THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SPORTS UGANDA COVID-19 EDUCATION RESPONSE (GPE) PROJECT (P174033) ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK (ESMF) OCTOBER 2021 i Table of Contents Table of Contents ................................................................................................. ii List of Tables ....................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ...................................................................................................... iv List of Acronyms .................................................................................................. v Executive summary ............................................................................................ viii 1.0 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ..................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Rationale of the ESMF..................................................................................... 2 1.3 Objective of the ESMF .................................................................................... 2 1.4 Scope of the ESMF .......................................................................................... 3 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ............................................................................. 5 2.1 Project Development objective........................................................................ 5 2.2 Project components ........................................................................................ 5 2.2.1 Ensure continuous learning during school closure ....................................... 5 2.2.2: Support safe re-opening, student re-entry and capacity building for resilience .......................................................................................................... 6 2.2.3: Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation: ................................... 7 2.3 Project Beneficiaries ........................................................................................ 7 3.0 POLICY, LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ..................................... 9 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 9 3.2 Policies Framework ........................................................................................ 9 3.2.1 National context ...................................................................................... 9 3.2.2 Education Sector Context ....................................................................... 15 3.3 Legal Framework.......................................................................................... 18 3.3.1 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995 ..................................... 18 3.3.2 Public Health Act, Cap. 281 ................................................................. 19 3.3.3 Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2006 .......................................... 19 3.3.4 Water act Cap 152 ................................................................................. 20 3.3.5 National Environment Act No. 5, 2019 .................................................. 20 3.3.6 National Environment Regulations, S.I. No 5/1999, (Under section 26 and 107 of the National Environment Act, Cap 153) ............................................... 20 3.3.7 Education Act, 2008 .............................................................................. 21 3.3.8 Local Governments Act (1997) Cap 243 .................................................. 21 3.3.9 Employment Act, 2006 ....................................................................... 21 3.3.10 Penal Code Amendment Act, 2007 .................................................... 22 3.3.11 Children Act, Cap. 59 ............................................................................ 22 3.4 Applicable World Bank and WHO Guidelines ............................................... 22 3.4.1 World Bank Environmental and Social Standards ..................................... 22 3.4.2 World Bank Group Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines.... 27 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL BASELINE ............................................... 29 ii 4.1 Physical Environment ................................................................................ 29 4.2 Biodiversity............................................................................................... 30 4.3 Population and Demographic characteristics ............................................... 32 4.3.1 Internally Displaced People (IDPS) and Refugees ...................................... 33 4.4. Economic growth ........................................................................................ 34 4.5 Education System ......................................................................................... 35 4.5.1 Strategic Framework ............................................................................... 35 4.5.2 Education Structure ................................................................................ 35 4.5.3 Education Governance and Administration ............................................. 36 4.5.4 Provision of Education Service ................................................................ 37 4.5.5 Education Coordinating Mechanisms ...................................................... 38 4.4.6 Education Sector Funding ....................................................................... 39 4.5.7 Pre- Primary Education in Uganda .......................................................... 39 4.5.8 Primary Education in Uganda ................................................................. 40 4.5.9 Secondary Education in Uganda ............................................................. 42 4.6 Uganda’s response to COVID-19 ................................................................... 44 4.7 Impact of COVID-19 on Education ................................................................ 45 5.0 ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL RISKS AND MITIGATION ............................ 47 5.1 Potential Environment and Social Risks .......................................................... 47 5.1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................... 47 5.1.2 Environmental Risks ............................................................................... 47 5.1.3 Social and Health Risks ........................................................................... 48 5.2 Environment and Social Risks Mitigation Measures ........................................ 49 5.2.1 Planning and Designing Stage .................................................................. 49 5.2.2 Operational Stage .................................................................................. 50 5.2.2.1 Environmental Risks............................................................................. 50 5.2.2.2 Social and Health Risks ........................................................................ 51 5.2.2.3 Decommission Stage ............................................................................ 54 6.0 PROCEDURES TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES ......... 55 6.1 Screening potential Environmental and Social issues ....................................... 55 6.2 Environmental and Social Instruments ........................................................... 55 6.3 Consultation of prepared E&S Instruments ..................................................... 56 6.4 Review and approval of the E&S instruments; ............................................... 57 6.5 Disclosure of instruments .............................................................................. 57 6.6 Implementation and Monitoring of the E&S Plan ........................................... 57 6.7 Reporting..................................................................................................... 57 6.8 Completion and Evaluation ....................................................................... 58 7.0 PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND DISCLOSURE ............................................. 59 7.1 Strategy for Information Disclosure and Consultation Process ......................... 59 8.0 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ..................................................................61 8.1 Stakeholder Engagement Plan ................................................................. 61 8.2 Grievance Redress Mechanisms ............................................................... 62 iii 8.2.1 Community GRM ................................................................................... 62 8.2.2 Workers GRM .................................................................................... 63 8.2.3 Grievance Tracking and Reporting....................................................... 63 8.2.4 World Bank Grievance Redress System ................................................ 64 9.0 PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND CAPACITY BUILDING ............................................................................... 65 9.1 Institutional Arrangements and Responsibilities of Key Personnel .................... 65 9.1.1 Ministry of Education and Sports ............................................................. 65 9.1.2 The Project Coordination Unit-PCU ........................................................ 65 9.1.3 Environment and Social Safeguard Specialists ........................................... 66 9.1.4 Social Development Specialists ............................................................ 66 9.1.5 District Local Government Authorities ..................................................... 66 9.2 Capacity Building and Training ..................................................................... 68 9.3 Estimated Budget.......................................................................................... 68 Annex 1: Screening Form for Potential Environmental and Social Issues....................... I Annex 2: Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) Matrix ....................... II Annex 3: Summary of Concerns Raised from Stakeholders Consultations ............... XIII Annex 4: Infection and Prevention Control Protocol.............................................. XX Annex 5: Infectious Control and Waste Management Protocol ........................... XXVII Annex 6: List of Stakeholders Consulted ........................................................... XXXIV Annex 7: Resource List: Covid-19 Guidance .................................................... XXXVIII List of Tables Table 1: MoES Education Coordination Stakeholders ............................................... 38 Table 2: Number of primary-school-age out-of-school-children in Uganda, 2017 ..... 41 Table 3: Environmental and Social Risks and Mitigation Measures during Planning and Designing Stage....................................................................................................... III Table 4: Environmental and Social Risks and Mitigation Measures during Operational Stage ..................................................................................................................... IV Table 5: Environmental and Social Risks and Mitigation Measures during Decommissioning .................................................................................................. XII List of Figures Figure 1: The 15 Sub-Regions of Uganda ................................................................. 29 Figure 2: Uganda Rainfall Map............................................................................... 30 Figure 3: Structure of the Formal Uganda Education System .................................... 36 Figure 4 : Share of pupils & students enrolled in private & public schools (by sub- sector) ................................................................................................................... 38 Figure 5: Number of primary-school-age out-of-school-children in Uganda, 2016/17 42 Figure 6: Secondary Enrolment, GER and NER trends by sex ................................... 