated through website and social media. project achievements Another one video was produced in 2021 to highlight the whole progress of the project. Annual Newsletter Annual Newsletter Done and Ongoing: Annual newsletter 2018, 4 3 75 2019 and 2020 highlighting key achievement of project implementation were developed/printed and disseminated to beneficiaries and stakeholders. Media Tour Media tour hosted Done: By December 2020, there were 4 media 3 4 100 tours that have taken place. The first media tour was held on June 20-21, 2018 at Sok Sen Chey commune, Peam commune, Raksmey Samaky district, Kampong Chhnang province. In total, there are 8 media reporters, 2 females, from 7 different media institutions including Bayon Television and Radio, Television of Kampuchea (TVK), National Radio of Kampuchea (RNK), Women's Radio, Thmey Thmey Online Media, People National Network (PNN). The purpose of the media tour was (1) to raise awareness among media reporters on the objectives and progressions of LASED II (2) to disseminate the result of project and progress of the land recipients and (3) to raise awareness and support from the public and stakeholder through media dissemination. As a result, media reporters became aware of the project, including its objective, achievement and also the challenges in project implementation. In addition, they also had a chance to meet, and conducted interviews, took photos, and shoot video with land recipients. After the media tour, the reporters produced and broadcasted 6 audio clips, produced and broadcasted 4 video clips, and wrote and published 2 news articles through their media channels. In addition to media tour, the journalists were also invited to cover the news on land title delivery in Kratie province on July 2, 2018, and on September 29, 2019 and in Kampong Chhnang province on December 12, 2020. There were 21 news stories that have been produced and disseminated throughout respective media channels. The last media tour was held on June 27-28, 2019 in Tipo commune, Santuk district, Kampong Thom Page 60 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Products Description Remark Project Achievement as % Target of 30 Nov. 2021 province. After the media tour, the reporters produced and broadcasted 5 news videos on TV, 7 news articles were published on websites, and 4 news stories were broadcasted on radio and website. Website and Articles, photos, and Done: There were 510 stories that have been No Facebook post videos are posted in posted in the website and social media of the indicator website and social media MLMUPC and NCDDS. The stories were linked set from the website to Facebook page of the two ministries. In total, there were 60,500 likes, 12,750 shares, 982,500 reaches, and 965,200 engages. These stories provided greater media mileage and awareness of the LASED II project. New billboard Billboard installation Done: 3 new billboards were installed in 3 3 100 installation and Kampong Speu, Kampong Chhnang and billboard banner Kampong Thom. replacement Billboard banner Done and Ongoing: The team designed and 54 54 100 placement replaced 27 banners of billboards located in the 5 target provinces highlighting key activities of the project implementation. Community Done and Ongoing: In addition to the Outreach development of IEC materials and other main activities, Communication Units also provided technical support to the dissemination of information related to project activities, achievement, and up to date information through local radios and mobile loud speakers. In Kampong Thom province, messages were broadcast through mobile loud speakers in the 8 villages of Dong Commune, Prasat Balang District, in order to increase awareness on SLCs and encourage local people to take part in the project. The broadcasting activities were held from December 17 to 31, 2018. The team also broadcasted the information through local radio FM 89.30 MHz from December 25, 2018 to January 10, 2019. Besides Kampong Thom, the project team in Kratie and Kampong Chhnang province also played the audio clips that were taken from radio call-in-show and factsheet of the project and were broadcasted through mobile loud speakers. Moreover, there were 4 LR profiles produced. The profiles were recorded, edited and disseminated in 2019. Support materials Camera and tripod 5 sets for provinces Done 5 5 100 Simi professional 3 for national level Done 3 3 100 camera and tripod Computers 3 sets for national level Done 3 3 100 (editable) Computers 5 sets for provinces Done 5 5 100 Tape recorders 8 sets Done 8 8 100 Page 61 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Products Description Remark Project Achievement as % Target of 30 Nov. 2021 Building capacity for local staff Writing Press Build capacity of localCompleted: In order to build the capacity of 2 3 100 Release and staff to write press local staff to write press releases and results Result story releases and results stories, the communications team provided 3 stories trainings to local communication officials. The first training was provided in Kratie in 2017, the second training was held in Kampong Chhnang in 2019 and the third training was given in Kampong Thom province in 2020. Photography and Build capacity of local Completed: In order to improve the capacity of 2 2 100 videography staff to take photos and project staff especially the communication staff, training shoot videos a training on photography and videography was provided in early April 2018. There were 32 project staff, 6 females, from national and sub- national level who