INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET APPRAISAL STAGE Report No.: ISDSA1259 Public Disclosure Copy Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 16-Oct-2012 I. BASIC INFORMATION 1. Basic Project Data Country: Lebanon Project ID: P131202 Project Name: LB: Mobile Internet Ecosystem Project (MIEP) (P131202) Task Team Victor Mulas Leader: Estimated 27-Sep-2012 Estimated 11-Dec-2012 Appraisal Date: Board Date: Managing Unit: TWICT Lending Specific Investment Loan Instrument: Sector: Information technology (80%), Telecommunications (20%) Theme: Education for the knowledge economy (70%), e-Services (30%) Financing (In USD Million) Financing Source Amount Borrower 6.40 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development 6.40 Total 12.80 Public Disclosure Copy Environmental C - Not Required Category: Is this a No Repeater project? 2. Project Objectives The project development objective is to strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship in the Lebanese Mobile Internet Ecosystem. 3. Project Description The project will strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship in the Mobile Internet Ecosystem through three components targeting the specific needs of this industry, in order to develop international competitiveness. Component 1 increases entrepreneurial skills and practical industry training of the Lebanese talent pool to attract it to this industry. Component 2 creates the instruments for the industry to interact and develop innovation networks to increase its maturity and global competitiveness. Component 3 assesses Lebanon competitive position in ICT-enabled industries to identify areas where improvements are needed, and eventually help the government implement the necessary reforms. In addition, the project will support the complementary functions of project Page 1 of 5 management (Component 4). The project will create a Mobile Innovation Hub (“MiHub�) which will act as a focal point of the industry, serving as intermediary and catalyzer of innovation among all the stakeholders of the Ecosystem. The MiHub will manage and coordinate the activities of Components Public Disclosure Copy 1 and 2. The project is structured along four main components as described below: Component 1: Skills development and attraction of talent. (US$ 3.50 million) This component increases entrepreneurial skills and practical industry training of the Lebanese talent pool to address the identified skills-gap of university graduates and industry needs and attract this talent pool to this industry. The component targets both the community of entrepreneurs, software developers and university graduates, and its main goals are to attract a sufficient number of members of these communities to the mobile internet industry and to provide these communities with sufficient skills, capacity, and knowledge to develop mobile internet start-up projects. The subcomponents financed under this component are the following: (a) a series of Mobile Internet Competitions (MICs) with a structured skills and capacity-building program, which will include a training program to address mobile internet programming and entrepreneurship and problem-solving skills, and a mentorship and international exchange program for entrepreneurs; and (b) a university- industry platform, where all universities in Lebanon can participate in a mobile internet industry internship program and in a learning module consisting of co-creation (university students-industry) of mobile internet projects. Component 2: Strengthening and growth of mobile internet industry. (US$ 5.80 million) This component creates the instruments for the industry to interact and develop innovation networks to increase its maturity and global competitiveness. The component will finance the following subcomponents: (a) creation and financing of operations during the course of the project of the Mobile Innovation Hub (MiHub) with a mandate focused on serving as catalyzer of industry innovation, focal point of the industry, providing a forum for cooperation and building of synergies, Public Disclosure Copy and on managing the activities of Component 1 and 2, (b) creation of industry clusters with other vertical industries (e.g., media, advertising, design, banking, etc.), and establishment of a testing facility (living lab) and project development platform to test mobile internet prototypes and provide access to the MiHub community to project development within international networks of open innovation; and (c) a structured promotion campaign, including brand image, to develop entrepreneurship culture in this industry and attract talent and domestic and international attention to the emerging mobile internet industry in Lebanon. Component 3: Enhancement of mobile internet enabling environment (US$ 1.00 million) This component will provide an assessment of Lebanon competitive position in ICT-enabled industries to evaluate the potential of the country to use mobile internet and other ICT platforms to increase its competitive position regional and internationally. The assistance will assess the current Lebanese environment for ICT-enabled services and will develop a road map and recommendations for the expansion of ICT-enabled services to key competitive industries to enhance Lebanon competitiveness. These recommendations will serve to foster the growth of the mobile internet industry and expansion throughout vertical industries and will include enabling environment targeted reforms and other policy actions. In addition, the results of this study will allow the project to identify more focused actions, particularly in the links with vertical industry, during the project live. The component will also fund follow-up technical assistance to implement these recommendations Page 2 of 5 and reforms after consultation with stak eholders and government and consensus or strategic direction on implementation of specific lines of action and reforms. These reforms will allow the ICT industry and the mobile internet industry in particular, to further grow and expand throughout Public Disclosure Copy the Lebanese economy providing support and reinforcement to the activities under Components 1 and 2. Project management (US$ 1.50 million) This component finances data collection on indicators to measure project progress and results and strengthens the Financial Management Team’s (FMT) management capabilities. More specifically, this component will fund the baseline studies (indicators) and surveys of the mobile internet industry in Lebanon for project impact measurement. It will also finance the salaries and training for the Financial Management Team (FMT) personnel, including procurement and financial management training, as well as consultants to support the FMT along with standard project management costs such as project coordination, procurement, financial management, monitoring & evaluation, communication, office equipment, incremental operating costs, and audits. Contingency (US$ 1.00 million) 4. Project location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known) 5. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists 6. Safeguard Policies Triggered? Explanation (Optional) Environmental Assessment OP/ No BP 4.01 Public Disclosure Copy Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 No Forests OP/BP 4.36 No Pest Management OP 4.09 No Physical Cultural Resources OP/ No BP 4.11 Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 No Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP No 4.12 Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 No Projects on International No Waterways OP/BP 7.50 Page 3 of 5 Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP No 7.60 Public Disclosure Copy II. Key Safeguard Policy Issues and Their Management A. Summary of Key Safeguard Issues 1. Describe any safeguard issues and impacts associated with the Restructured project. Identify and describe any potential l arge scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts: N/A 2. Describe any potential indirect and/or long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area: N/A 3. Describe any project alternatives (if relevant) considered to help avoid or minimize adverse impacts. N/A 4. Describe measures taken by the borrower to address safeguard policy issues. Provide an assessment of borrower capacity to plan and implement the measures described. N/A 5. Identify the key stakeholders and describe the mechanisms for consultation and disclosure on safeguard policies, with an emphasis on potentially affected people. N/A B. Disclosure Requirements Date If the project triggers the Pest Management and/or Physical Cultural Resources policies, the respective issues are to be addressed and disclosed as part of the Environmental Assessment/ Audit/or EMP. Public Disclosure Copy If in-country disclosure of any of the above documents is not expected, please explain why: C. Compliance Monitoring Indicators at the Corporate Level (to be filled in when the ISDS is finalized by the project decision meeting) The World Bank Policy on Disclosure of Information Have relevant safeguard policies documents been sent to the Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] World Bank's Infoshop? Have relevant documents been disclosed in-country in a public Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] place in a form and language that are understandable and accessible to project-affected groups and local NGOs? All Safeguard Policies Have satisfactory calendar, budget and clear institutional Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] responsibilities been prepared for the implementation of measures related to safeguard policies? Have costs related to safeguard policy measures been included Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] in the project cost? Page 4 of 5 Does the Monitoring and Evaluation system of the project Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] include the monitoring of safeguard impacts and measures Public Disclosure Copy related to safeguard policies? Have satisfactory implementation arrangements been agreed Yes [ ] No [ ] NA [ ] with the borrower and the same been adequately reflected in the project legal documents? III. APPROVALS Task Team Leader: Victor Mulas Approved By Sector Manager: Name: Alan G. Carroll (SM) Date: 16-Oct-2012 Public Disclosure Copy Page 5 of 5