43 iv List of Acronyms AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Virus ARSDP Albertine Region Skills Development Project BoGs Board of Governors C/HRM Commissioner Human Resource Management CAE Child Abuse and exploitation CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CERP COVID-19 Emergency Education Response Project CMCs Centre Management Committees CoC Code of Conduct COVID 19 Corona Virus Disease 2019 CRRF Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework DCDO District Community Development Officer DEO District Education officer DHO District Health Officer DIS District Inspector of Schools DLD District Labour Officer DPO District Personnel Officer DRC Democratic Republic of Congo DSA Daily Subsistence Allowance E&S Environmental and Social ECCE Early Childhood Care and Education ECD Early Childhood Development EDPs Education Development Partners EFA-FTI Education for All - Fast Track Initiative Fast Track Initiative EHS Environmental, Health and Safety EHSGs Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines EMIS Education Management Information System EPPAD Education Planning and Policy Analysis Department ERP Emergency Response Plan ESA Environmental and Social Assessments ESCOP Environmental and Social Code of Practice ESCP Environmental and Social Commitment Plan ESF Environmental and Social Framework ESHS Environmental, Social, Health and Safety ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment ESMF Environmental and Social Management Framework ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan ESRS Environmental and Social Review Summary ESS Environmental and Social Standards ESSP Education Sector Strategic Plan FBO Faith-Based Organizations GBV Gender Based Violence v GDP Gross Domestic Product GER Gross Enrolment Rate GHSA Global Health Security Assessment GIIPS Good International Industry Practices GoU Government of Uganda GPE Global Partnership for Education GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism GRS Grievance Redress Service HCF Health Care Facilities HCW HealthCare Workers HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus HSE Health Safety and Environment ICWMP Infection Control and Waste Management Plan IDPs Internally Displaced Peoples IEC Information Education and Communication IECD Integrated Early Childhood Development IFC International Finance Corporation IHR International Health Regulations ILO International Lobour Organization IMR Infant Mortality Rate IPC Infection and Prevention Control JEE Joint External Evaluation LGA Local Governments Act LMIC Lower-Middle-Income Countries LMP Labour Management Procedures M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MGLGD Ministry of Gender Lobour and Social Development MoES Ministry of Education and Sports MOH Ministry of Health MoPS Ministry of Public Service MP Member of Parliament NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan NCDC National Curriculum Development Centre NCHE National Council for Higher Education NDP National Development Plan NEMA National Environmental management Authority NEP National Environmental Policy NGO Non-Governmental Organization NHPC National Housing and Population Census NPA National Planning Authority NSGE National Strategy for Girls’ Education NSSF National Social Security Fund NWP National Water Policy OHS Occupational Health and Safety PAI Project Area of Influence vi PAP Project Affected Persons PCU Project Coordination Unit PIM Project Implementation Manual PLWA People Living with HIV POM Project Operation Manual PPEs Personal Protective Equipments PPP Public-Private Partnership PPSD Project Procurement Strategy for Development PTCs Primary Teachers’ Colleges RAP Resettlement Action Plan RPF Resettlement Policy Framework SDR Special Drawing Rights SEA Sexual Exploitation and Abuse SEP Stakeholder Engagement Plan SH Sexual Harassment SMCs School Management Committees SMT Senior Man Teacher SWT Senior Woman Teacher SoPs Standard Operating Procedures SPD Standard Procurement Document SPM Sector Policy and Management SSA Sub-Saharan Africa SWT Senior Woman Teacher T/As Traditional Authorities UACE Advanced Certification of Education UBOS Uganda Bill of Statistics UCCs Uganda Colleges of Commerce UCE Uganda Certificate of Education UNATU Uganda National Association of Teachers’ Union UNITE National Institute for Teacher Education UPE Universal Primary Education UPOLET Universal Post Ordinary Level Education Training USDP Uganda Skills Development Project USE Universal Secondary Education UTCs Uganda Technical Colleges VAC Violence against children VACiS Violence against Children in Schools VMGP Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups Plan VMGs Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups VRC Voters Registration Card WASH Water Sanitation and Hygiene WB World Bank WHO World Health Organisation vii Executive summary 1. The project development objective (PDO) of the COVID-19 Education Response Project (CERP)-P174033 is to support students learning (pre-primary, primary and lower secondary) during school closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure a safe reopening and student re-entry. 2. The Project contains three components: a. Component 1: Ensuring continuous learning during school closure; this component will support the improvement of existing distance learning channels along with supporting the creation of new channels that will allow children, especially those in hard to reach areas and other vulnerable communities, to access learning materials during school closure through; (i) Developing pre-primary, primary and lower secondary home-study materials for continuity of learning, (ii) Printing and distribution of home self- study materials to learners across the project area, (iii) Supporting remote self- learning through procurement of airtime on radio and TV, and (iv) Providing Printing Equipment for the NCDC. The component will also support remedial learning materials that will be designed for children with special needs through; (i) Adopting self-study home packages into large print and braille for students with special needs, and (ii) Procurement of equipment for learners with special needs including, Braille machine, Braille paper, Data cards, Embossing papers, Binding comb, MP-3 Players, Sign Language manuals, Sign Language pamphlets, Classmates and Victor readers. b. Component 2: Supporting safe re-opening, student re-entry and capacity building for resilience; This component will support efforts of the MOES, school administration and teachers to prepare effectively for the re-opening of schools and the re-entry of students through; (i) Carrying out back-to-school awareness campaigns to ensure all children resume school, re-entry, enrolment and re-integration into the formal schooling system. These campaigns will have a targeted design feature to specifically reach girls and children from vulnerable populations to mitigate risks of student dropout, and (ii) Providing conditional school grants to ensure effective implementation of the SoPs as stipulated by MoH prior to reopening of schools. The component will also focus on improving the capacity of key stakeholders to respond to the various emerging needs during and after the COVID-19 outbreak through; (i) Conducting a rapid assessment on the effects of Covid-19 on Primary and Secondary Education, (ii) Designing and implementing a customized E-platform for tracking of learning (Learner management system), (iii) Developing and dissemination of Guidelines for re-opening of schools and the re-entry of students, and (iv) Conducting capacity building for District Officers, Head teachers and Community as well as viii conducting school inspection to ensure that only education institutions that have put in place the required facilities, arrangements and structures for effective implementation of the SOPs are allowed to reopen. c. Component 3: Implementation management Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation; This component will provide support to the project implementation, supervision, monitoring and evaluation, procurement and financial management and auditing. This component will specifically support: (i) Monitoring of project results using the Education Management Information System (EMIS), The Learner Management System (e-platform), Rapid Assessment of Schools and Quarterly Monitoring, (ii) Project Operational Support i.e. Recruitment of technical assistance, Purchase of office equipment and rent of space as well as Daily operations, (iii) Financial Management including; Planning and budgeting, Accounting and staff arrangement, Funds flow of the project, Financial reporting, Payment processing, Auditing, Currencies, Management of local field travel and Project financing, (iv) Procurement management including; Supporting implementing agencies, Contract management capability and capacity, Procurement monitoring and reporting and Complaints management, and (v) Environmental and Social safeguards i.e. creation of institutional mechanism for safeguard implementation, Capacity for safeguards implementation, Monitoring & evaluation of safeguards as well as Preparation of safeguard instruments. 3. Project location: The project will be implemented countrywide. 4. The Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) has been prepared to assist the Government of Uganda in developing environmental and social instruments in response to COVID-19 situations following national regulations and the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). The objective of the ESMF is to assess and mitigate potential negative environment and social (E&S) risks and impacts of the Project consistently with the Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs) of the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). 5. The ESMF is applicable to all interventions under the Project. It aims to (a) establish clear procedures and methodologies for environmental and social planning, screening of sub-projects activities, review, approval and implementation of subprojects to be financed under the Project, (b) Identify and review national, regional and international laws, policies and regulations relevant to Project implementation, (c) carry out a preliminary assessment of environmental and social impacts from project investments and propose generic mitigation measures, (d) specify appropriate roles and responsibilities, and outline the necessary reporting ix procedures, for managing and monitoring environmental and social concerns related to subprojects, (e) provide instruments and guidelines for environmental and social (ES) risk categorization of all the sub-projects to be implemented under the project, (f) consider in an integrated manner, the potential ES risks, benefits and impacts of the project and help identify measures to avoid, minimize and manage risks and impacts while enhancing benefits, (g) determine the training, capacity building and technical assistance needed to successfully implement the provisions of the ESMF, (h) provide practical resources for implementing the ESMF, (i) provide a generic Environmental and Social Management Plan and report forms/templates under the project to ensure that environmental and social issues will be adequately addressed during project implementation, (j) and also undertake stakeholder consultation, document issues raised and propose measures to address key stakeholder concerns. 6. Potential environmental impacts and risks: The project activities are expected to have low environmental risk (or impacts) to learners, teachers and communities as compared to social and health risks. The major risks for the project are related to: (i) poor solid waste management and disposal; (ii) contamination of water bodies or sources with waste water from hand washing facilities in schools; (iii) air pollution resulting from open burning of solid wastes; (iv) irregular water supply for WASH in schools; and (v) Poor storage of surface and body disinfectants/sanitizers. 7. Potential social impacts and risks: The project activities are expected to have moderate social safety risks to learners, teachers and community members. The potential risks identified include; (a) increased spread of COVID-19, (b) Learners failing to re-enrol when schools open, (c) relaxation to observe the set COVID-19 SOPs, (d) social unrest, panic, stress, anxiety and/or conflicts and anxiety resulting from false information about COVID-19 transmissions, (e) failure to access appropriate and timely COVID-19 emergence services, (f) exposure of learners especially against women and girls to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and Violence Against Children (VAC), (g) exclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups (h) failure of schools to re-open as a result of their inability to meet the set SoPs for school opening, (i) high enrolment of learners in some schools within the proximity of others that fail to meet the set SoPs for opening. 8. Other social risks include;, (i) un regulated and uncontrolled Self-medication in prevention of being infected, (ii) fatigue among teachers especially if they have to teach in turns or divide one class into acceptable class size in accordance with the SoPs, (iii) community tensions due to competition for learning materials, (iv) Inability of learners to use the provided self-study materials while at home, (v) high absenteeism rate or neglect of duty by teachers due to fear of catching the disease, (vi) high attrition of teachers resulting from getting lucrative-alternative employment, (vii) increased costs of operation and living resulting in enforcing or observing the new set x standards in the new operating cont1exts e.g. transport, feeding, health care among others, (viii) poor quality (counterfeited or adulterated) COVID-19 preventive materials on the market, (ix) side effects of using hazardous chemicals to spray/disinfect classes, learners’ materials, tools and/or even learners themselves, (x) occupational hazards: e.g. lack of proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like face-shields, sanitizers, and (xi) failure of schools, communities, district officials and other stakeholders to own environmental and social safeguard project related interventions. 