participated in the training. The training provided both theory on how to use the camera or smart phone in taking photo and shoot video in high quality resolution and real practice was made in the field of new social land concession site in Dong commune. The project also provided a refresher training to the target officials above on April 25-26, 2019. Source: LASED II Report as of 30 November, 2021. Page 62 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) Example: Feature Stories (World Bank) Land: An Asset for Cambodia's Children Better Farming on Their Own Land: How Rural Communities in July 29, 2019 Cambodia Overcome COVID-19 Restrictions and Sustain Incomes February 21, 2021 Link: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2019/07/29/land- an-asset-for-our-children Link: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2021/02/21/better- farming-on-their-own-land-how-rural-communities-in-cambodia- overcome-covid-19-restrictions-and-sustain-incomes Living Off the Land: Land Allocation in Cambodia Provides Safety Net to Land, Infrastructure, and Skills: Three Ingredients for Better Rural Workers Hit by COVID-19 Livelihoods in Cambodia March 10, 2021 December 13, 2021 Link: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2021/03/10/living- Link: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2021/12/13/land- off-the-land-land-allocation-in-cambodia-provides-safety-net-to- infrastructure-and-skills-world-bank-country-director-witnesses-three- workers-hit-by-covid-19 ingredients-to-cambodian-success Page 63 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) ANNEX 8. RECIPIENT END OF PROJECT COMPLETION REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The development in the agriculture sector has prompted the Royal Government of Cambodia to introduce economic and social land concession programs, which have improved the tenure, equity, and sustainable growth, with comprehensive package of agriculture reforms, basic infrastructure and support services. These programs are intended to complement the reforms in land redistribution that speaks well of the rights to private property among landless farmers, specifically the full ownership of land to Khmer citizens, which has been guaranteed by the Cambodian Constitution since 1993. The World Bank has supported the Royal Government of Cambodia in its continuing efforts in providing land to landless farmers thru the second phase of the Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (LASED II). The program aims to transfer several hundred thousand hectares of private state land through social land concessions (SLCs) to the landless poor farming families. Recipients of land for LASED II were selected in the same process as LASED I, using the established poverty identification process (IDPoor), with beneficiaries being within the bottom 40% of the population. Based on the observations and lessons learned in implementing LASED I, the Government has fully recognized the significant contribution of SLCs to poverty reduction and since then has committed to scaling up the program during the second phase. Since the beginning of the Project, the Project Development Objective (PDO) has never been changed: “To help improve target beneficiaries’ access to agriculture resources and selected infrastructure and social services in project communities.” The project design was considered by the Government as relevant and has been consistent with the rural and agriculture development strategy of both the Royal Government and the World Bank. LASED II Project has fully supported the beneficiary-oriented, decentralized, and equitable growth-focused development strategy promoted by the Government. There were no significant changes made during the project implementation, as project design and formulation were considered relevant from appraisal to completion in terms of consistency with the World Bank’s Country Engagement and Strategies, and the Rectangular Strategies of the Royal Government of Cambodia, which were further stressed in the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) for 2019 to 2023 in terms of the development objectives, soundness of the design, and adequacy of the formulation process. Although the LASED was able to spend only $23.27 million, against a target of $25.06 million at appraisal, the project helped the beneficiaries gain access to financial, technical, and private institutions to establish income-generating investments. Most issues were adequately addressed, allowing the project to chalk up an overall physical performance that have exceeded targets and a Marginal Internal Rate of Return (MIRR) of 16.67% at the time of project completion. Overall, the project is rated successful, relevant, effective, efficient, and sustainable. The following are the project-related recommendations: • Review of the Work Done: The General Department of Housing of the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, as the executing agency, together with other Page 64 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) project partners: NCDDS and the General Department of Agriculture should technically review the achievements of the Project. The project review engagement should allow for the exchange of opinions, perceptions, and clarifications on the value for money of the works and other activities carried out and lessons learned in the 14 SLCs, which can be used in future projects programming. • Handover of Roles and Responsibilities: With the LASED III Project now being implemented, there should be a strong support for the