9. Environmental and Social Risk Rating: The project was prepared under the World Bank’s Environment and Social Framework (ESF) with an overall ESF Risk Rating of “Substantial”. 10. Legal, Regulatory and Policy Framework: The implementation of the project environmental and social safeguards will be guided by Government of Uganda’s policy and legal framework, which outlines the most important Policies, Legislation, Guidelines and Standards relevant to the project. Among the key policies include(i) Uganda Vision 2040 provides for “A Transformed Ugandan Society from a Peasant to a Modern and Prosperous Country within 30 years”, (ii) the National Development Plan (NDPIII) that highlights Social protection as one of the key strategies for transforming Uganda from a peasant society to a modern and prosperous Country, (iii) the 1992 Government White Paper on Education is the basis of official policy on the purposes and programs of education, (iv) the National Environmental Policy (NEP) that advocates sustainable development, which maintains and promotes environmental quality and resource productivity for socio-economic transformation, (v) the National Gender Policy that makes the case for gender mainstreaming at the sector level, including education, (vi) The national GBV policy that provides for prevention and GBV response and also sets priority areas of action at the National, Sector, District and Community levels, (vii) the National Social Protection Policy (NSP) policy focusing on a social protection system that is built on two pillars, namely social security and social care and support services, (viii) the UPE and USE policies that put emphasis on achieving poverty reduction and human development through education for all. The Uganda School Health Policy provides a framework address health related matters in all educational institution of learning. It focuses on a number of priorities which include; Sexuality education, Health Education life skills; protection of children against harassment and abuse; and provision of medical care in school. 11. Key legal instruments include; (i) the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda which is the supreme over any legal policy or Act in Uganda, (ii) the Public Health Act Cap 281 that seeks to preserve public health in Uganda, (iii) the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2006 that provides for the prevention and protection of persons at all workplaces from injuries, diseases, death and damage to property, (iv) the xi National Environment Act No. 5, 2019 which is the principal legislation on the protection and management of the environment, (v) the Education Act, 2008 which consolidates and streamlines the existing law relating to the development and regulation of education and training in Uganda, (vi) the Employment Act, 2006 that spells out general principles regarding forced labour, discrimination in employment, sexual harassment and provisions to settle grievances, (vii) the Children Act, Cap. 59 that defines the rights of children and requires all duty bearers, parents, community members and teachers to ensure that children under their care are safe and protected. 12. The World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework sets out the World Bank’s commitment to sustainable development, through a Bank Policy and a set of Environmental and Social Standards (ESS) designed to support Borrowers’ projects, with the aim of ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. The implementation of the Uganda COVID-19 Emergency Education Response (GPE) Project-P174033, triggered the environmental and social standards (ESS) 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 10. 13. Environmental and Social Baseline; Uganda is located on the Eastern region of Africa and lies mostly between latitudes 4012’ to the North and 1029’ to the South and between longitude 29034’ and 35000’ to the East, bordered by the Republic of Kenya in the East, Tanzania and Rwanda in the South, Democratic Republic of Congo in the West and Sudan in the North. The country is well endowed with fertile soils with a wide range of vegetation, from tropical rain forest (in the South) to the Savannah in the North and Semi-desert vegetation in the North East. Uganda’s climate is characterized by equatorial climate with plenty of rain and sunshine moderated by the relatively high altitude. 14. Uganda is exceptionally important in terms of biodiversity with more species of primates than anywhere else on Earth of similar area. The high level of biodiversity in Uganda is a function of Uganda’s location in a zone between the ecological communities that are characteristic of the drier East African savannas and the more moist West African rain forests, along with large differences in elevation and extraordinary combinations of terrestrial and aquatic habitats. The country has a unique blend of semi-arid woodlands, savannah and forest communities as well as a wealth of montane and lake habitats. 15. Uganda has one of the youngest and most rapidly growing populations in the world estimated to be 44.2 million in 2019. The demographic trends in country have been rapidly changing and this is mainly because of high fertility rate coupled with declining infant mortality and low life expectancy. Uganda has been one of the top regional performers in terms of economic growth and poverty reduction over the last decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to slow economic activity due to xii direct health and social effects of the disease; and preventive measures (i.e. lockdowns) to contain the spread of the disease. 16. Education in Uganda is embedded in the country’s strategies for socio-economic development with the Vision 2040 recognizing the provision of universal primary and secondary education as a human right and as a crucial means to promote universal and equitable socio-economic development for Uganda’s population. Education service in Uganda is provided by both public and private providers and these are both obliged to comply with existing applicable legislation and regulations. The Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) is the mother ministry responsible for the governance of e Education and Sports in the country. In collaboration with other line ministries and local governments, the MoES, supports and provides technical guidance, coordinates, monitors and evaluates policies, regulates and sets standards for management of Education, Sports and the sector’s players. 17. The current structure Uganda’s of formal education provides for four levels of education; starting with (i) an initial non-compulsory pre-primary phase of the early childhood development (ii) 7 years of primary education for 6-12 year-olds, (iii) 4 years of lower secondary for 13-16 year-olds and 2 years of Advanced secondary education, (iv) tertiary and university education. 18. Pre-primary education services have rapidly expanded in Uganda in the recent years with 2019 school mapping exercise indicating a total of 28,208 Pre-primary education centres and a total enrolment of 2,050,4031. The UNHS (2016) conducted by the UBOS indicated that 43% of children aged 3 to 5 years attending pre-primary schools, with girls (45%) having a slightly higher attendance rate than boys (42%). In 2017, Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) stood at 15.4% while the Net Enrolment Rate (NER) was 8.4%2 . 19. Access to primary education on the other hand has been increasing over years since the introduction of universal primary education in 1997. For ten years between 2007/08 and 2017/18, the number of primary schools grew by over 43% from 14,728 schools to 20,305 schools. Gender Parity Index at primary level stood at 1.01 in FY 2017/18 implying that there were no significant gender disparities in enrolment at the national level. Equitable access to primary education remains a challenge to achieve the goal of Universal Primary Education. According to the population data (UBOS, 2016/17) and enrolment data (EMIS, 2016/17), approximately 2% of Ugandan children aged from 6 to 12 years (154,552 children) are not in school because of financial constraints for covering the household contribution to education 1 Report on the Master List of schools in Uganda (MEIU) UBOS 2019 2 MoES Annual school Census, 2017 xiii (such as pens, papers, exercise books, exams, uniforms, transportation, and school development funds) are an impediment to school attendance. 20. The enrolment in secondary schools in Uganda has increased over years. Between 2010 and 2017 for example, the enrolment increased by 12% from 1.22 million to 1.37 million with lower secondary schools enrolment of 1.24 million students, while only 135,500 (10%) study in upper secondary (nine times less). 2019 school mapping exercise by UBOS indicated a total enrolment of 1,779,550 students for the lower secondary section in Uganda 21. Environment and Social Risks Mitigation Measures: In order to avoid or minimize impacts associated with activities to be funded under the project, mitigation measures must be implemented as part of the subproject operations to ensure compliance with local and international environmental and social guidelines and standards. All project adverse impacts are expected to be mitigated with known technology, good practices and management solutions, resulting in residual impact of minor significance. 22. The Project Coordination Unit in collaboration with the district local government technical staff and the School management Committees (SMCs)/School Administration will ensure that; (i) school management staff have a copy and have been trained/supported to operationalise the E&S safeguards prepared by the project. (ii) each school has a proper waste management and disposal systems that considers all aspects of protecting the environment from water, soil and air pollution including waste disinfection, reuse and/or recycling (where practical in the COVID-19 context), (iii) routine monitoring and support for school on compliance to the set environmental and social safeguards standards, (iv) periodic monitoring and auditing of the school waste management sites and protocols to ensure compliance, and (v) remedial or correctional measures required to ensure compliance with proper waste management are in place. 23. To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the project implementation stakeholders will also ensure that; (i) Learners, Teachers and the community members are regularly updated with COVID-19 prevention information as well as being constantly reminded of their need to prevent the spread of COVID-19, (ii) schools meet, observe and maintain the SoPs and other operational requirements set by MoH and MoES respectively, (iii) schools check and record temperatures of learners, teachers and other support staff prior to or on entering the school premises, (iv) Learners, teachers, support staff and community members self-monitor for possible symptoms (fever, cough) and to report to their supervisors and (v) COVID-19 response systems and procedures for infected learners, teachers and other support staff are enacted and maintained i.e. like, evacuation procedures, and isolation centres from nearby hospitals. xiv 24. Exclusion: In line with the requirements of ESS1 and ESS7, the PCU will ensure that learners, teachers and other stakeholders are not discriminated due to their, health condition (e.g. COVID-19 status or any chronic illness, socioeconomic status, places of origin, race, gender, ethnic background, tribe, religion, disabilities and any other vulnerability. 25. Other proposed mitigation measures for environmental and social risks are detailed in Chapter 5. 26. Procedures to Address Environmental and Social Issues: The procedure provides screening mechanism for project components in relation to eligibility by referring to the “Ineligible Activities” list. Screening determines the relevant instruments and specific actions planned to prevent, avoid, minimize, reduce or mitigate the environmental and social risks and impacts of the project over the project cycle to meet the ESS requirements. A pre-screening was conducted to identify approach for E&S risk management and impact mitigation. This pre-screening also identifies possible E&S instruments and / tools to be applied during Project implementation. 27. The PCU and individual departments will prepare and implement the necessary E&S instruments for each of the activities financed under the project. The scope of this Project includes following E&S instruments; ESMF, Labour Management Plan (LMP), Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), GBV/VAC/SEA/SH plan, Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), Infectious Control and Waste Management Protocol (ICWMP), Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups plan (VMGP), Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRM), and the Communication strategy 28. MoES will be responsible for the M&E process of all activities under the project. The PCU M&E and S&E specialists will work closely with relevant departments within the MoES and the District Local Governments to undertake monitoring during project implementation. The monitoring will be undertaken at the beneficiary schools, through preparation of monthly and quarterly monitoring reports that will feed into the Project Coordinators monthly and annual progress reports to be submitted to the Management of the Ministry and the Bank. 29. Public Consultation and Disclosure; Given the need for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, stakeholder consultations for the ESMF were conducted virtually or through observing SOPs whenever possible. Among the stakeholders consulted included MoES officials, MoH officials and key stakeholders at Central, local government and school level (as indicated in annex 5). As a key positive feedback, almost all stakeholders appreciated the interventions under the CERP project in ensuring continuity of learning during Covid-19 pandemic period. They however drew the project attention to the need to carefully address social risks related to safety xv of both learners, teaching and non-teaching staff with special attention to the vulnerable groups. The general recommendation was for the project to ensure strict enforcement of the MoH and MoES set SOPs at school level alongside raising awareness of the school community on the Covid-19 Pandemic. 30. Institutional Arrangement and Capacity for ESMF implementation: The Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) will assume overall responsible for overall compliance enforcement of relevant national E&S regulations and guidelines. The Ministry will assume overall responsibility over the beneficiary institutions/and or contractor’s compliance standards and obligations in the implementation of the ESMF as well as wider contractual obligations. The day today implementation will be under the Directorate of Basic and Secondary Education and the Department of Education Planning and Policy Analysis. 31. The Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) with support from MoES will enforce the implementation of the project guidelines and activities as identified in the ESMF and other E&S support documents and/or instruments. These include (but not limited to); (i) providing technical and operational support to schools and other stakeholders implementing mitigation measures contained in ESMPs, SOPs, ICWMP (ii) monitoring and reporting on overall implementation of the ESMF , (iii) monitoring and reporting on compliance of sub-projects with their specific E&S instruments., (iv) supporting the training and capacity building actions included in the ESMF, (v) ensuring close coordination with other project support implementing partners or departments, and (vi) monitoring the use of funds, human and other technical resources earmarked for the implementation of the ESMF. 32. In particular, the Social Development Specialist (SDS) will support in planning and implementation of social safeguard measures including implementing the ESMF and associated instruments. The specialists will directly oversee the implementation of strategies addressing social safeguard concerns including collection, analysis and reporting on social safeguard measures contained in ESMPs, SOPs, ICWM and other social safeguarded instrument as well as preparing monitoring reports and other relevant documentations to ensure compliance of sub-projects with specific E&S instruments. The specialist will also support training and capacity building of relevant stakeholders on environmental and social issues. 33. The decentralization of the education in Uganda directly puts the Local Government (LG) authorities in charge of implementation of the project at the district level. In collaboration with the PCU, the district local government technical staff including the District Environmental officer, District Health Officer (DHO), District Education Officer (DEO), District Inspector of School (DIS), District Community Development Officer (DCDO) and among others will be responsible for; (i) co- xvi ordinating project activities at district level, (ii) organizing trainings and awareness- creation for school stakeholders on E&S interventions at school level, (iii) conducting routine school follow-up, monitoring and supervision for E&S activities, (iv) addressing district level grievances referred from schools level, (v) preparing periodic status reports on E&S safeguards for schools under their jurisdiction and among other duties . 34. Supported by the LG authorities, the School management Committees (SMCs)/School Administration will undertake and oversee effective implementation of E&S activities at school through; (i) conducting routine awareness for school level stakeholder on E&S safeguard, (ii) developing and implementing a regular schedule for environmental cleaning and disinfection of their schools, commonly used areas by learners etc, (iii) ensuring availability of the preventive materials like face masks, hand washing facilities and sanitizers, (iv) addressing grievances at schools, (v) conducting routine inspection and supervision for implementation of E&S activities at school level, (vi) preparing periodic reports on E&S safeguards and among other duties. 35. Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) structure. The document consists of nine chapters that outline environmental and social assessment procedures and mitigation requirements in line with the Bank’s ESF requirements an d standards for the subprojects/project activities, which, will be supported by the Project. a) Chapter I includes the Introduction and Brief Description of the Project Context. It also outlines the rational, purpose and the scope of the ESMF prepared. b) Chapter II describes the Project Development Objectives and Components. It also covers the overview of potential beneficiaries of the project. c) Chapter III describes the Legal, Regulatory and Policy Framework and provides an overview of laws and regulations that have relevance for environmental and social issues for the project. It also has a summary of the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Standards (ESS) that are designed to support Borrowers’ projects. d) Chapter IV narrates the Baseline Data on environmental and social background of the country, providing analysis of current environmental and social systems at the country level. e) Chapter V analyzes Potential Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts related to the project activities implementation, as well as proposed mitigation measures. f) Chapter VI includes Procedures to Address Environmental and Social Issues. It highlights the relevant instruments and specific actions planned to prevent, avoid, minimize, reduce or mitigate the environmental and social risks and impacts of the project over the project cycle to meet the ESS requirements. g) Chapter VII underlines the public consultation procedures. h) Chapter VIII summarizes the stakeholders’ engagement plans. xvii i) Chapter IX describes the institutional arrangements and responsibilities of key personnel for implementation E&S regulations and guidelines j) Relevant Annexes are enclosed at the end of this document to compliment the above-mentioned chapters. xviii 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background 1. The outbreak of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) caused by the 2019 novel corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) has been spreading rapidly across the world since December 2019, following the diagnosis of the initial cases in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic. By October 28, 2020, the outbreak has resulted in an estimated 44.7 million cases and 1.7 million deaths globally. 2. On March 27, 2020 Uganda reported the first case of COVID-19. By 28th November 2020, the number of reported and confirmed cases had risen to 19,588 and 106 deaths. The Government of Uganda has taken actions to minimize the spread of the corona virus by imposing restrictions on travel and closing Entebbe International Airport and all borders for passenger travel. To further curb the spread, the President has promoted better hygiene through hand washing and health safety habits, instituted social distancing measures, and prohibited public gatherings. 3. In response to the dangers posed by the pandemic, the Government on March 18, 2020, announced the closure of all schools from March 20, 2020 in a bid to avoid the possible rapid spread of COVID-19 among the school children. School closure subsequently resulted in a learning crisis affecting more than 15,100,000 students and 548,000 teachers. Prolonged school closure would lead to a loss in learning. Households have faced increasing economic difficulties with raising unemployment and income losses. This has impacted on the likelihood of children staying in school and transitioning to secondary education, increasing the number of out-of-school children. Parents’ ability to contribute to educational inputs may also be more limited, impacting the quality of schooling. Government expenditures on education, already at a low level, will face additional pressure and any cuts in spending will further worsen the quality. 4. As part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Government of Uganda (GoU) with funding from Global Partnership for Education (GPE) through the World Bank Group EFA-FTI Education Program Development Fund is implementing the Uganda COVID-19 Emergency Education Response (GPE) Project-P174033. The project is implemented by Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES). The GPE has allocated US$14 million to Uganda from the GPE COVID-19 accelerated funding window designed to capacitate governments to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on their education systems and help recovery. 1 5. This Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) is prepared in compliance with the Safeguard Policies established by the grant managing agency, the World Bank (WB) as well as by the Government of Uganda Environmental and Social Management legal provisions which stipulate that funding of development plans and programs shall be subject to prior assessment and the mitigation of potential environmental and social effects of planned projects put in place. The ESMF is an appropriate instrument that examines the risks and impacts when a project consists of a program or series of subprojects and the risks and impacts cannot be determined until the program or subprojects details have been identified. This ESMF follows Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) for this project that states the Government’s commitment to prepare the ESMF to manage environment and social risks. 1.2 Rationale of the ESMF 6. Projects and Programs financed with World Bank’s resources and or supervised by the World Bank need to comply with the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) for Investment Project Financing as well as the environmental and social legislation of the GoU. This ESMF has been prepared to assist the Government of Uganda in developing environmental and social instruments in response to COVID-19 situations following national regulations and the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). 7. The ESMF examines the risks and impacts when a project consists of a program and/or series of subprojects, and the risks and impacts cannot be determined until the program or subproject details have been identified. The ESMF sets out the principles, rules, guidelines and procedures to assess and mitigate the environmental and social risks and impacts. It contains measures and plans to avoid, reduce, mitigate and/or offset adverse risks and impacts, estimated budget provisions for implementation of the ESMF, and information on the agency or agencies responsible for addressing project risks and impacts, including on its capacity to manage environmental and social risks and impacts. It includes adequate information on the area in which subprojects are expected to be sited, including any potential environmental and social vulnerabilities of the area; and the potential impacts that may occur as a result of project implementation. The ESMF further stipulates generic mitigation measures for risk and impacts that may / occur as a result of project implementation. 