comprehensive handover of the reports, materials, equipment, and other resources from LASED II to LASED III, to ensure sustainability. • Sub-National Level Participation: Where the participation of the provincial administration, district working groups, and commune councils is key to the project, a thorough assessment of the technical and financial absorption capacity of the participating provinces should be conducted and appropriate support should be provided during project implementation for LASED III. For future interventions, it would be good to have broader policy discussions between the World Bank and the government on the implications of the cost sharing policy requirements on the capacity of the local governments to participate in World Bank projects. • Long-Term Environmental Sustainability of the SLCs: Technical assistance and ongoing outreach programs to ensure that soil fertility must be maintained, and forest conservation will be practiced: i. Soil Fertility: In future projects, agriculture extension assistance must be provided in soil conservation, i.e., providing set of farming techniques and practices to avoid degradation, erosion and depletion. With the support to be extended in the future by MAFF and NGOs on agriculture extension, the farmers will boost the performance in the fields by maintaining soil biodiversity of inhabiting eco-communities that contribute to its fertility in their own ways such as adding organic matter, split perished organisms to release nutrients, improve water infiltration, and aeration. ii. Forest Conservation: Government authorities from MAFF, with the assistance of forestry conservation consultants, will need to check the process of forest degradation and restore degraded areas. Restoration of forests will not only provide considerable rural employment, but it will also promote better water availability and enhance ecological services. • Improving Land Rights Mechanism, Infrastructure and Technical Support, and Credit Assistance. The government should improve land rights mechanisms to make farmland more bankable. Providing farmers with more infrastructure and technical support and greater supervision will ensure that they are able to raise high-value crops, market their produce and repay their loans. Further studies are required on how farmers and small enterprises without bankable collateral can access financial services. Collaboration with the private sector should be encouraged to improve economies of scale and the viability of agriculture financed by commercial banks. In future projects, the Government can introduce the following schemes: i. The Government, with collaboration from the Rural Development Bank, should establish a credit facility to address the financial needs of marginal farmers and fisher folk for fast, convenient and affordable credit to strengthen delivery of agricultural credit and increase outreach to more small farmers and fishers. Page 65 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) ii. The Government can collaborate with Rural Development Bank and other Micro-Finance institutions in the provision of non-collateralized loans for agri-fishery production and agri- microfinance and make them available to the marginalized farmers and fishers in the SLCs. • Additional Assistance in Connecting Farmers to New Markets. There is an urgent need to link the farmers to new markets by assessing the potential of public–private partnership. With Value Chain thinking, farmers can increase their income by finding market opportunities where they compete on their skills and quality of products rather than just offering the lowest price. • Compile and Disseminate Project Knowledge: The Project must be able to distribute and disseminate knowledge products produced in order to sustain institutional memory. Before the project closing, digital reports must be produced or publish a subset of progress reports to foster broader engagement in the future. • Monitoring and Evaluation: A rigorous M & E system should be established in LASED III. Since the next project has distinct components and several sub-projects within these components, it should focus on monitoring and assessing the progress of the project components against the outcome and output targets and not just expenditure categories, procurement, social assessments, and project activities. The M & E System should be tied up with the Project’s MIS, and should extensively use tablets in monitoring project indicators, either on-line or off-line. • Safeguards: Training should be continuously provided in LASED III to ensure adequate capacity to oversee and monitor the project’s safeguard performance. The environment and social safeguards management plan should be included in the bidding documents. Guidelines on voluntary donation of land and other properties based on international best practice should be included in the resettlement framework of the project. • Gender: More support should be given to women’s organizations and groups of rural women to participate in the formulation of future land policies and reforms through financial support, dialogue with government and providing a space for civil society to meet with government representatives. Facilitate informed policy making through supporting the production of gender- disaggregated data and statistics on land tenure in national statistical accounts and cadastre. Page 66 of 67 The World Bank KH-Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development Project II (P150631) ANNEX 9. MAP OF PROJECT AREA - IBRD MAP 41147, June 30, 2022 Page 67 of 67