1.3 Objective of the ESMF 8. The objective of the ESMF is to assess and mitigate potential negative environment and social (E&S) risks and impacts of the Project consistently with the 2 Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs) of the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). The specific objectives of this ESMF are: a) To establish clear procedures and methodologies for environmental and social planning, screening of sub-projects activities, preparation of appropriate E&S management instruments, review, approval and implementation of subprojects to be financed under the Project; b) To Identify and review national, regional and international laws, policies and regulations relevant to Project implementation; c) To carry out a preliminary assessment of environmental and social impacts from project investments and propose generic mitigation measures; d) To specify appropriate roles and responsibilities, and outline the necessary reporting procedures, for managing and monitoring environmental and social concerns related to subprojects; e) To provide tools and guidelines for environmental and social (ES) risk categorization of all the sub-projects to be implemented under the project. f) Consider in an integrated manner, the potential ES risks, benefits and impacts of the project and help identify measures to avoid, minimize and manage risks and impacts while enhancing benefits. g) To determine the training, capacity building and technical assistance needed to successfully implement the provisions of the ESMF; and h) To provide practical resources for implementing the ESMF. i) To provide a generic Environmental and Social Management Plan and report forms/templates under the project to ensure that environmental and social issues will be adequately addressed during project implementation. j) To undertake stakeholder consultation, document issues raised and propose measures to address key stakeholder concerns 1.4 Scope of the ESMF 9. This ESMF includes guidelines for development and implementation of the following: (i) Screening Form for identifying ppotential Environment and Social Issues (ii) Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) (iii) Labour Management Procedures (LMP) (iv) Infectious Control and Waste Management Protocol (v) Gender Based Violence (GBV) Action plan (vi) Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups Framework (VMGF) (vii) Environmental and Social Monitoring and Reporting Procedures and Templates 10. The ESMF also includes a social baseline and an analysis of key social risks of the project, including the risk of the most vulnerable not being able to access project 3 benefits. Chapter 2 provides information on the Project description while, Chapters 3 and 4 briefly present those on policy and legal and institutional setting and E&S background relevant to the Project. Chapters 5 and 6 describe the potential risks and the proposed mitigation and management measures. Chapter 7 & 8 describes procedures for consultation and disclosure as well as Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) by specifically providing for the requirements on stakeholder engagement and grievance mechanism. Finally, Chapter 9 describes the institutional arrangements to implement the ESMF and provides a clear delineation of responsibilities. 4 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2.1 Project Development objective 11. The project development objective (PDO) statement is to support students learning (pre-primary, primary and lower secondary) during school closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure a safe reopening and student re-entry. 2.2 Project components 12. The Uganda COVID-19 Emergency Education Response (GPE) Project-P174033 is national in scope although it will focus on supporting students learning in pre- primary, primary and lower secondary during school closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure students’ continuous learning and safe reopening. The project will also focus on strengthening the capacity of the education system and also building resilience to respond to this and other emergencies in the future. The Project will comprise of three components namely: i. Ensure continuous learning during school closure ii. Support safe re-opening, student re-entry and capacity building for resilience iii. Project Management and Monitoring & Evaluation 2.2.1 Ensure continuous learning during school closure 13. This component will support continuity of learning through providing access to resources for learners during school closure as well as ensure proper preparation for school reopening when it comes. It will focus on reaching the most vulnerable, in particular girls and children with special needs and students in schools in refugee settlements. This component will support design, printing and distribution of self- study learning materials to learners as well as broadcast of lessons via radio and TV. By focusing on creating pathways to access learning during the school closures, the component aims to support and manage continuity of learning which feeds into the second part of this component which is to support the successful and effective reopening of schools. a. Subcomponent 1.1: Continuity and equitable learning. This sub-component will support the improvement of existing distance learning channels along with supporting the creation of new channels that will allow children, especially those in hard-to-reach areas and other vulnerable communities, to access learning materials during school closure. Specifically, this will be effected through: i. Development of pre-primary, primary and lower secondary home-study materials for continuity of learning ii. Printing and distribution of home self- study materials to learners across the 5 project area. iii. Supporting remote self- learning through procurement of airtime on radio and TV. iv. Providing Printing Equipment for the NCDC b. Subcomponent 1.2: Target the most vulnerable/disadvantaged group. This subcomponent will specifically support remedial learning materials that will be designed for children with special needs through. i. Adopting self-study home packages into large print and braille for students with special needs; ii. Procurement of equipment for learners with special needs including, Braille machine, Braille paper, Data cards, Embossing papers, Binding comb, MP-3 Players, Sign Language manuals, Sign Language pamphlets, Classmates and Victor readers. 2.2.2: Support safe re-opening, student re-entry and capacity building for resilience 14. This component will support efforts of the MOES, school administration and teachers to prepare effectively for the re-opening of schools and the re-entry of students. It will also focus on improving the capacity of key stakeholders to respond to the various emerging needs during and after the COVID-19 outbreak. a. Subcomponent 2.1: Support safe re-opening, student re-entry and sustained progression in schools. This subcomponent will be supported through: i. Carrying out back-to-school awareness campaigns to ensure all children resume school, re-entry, enrolment and re-integration into the formal schooling system. These campaigns will have a targeted design feature to specifically reach girls and children from vulnerable populations to mitigate risks of student dropout. ii. Provision of conditional school grants to ensure effective implementation of the SoPs as stipulated by MoH prior to reopening of schools. b. Subcomponent 2.2: Supporting capacity building activities for resilience. This sub component focuses on improving the capacity of key stakeholders to respond to the various emerging needs during and after the COVID-19 outbreak. This would include the creation of national level strategies that would support the continued learning of students, support for teachers and other school staff and guidelines for re-opening of schools and the re-entry of students. In addition, this component would support activities that would improve coordination among various stakeholders and building capacity of systems of education at all levels. Key interventions supported Include: 6 i. Rapid assessment on the effects of Covid-19 on Primary and Secondary Education ii. Customized E-platform for tracking of learning (Learner management system) iii. Guidelines for re-opening of schools and the re-entry of students, iv. Capacity Building for District Officers, Head teachers and Community as well as conducting school inspection to ensure that only education institutions that have put in place the required facilities, arrangements and structures for effective implementation of the SoPs are allowed to reopen 2.2.3: Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation: 15. This component will provide support to the project implementation, supervision, monitoring and evaluation, procurement and financial management and auditing. This component will specifically support: (i) Monitoring of project results using the Education Management Information System (EMIS), The Learner Management System (e-platform), Rapid Assessment of Schools and Quarterly Monitoring. (ii) Project Operational Support i.e. Recruitment of technical assistance, Purchase of office equipment and rent of space as well as Daily operations. (iii) Financial Management including; Planning and budgeting, Accounting and staff arrangement, Funds flow of the project, Financial reporting, Payment processing, Auditing, Currencies, Management of local field travel and Project financing. (iv) Procurement management including; Supporting implementing agencies, Contract management capability and capacity, Procurement monitoring and reporting and Complaints management. (v) Environmental and Social safeguards i.e. creation of institutional mechanism for safeguard implementation, Capacity for safeguards implementation, Monitoring & evaluation of safeguards as well as Preparation of safeguard instruments. 2.3 Project Beneficiaries 16. The project is estimated to directly benefit 14.6 million students in pre-primary, primary and lower-secondary students; and 406,000 teachers and school administrators in Uganda. 17. This Project will be implemented nationwide and is expected to benefit three categories of beneficiaries. The primary beneficiaries also referred to as ‘affected parties’ include; (i) People under COVID-19 lock downs with restricted movement, (ii) Learners, Teachers, Parents of pre-primary, primary and lower secondary within the Project Area of Influence (PAI), (iii) Head Teachers and School administrators, (iv) 7 Local government officials i.e. DEOs, (v) People involved in project-supported activities, (vi) Local community leaders, and (vii) Refugees and vulnerable groups. These will directly be affected by the interventions of the project. 18. The secondary beneficiaries also referred to as ‘interested parties’ will include individuals, groups or other entities that may have an interest in the Project. Among these include; Electronic and print media, Politicians, School Advocating NGOs, Other national & International NGOs, The general public, Research institutions, Academia among others. 19. The project will also target the disadvantaged or individuals or groups with a vulnerable status3 within the communities affected by the project who often do not have a voice to express their concerns or understand the impacts of a project. These could include and are not limited to the following: Refugee learners, learners with disabilities, those living in remote or inaccessible areas, learners from low income families without access to the new means of study (limited access to Internet, Television, Radio or Newspapers), Girl children who are prone to early marriage/ early pregnancy due to economic hardships resulting from the epidemic, all learners prone to child labour abuse exacerbated by the effect of the epidemic on livelihoods, Parents who cannot afford to keep their children in school and redundant teachers made vulnerable due to introduction of alternative learning means4. Staff of key ministries particularly in the MoES and all categories of education workers at both national and district level will also benefit from increased capacity resulting from training and education systems strengthening. 3 Vulnerable status may stem from an individual’s or group’s race, national, ethnic or social origin, color, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, property, age, culture, literacy, sickness, physical or mental disability, poverty or economic disadvantage, and dependence on unique natural resources. 4 [Examples include: elderly people and veterans of war; persons with disabilities and their caretakers; women-headed households or single mothers with underage children; the unemployed; disadvantaged groups that meet the requirements of ESS 7.] 8 3.0 POLICY, LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK 3.1 Introduction 20. This Chapter provides a review of Government of Uganda’s policy and legal framework, which is pertinent to the implementation of the project and applicable World Bank’s Environmental and Social Standards (ESS). It o utlines the most important Sectoral Policies, Legislation, Guidelines and Standards which are relevant in providing technical, policy and legal framework that ensures good management of the environment to achieve sustainable development. 3.2 Policies Framework 21. The Uganda national policies relevant to the Uganda COVID-19 Emergency Education Response Project have been reviewed in the subsequent subsections. 3.2.1 National context 3.2.1.1 Uganda Vision 2040 22. Uganda Vision 2040 provides development paths and strategies to operationalize Uganda’s Vision statement which is “A Transformed Ugandan Society from a Peasant to a Modern and Prosperous Country within 30 years” as approved by Cabinet in 2007. It aims at transforming Uganda from a predominantly peasant and low-income country to a competitive upper middle-income country. Over the Vision period, the provision of universal primary and secondary education will be considered as a human right and consolidated as basic education. 23. Vision 2040 clearly articulates the importance of social protection in addressing risks and vulnerabilities by age, social class, gender, climate disaster exposure and cultural norms. This is to be achieved through national programmes targeting elderly persons in both formal and informal employment, through social assistance to children and disabled persons, and by offering national health insurance as a strategy to provide affordable health services for all. 3.2.1.2 National Development Plan (NDPIII) 2020/21 – 2024/25 24. The National Development Plan (NDPIII) highlights Social protection as one of the key strategies for transforming Uganda from a peasant society to a modern and prosperous Country. Inclusive growth implies adhering to the principals of equality and equity articulated in Vision 2040. The NDP highlights covariate risks such as unemployment, access to social security, poor working conditions, poverty and 9 disasters. It acknowledges that risk and social vulnerabilities are increasing between demographic characteristics such as age, sex, disabilities. 3.2.1.3 Government White Paper on Education (1992) 25. The 1992 Government White Paper on Education is the basis of official policy on the purposes and programs of education. Its aims are to promote citizenship; moral, ethical, and spiritual values; scientific, technical and cultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes; literacy and equip individuals with basic skills and knowledge - in short, “to contribute to the building of modern, integrated, self-sustaining and independent national economy.” 3.2.1.4 National Water Policy (1999) 26. The Uganda National Water Policy was developed in 1999 with a major aim of giving a direction in which water resources can be managed in ways that is sustainable and beneficial for all. It was developed in recognition to social value of water, while at the same time, giving much attention to its economic value. It was developed within the context of international agenda, regional obligation and national policy setting. One of the objectives this policy is to manage and develop the water resources of Uganda in an integrated and sustainable manner, and to ensure sustainable provision of safe water within easy reach and hygienic sanitation facilities. 27. In line with this policy, the project developers and administrators must: ▪ Advocate for effective and efficient utilization and management of water resources; ▪ Participate or support efforts towards water resources conservation, harvesting and protection; ▪ Ensure and promote proper management and disposal of wastes; ▪ Properly disposing materials that can pollute water resources; ▪ Promote public awareness on guidelines and standards for water quality, public health and hygiene; and pollution control. 3.2.1.5 National Environmental Management Policy (2014) 28. The National Environmental Policy (NEP) was developed in 1994 and revised in 2014. The policy advocates sustainable development, which maintains and promotes environmental quality and resource productivity for socio-economic transformation. It highlights areas of priority, including Institutional Framework /Coordination and Governance. The policy empowers communities to protect, conserve and sustainably utilize the nation’s natural resources and advocates for enhancement of public awareness and promotion of public participation. The 10 proposed project has to integrate environmental management and protection during project planning and implementation. 3.2.1.6 National Sanitation Policy (1997) 29. This Policy seeks to promote safe disposal of human excreta by any appropriate means, promote proper management of solid and effluent wastes and enhance the development and maintenance of safe water chain. It also seeks to promote behavior change regarding sanitation amongst others, which is consistent with National Environment Act No. 5 of 2019 regarding abatement of pollution. Therefore, the project focus on WASH interventions especially with respect to infectious waste management, pit latrine and water supply will all improve hygiene at school, household and institution level. 3.2.1.7 National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan II (2015-2025) 30. Uganda ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on 8th September 1993. Uganda is also a party to the protocols made under the CBD namely the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing (ABS) and the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. 31. The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) was developed in 2002 and revised in 2015. The NBSAPII provides a framework for implementing Uganda’s obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) as well as the setting of conservation priorities, channelling of investments and building of the necessary capacity for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the country. NBSAPII addresses the key concerns regarding biodiversity management in Uganda. These include, among others, declining species abundance largely due to over-harvesting and exploitation of biological resources including trees and woody biomass, shrinking habitats especially wetlands and forests. Additional concerns include local species extinctions, invasive species, human-wildlife conflicts, encroachment on protected areas, agricultural expansion, climate change and variability, illegal wildlife trade and pollution. 32. The continued flow of water with soap may endanger both plant and aquatic life. The effect is even deeper for the schools that are near wetlands. The proposed project must aim at prioritizing strategies to protect the environment by avoiding as many of the significant impacts on the biodiversity in the country. These could be as a result of poor solid and water waste management at project schools e.g. water waste (with soap and other cleaning chemicals) has a destructive effect on biodiversity. 11 Where this is not possible, mitigation measures are to be implemented through management plans and monitoring has to be done effectively. 3.2.1.8 National Gender Policy (2007) 33. The National Gender Policy makes the case for gender mainstreaming at the sector level, including education. The aim of this policy is to guide and direct at all levels, the planning, resource allocation and implementation of development programmes with a gender perspective. The salient objectives of the policy that emphasize environmental protection are to promote equal access to and control over economically significant resources and benefits and to promote recognition and value of women’s roles and contributions as agents and beneficiaries of the development process. The policy also includes provisions on gender-based violence, such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, trafficking in human beings, and sexual violence. It is therefore important to recognise the provisions of this policy when implementing the Uganda COVID-19 Education Emergency Response Project. 3.2.1.9 National GBV Policy 2016 34. The national GBV policy provides for prevention and GBV response interventions through the MoGLSD GBV database. The policy also sets priority areas of action at the National, Sector, District and Community levels with all levels of planning, resource allocation and implementation of development programs redressing gender imbalances and acting with a gender perspective. In line with the policy requirements, the Project should come up with strategies of reducing GBV, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and Violence against children (VAC) during planning and implementation of the project. 3.2.1.10 National Social Protection Policy (2015) 35. The NSP policy focuses on the social protection system that is built on two pillars, namely social security and social care and support services. The pillar on social security is in two forms, namely; contributory schemes targeting the working population in both formal and informal sectors (social insurance); and the non- contributory transfers targeting vulnerable children, youth, women, persons with disabilities and older persons (direct income transfers). The social care and support services pillar focuses on the aspects of care, support, protection and empowerment to the most vulnerable individuals who are unable to fully care and protect themselves. It provides for a vision of a society where all persons are secure and resilient to socio-economic risks and shocks. It is therefore important that the Uganda COVID-19 Education Emergency Response Project planning and implementation takes 12 into account the social security and social care and support services advocated for in this policy. 3.2.1.11 National Strategy to End Child Marriage 2014/2015 – 2019/2020 36. The NSCM provides a comprehensive framework that reflects the commitment of the Uganda Government to end the practice of child marriage and other forms of violence against girls. The goal of the strategy is to end child marriage in Uganda for enduring prosperity and social economic transformation. One of the strategic areas of focus is on changing communities’ mind-sets, knowledge, aspirations, behaviours, and social norms that drive child marriage and teenage pregnancies. It also hinges on the principle of protection, i.e., children should be protected from all forms of abuse, violence and exploitation, including harmful practices. Project interventions on teenage pregnancies should be aligned to the comprehensive framework provided in the strategy. The strategy will be a strong tool for the implementation of the project given the increasing rates of teenage pregnancies for school children during COVID-19 pandemic period. 3.2.1.12 National Male Involvement Strategy for the Prevention and Response to Gender Based Violence in Uganda, 2017 37. This Strategy was developed to encourage and support men and boys to take responsibility for their sexual and reproductive behavior and to abstain from all forms of discrimination against women and girls. The specific objectives include: (i) To guide the development and/or review of GBV policies and programmes to integrate interventions on male involvement; (ii) To promote transformation of harmful gender norms and practices that perpetuate GBV; (iii) To provide guidance on provision of male-friendly services to male victims of GBV; (iv) To raise awareness among male GBV duty bearers to provide gender sensitive GBV services; (v) To promote strategic partnerships in engaging men and boys in prevention and response to GBV; (vi) To strengthen research and documentation to enable evidence-based intervention on male involvement in prevention and response to GBV. The project should utilize the key advocacy strategies contained in this document while conducting community engagements. 3.2.1.13 Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework for Uganda (2017) 38. The Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) for Uganda was launched at a high-level meeting in Kampala in March 2017. The purpose of the CRRF is to harness a whole-of-society approach in responding and finding solutions to refugee crises in Uganda, building on existing initiatives and policies. The CRRF is part of an enabling policy environment including the Refugee Act 2006 and the Refugee 13 Regulations 2010, which state that refugees have access to the same public services as nationals, including education services. 3.2.1.14 National Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) Policy (2016) 39. The policy provides a framework for comprehensive approach for children from conception to eight years of age, their parents and care givers purposely to help the child grow and thrive physically, mentally, spiritually, morally and socially. The policy was developed to provide a holistic guide for the delivery of ECD services which includes pre-natal and post-natal care, early infant stimulation and education, parent education, health and nutrition education and care, sanitation, and protection against abuse, exploitation, and violence. The policy is being implemented to benefit children below 8 years though challenges exist in rural areas where Early Childhood Centres are lacking. The project focus on pre-primary education requires continuous reference to this policy. 3.2.1.15 National Cultural Policy, 2006 40. The National Culture Policy, 2006 complements, promotes, and strengthens the overall development goals of the country. Its specific objectives include amongst others, the need to promote and strengthen Uganda’s diverse cultural identities and to conserve, protect, and promote Uganda’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage. 3.2.1.16 National HIV/AIDS Policy, 2004 41. The policy provides the principles and a framework for a multi-sectoral response to HIV/AIDS in Ugandan’s world of work. The policy applies to all current and prospective employees and workers, including applicants for work, within the public and private sectors. It also applies to all aspects of work, both formal and informal. The project will have to mainstream HIV/AIDS interventions into the project plan and activities. 3.2.1.17 Occupational Health and Safety Policy 42. This policy will be especially relevant for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) of the workers and the public in the implementation of the project components. Its focus on safety and wellbeing of workers in work environment makes it consistent with ESS2 which concerns labour and working conditions as well as ESS4 which also looks into issues of community health safety and security. These are all important considerations in the project implementation and operations. 14 3.2.2 Education Sector Context 3.2.2.1 Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy (2020) 43. MoES developed the first ECD policy in 2007 that recognized pre-primary as the first level of education in Uganda under four programmes; day care centers, home based centers, community centre and nursery schools and also put the management of pre-primary education under private agencies or persons. Following the guidance of the National Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) 2016 by MoGLSD which provided a framework for comprehensive approach for children from conception to eight years of age, their parents and care givers, MoES started the process of reviewing the ECD policy which has just been approved by the top management. The new ECCE Policy provides a framework to streamline current and future interventions in the delivery of ECCE by both Government and other non-state actors targeting all children between zero (0) and eight (8) years as beneficiaries and also recognizing family as the first and most crucial ECCE service delivery point. The project interventions in pre primary education should be in line with the revised framework in the policy. 3.2.2.2 Universal Primary Education Policy (2007) 44. UPE was introduced in January 1997, following a political commitment by President Museveni that the Government would meet the cost of primary education of four children per family. This commitment was soon extended to allow all people that wanted to access primary education to do so. Universal Primary Education (UPE) is one of the Government of Uganda’s main policy tools for achieving poverty reduction and human development. The main objectives of policy was to (i) Provide the facilities and resources to enable every child to enter and remain in school until the primary cycle of education is complete, (ii) Make education equitable in order to eliminate disparities and inequalities, (iii) Ensure that education is affordable by the majority of Ugandans and (iv) Reduce poverty by equipping every individual with basic skills. The implementation of the UPE policy includes the MoES, local government authorities, and the school management committees elected by parents. For effective implementation of the project, all the recognised structures should be utilised. 3.2.2.3 Universal Secondary Education Policy (2007) 45. In 2007, Uganda became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to introduce universal secondary education (USE). In follow-up to Universal Primary Education (UPE), the Government of Uganda introduced in 2007 its Universal Secondary Education (USE) policy in order to increase access to quality secondary education for 15 economically vulnerable families. Under the secondary scheme, students who get specific grades in each of the four-primary school-leaving exams study free in public schools and participating private schools. 3.2.2.4 Education and Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2017/18-2019/20 46. The Ministry of Education and Sports have developed a new strategic plan, which includes the provision of education to children in refugee and host communities. Under objective one, the education and sports sector strategic plan 2017-2020 clearly states “the need to develop and implement response programs for the provision of quality education to refugees and the host communities”. This plan is designed to provide an implementable plan to deliver this strategic intention. 47. The three objectives of the strategy overall are to: a) Achieve equitable access to relevant and quality education and training b) Ensure delivery of relevant and quality education and training; and c) Enhance efficiency and effectiveness of education and sports service delivery at all levels. 3.2.2.5 Education Response Plan for Refugees and Host Communities in Uganda 2018-2021 48. The purpose of the Education Response Plan for Refugees and Host Communities is to set out a realistic and implementable plan to ensure improved learning outcomes for increasing numbers of refugee and host-community children and adolescents across Uganda. This Plan was designed within the context of the Education Sector Strategic Plan (2017-2020) under objective one of the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) which sets out the need to develop and implement response programs for the provision of quality education to refugees and the host communities. This plan can be used to guide the interventions in the refugee communities. 3.2.2.6 Ministry of Education and Sports National Strategy for Girls’ Education (NSGE) In Uganda (2014–2019) 49. Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) developed a National Strategy for Girls Education (NSGE) in 2000. The strategy was revised in 2013 to bring on board the emerging issues affecting education sector in general and girls’ education in particular. The NSGE (2014-2019) contains strategic interventions articulated under five key areas of focus namely: (i) Effective policy implementation framework for promotion of girls’ education; (ii) Harmonization of education sector programmes on girls’ education for effective coordination, monitoring and evaluation; 16 (iii) Commitment of adequate human and financial resources by government and other stakeholders; (iv) Institutionalization of research on girls’ education to inform policy development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation; as well as (v) Strengthening the capacity for education actors to address gender concerns in girls’ education. The planning and implementation of the CERP project should therefore be streamlined towards achieving the above strategic interventions. 3.2.2.7 MOES Gender in Education Sector Policy (GEP) 2016 50. The vision of this policy is an inclusive and equitable quality education and sports and lifelong learning opportunities for all girls and boys, women and men in Uganda. Its main purpose is to address gender inequalities, especially in the school systems, acting as barriers to girls’ ability to complete their education. Specifically, the objectives of the GEP are to enhance equal access and participation for girls and women, boys and men in the education and sports sector. 3.2.2.8 Guidelines on Prevention and Management of Teenage Pregnancy in School Settings (2020) 51. The Ministry of Education and Sports in 2015 developed guidelines for the prevention and management of HIV/AIDs and unintended pregnancy in school settings in Uganda. The main purpose of the guidelines was to prevent and manage teenage/unintended pregnancy and HIV/ AIDs in school settings. These guidelines have been revised to incorporate the re-entry aspect. 52. The overall purpose of the guidelines is to support prevention and management of teenage pregnancy in school settings, making reference to the Draft National School Health Policy and Sexuality Education Framework, and specifically to: (i) Outline modes of service delivery within a learning institution setting that enable prevention of pregnancy among girls (ii) Propose linkages for a minimum care package for prevention and management of teenage pregnancy in learning institution settings (iii) Outline steps and services that should be in place to re-integrate the adolescent mothers into the learning institutions. 17 3.2.2.9 Guidelines for Implementation of the Roles and Responsibilities of the Senior Women and Senior Men Teachers (2020) 53. The overall purpose of the guidelines is to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the Senior Women (SWT) and Senior Men teachers (SMT) towards the learners in both Primary and Secondary schools. Specifically, the guidelines are meant to; (i) Clearly state the roles and responsibilities of the SWT and SMT within their respective school settings, (ii) Clearly outline the operational procedures and frameworks for their work, (iii) Identify the stakeholders that will support the SWT and SMT in the implementation of their roles, (iv) Ensure that the issues affecting girls and boys in schools are systematically and adequately addressed to be able to realize gender equity, (v) Identify and support children with Special needs to address their educational challenges with support from other stakeholders, and (vi) Identify and recommend key areas for capacity enhancement and key resource materials to use for the Senior Women and Senior Men teachers. The SWT/SMT will be relevant in offering psychosocial support for learners that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic during school lockdown. 3.2.2.10 The Uganda School Health Policy This Policy provides a framework that addresses health related matters in all educational institutions of learning. It focuses on a number of priorities which include; Sexuality education, Health Education life skills; protection of children against harassment and abuse; and provision of medical care in schools. 3.3 Legal Framework 3.3.1 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995 54. The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda is supreme over any legal policy or Act in Uganda. If any other law or any custom is inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Constitution, the Constitution shall prevail, and that other law or custom shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void. The 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda provides for the protection and promotion of fundamental human rights and freedoms in its Chapter four. Furthermore, some of the objectives of the constitution, such as objectives VII, XI (i) and XIV (b), succinctly outline aspects directly related to protecting the rights of Ugandans. 55. The right to a clean and healthy environment and education for all are enshrined in Article 39 and 30 respectively, as well as integration of people in the development process. In particular, the Constitution guarantees a range of basic human rights to the people of Uganda which include: gender balance and fair representation of marginalized groups in development process; education for all; 18 protection of the aged; the right to development; access to clean and safe water; basic medical services; and access to education. The proposed project must not hinder the rights to a healthy living environment and protection of natural resources by ensuring that adverse impacts (particularly form medical wastes) on people and natural resources are avoided; and that mitigation measures are implemented. The project should guarantee continuity for education using an inclusive and a gender responsive approach in all the PIA. 3.3.2 Public Health Act, Cap. 281 56. The Public Health Act 1966 seeks to preserve public health in Uganda. The provisions of the act are relevant in the implementation of the project. 57. Parts III, IV, V and VI discuss infectious and epidemic diseases and how to handle them. According to the Act, whenever any part of Uganda appears to be threatened by any endemic disease, the Minister may by statutory order declare the part an infected area and may make rules. The act also gives powers to the medical officer to Inspect, disinfect and destroy any building, bedding, clothing or other articles which have been exposed to infection from any infectious disease. The act also discusses the need to impose requirements or conditions as regards the medical examination, detention, quarantine, disinfection, vaccination, isolation or medical surveillance or otherwise of persons entering, or the examination, detention or disinfection or other wise of such persons as aforesaid or of articles or things introduced into Uganda or any part of Uganda. A full list of noticeable epidemic disease is presented in Part V. Project stakeholders therefore owe to follow the provisions given in the Act when handling the diseases, which among others include isolating the patients and allowing medical personnel to attend to the patients. 58. Part X has provisions for sewerage and drainage, Public sewers and sewage disposal works, provision of the necessary drainage to the buildings. The Act gives the local authorities the right to inspect any premises for compliance with the Act. It is also important to note that the habitual expected hand washing practice at school level during project implementation will require reference to the act. 3.3.3 Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2006 59. The Act provides for the prevention and protection of persons at all workplaces from injuries, diseases, death and damage to property. The key provision of this Act is safety and welfare of workers, which is consistent with a range of safeguards policies such as ILO Core Labour Standards, IFC PS 2, 3 and 4. The ESMF provides for safety gear for workers during implementation of project activities especially for public works among. 19 3.3.4 Water act Cap 152 60. The Water Act is the principal law for the water sector which makes provisions for use, protection, management and supply of water resources and sanitation. Some of objectives of the Act which are: to promote the rational management and use of the waters of Uganda; to promote the provision of a clean, safe and sufficient supply of water for domestic purposes to all persons; to control pollution and to promote the safe storage treatment, discharge and disposal of waste which may pollute water or otherwise harm the environment and human health. Hand washing is a practice that should be emphasised at school level during the implementation cycle of the project and water provision should be hinged to the above Act. 3.3.5 National Environment Act No. 5, 2019 61. The Act is the principal legislation on the protection and management of the environment. It provides the legal basis for protection and management of the environment; and the conservation and sustainable utilization of natural resources. Part II, provides for creation of the NEMA whose mandate, vision, goal and objectives of NEMA aim at ensuring and promoting a clean, healthy, and productive environment for sustainable socio-economic development in Uganda. Part VI and VII, provides for sound management of Chemicals and product control and control of pollution respectively while Part VII, provides for proper management of the waste and specifically Section 96 indicates that person who generates or handles waste shall be responsible for its proper management in accordance with this Act, the principles of the circular economy referred to in section 5(2)(p), and the waste management hierarchy and measures prescribed by regulations. It is therefore important that project implementation aligns to the key requirements of the Act. 3.3.6 National Environment Regulations, S.I. No 5/1999, (Under section 26 and 107 of the National Environment Act, Cap 153)5 62. They set standards for effluent or wastewater before it is discharged into water and require every industry or establishment to install at its premises, anti-pollution equipment for the treatment of effluent chemical discharge emanating from the industry or establishment among others. These Regulations are primary tools that operationalize Part X and Section 179 of the National Environment Act No 5 of 2019, on matters of Environmental Impact Assessment. They provide for conducting given levels of environmental assessment required in given projects as well as fees payable for such projects when NEMA approval is to be secured. The project should guarantee adherence to above regulations given the expected water waste from the routine school and community level hand washing practice. 5 The National Environmental Act Cap 153 was revised to the National Environmental Act, 2019 20 3.3.7 Education Act, 2008 63. The Act consolidates and streamlines the existing law relating to the development and regulation of education and training and to give full effect to the Universal Post Primary Education and Training Policy of Government. The Act stipulates that “the provision of education and training for a child shall be the joint responsibility of the state, parent or guardian and other stakeholders and that basic education shall be provided and enjoyed as a right by all persons.” 3.3.8 Local Governments Act (1997) Cap 243 64. The Local Governments Act (LGA) was enacted to give effect to the policy of decentralization and devolution of functions, powers and services; and to provide for decentralization at all levels of local government to ensure good governance and democratic participation in, and control of decision making by the people. The Local Governments Act provides for the system of Local Governments, which is based on the district. Under the district there are lower Local Governments and administrative units. This system provides for elected Councils. The chairman nominates the executive committee of each council. The functions of this committee include: ▪ Initiating and formulating policy for approval of council; ▪ Overseeing the implementation of the Government and Councils’ policies, and monitor and ▪ coordinate activities of Non-Government Organizations in the district; and ▪ Receiving and solving disputes forwarded to it from lower local governments. 65. According to the LGA, Local Governments are responsible for Primary Education while the Central Government has been responsible for Secondary Education until recently when the process of decentralizing secondary education was initiated. The District Local Government Authorities will be key in guiding the project on aspects of school inspection, engagement of stakeholders, distribution of learning material, monitoring and evaluation of the project. 3.3.9 Employment Act, 2006 66. This Act spells out general principles regarding forced labour, discrimination in employment, sexual harassment and provisions to settle grievances. The Act mandates Labour officers to regularly inspect the working conditions of workers to ascertain that the rights of workers and basic provisions are provided, and workers’ welfare is attended to. It also provides for the freedom of association of workers permitting workers to join labour organizations. It further provides that, a child under the age of twelve years shall not be employed in any business, undertaking or workplace. No doubt, this law is consistent with the World Bank ESS2 and ESS4 addressing labour 21 and working condition and community health and safety and security. Therefore, project implementers will have to ensure that the working conditions do not contradict the provisions in the employment act. 3.3.10 Penal Code Amendment Act, 2007 67. It is an Act to establish a code of criminal law and with reference to this project, the aspect of interest is, “Defilement of persons under eighteen years of age in which the Act provides that, any person who attempts or performs sexual act with another person who is below the age of eighteen years commits an offence and is on conviction, liable to imprisonment not exceeding eighteen years or aggravated act, will be liable to suffer death. It is therefore important for the provisions to be promoted during project implementation. 3.3.11 Children Act, Cap. 59 68. This Act defines the rights of children and requires all duty bearers, parents, community members and teachers to ensure that children under care are safe and protected. In a school setting, teachers therefore, have the responsibility to prevent any form of violence against children. The project focuses on promotion of a safe and protective learning environment for the children will improve respect for children’s rights. 3.3.12 National Environment (Waste Management) Regulations, 2020 This regulation sets standards for ensuring that waste is managed in a way which will protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects which may result from the waste. Sub-regulation 4 requires a person who generates waste, a waste handler or a product steward to apply measures in the management of waste to prevent harm to human health and ensure safety of human beings; apply measures in the management of waste to prevent pollution, harm to biological diversity and contamination of the wider environment by waste; and also use best available technologies and best environmental practices to manage waste;. It also clarifies under sub-regulation 26 that a person who generates domestic waste or municipal waste may, without a licence issued under these Regulations, dispose of non- hazardous waste in an environmentally sound manner in accordance with these Regulations, and ordinances and by-laws made by a relevant local government. 3.4 Applicable World Bank and WHO Guidelines 3.4.1 World Bank Environmental and Social Standards 22 69. The World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework sets out the World Bank’s commitment to sustainable development, through a Bank Policy and a set of Environmental and Social Standards (ESS) designed to support Borrowers’ projects, with the aim of ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. 70. The ESSs set out the requirements relating to the identification and assessment of environmental and social risks and impacts associated with projects supported by the Bank through Investment Project Financing. The World Bank approach to the application of these standards is, by focusing on the identification and management of environmental and social risks, will support Borrowers in their goal to reduce poverty and increase prosperity in a sustainable manner for the benefit of the environment and their citizens through: a. Supporting Borrowers/Clients/Implementing Agencies in achieving good international practice relating to environmental and social sustainability; b. Assisting Borrowers/Clients/Implementing Agencies in fulfilling their national and international environmental and social obligations; c. Enhancing non-discrimination, transparency, participation, accountability and governance; and d. Enhancing the sustainable development outcomes of projects through ongoing stakeholder engagement. 71. The standards mentioned below are relevant to the Uganda COVID-19 Emergency Education Response (GPE) Project through the project life cycle. 3.4.1.1 ESS 1 - Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts 72. ESS1 sets out the Client’s responsibilities for assessing, managing and monitoring environmental and social risks and impacts associated with each stage of a project supported by the Bank through Investment Project Financing. In order to achieve environmental and social outcomes consistent with the ESSs. The Bank requires that all environmental and social risks and impacts of the project be addressed as part of the environmental and social assessment conducted in accordance with ESS1. 73. Under this standard, activities will be assessed and Environmental and Social Assessment/Management Plans and Instruments will be developed among which include; (i) Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF); (ii) Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP); (iii) Labour Management Plan (LMP); (iv) Infectious Control and Waste Management Protocol; (v) Communication Strategy; (vi) GBV/VAC/SEA/SH plan /Gender Based Violence (GBV) Action plan; (vii) Social Assessment for Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups (VMGs); and (viii) The SEP. 23 3.4.1.2 ESS 2 – Labour and Working Conditions 74. The World Bank’s stipulations related to labour are outlined in its ESS2. The key objectives of the World Bank’s ESS2 are to: a. Promote safety and health at work. b. Promote fair treatment, non-discrimination and equal opportunity for project workers. c. Secure protection of project workers, including vulnerable workers such as women, persons with disabilities, children (of working age, in accordance with this ESS) and migrant workers, contracted workers, community workers and primary supply workers, as appropriate. d. Prevent the use of all forms of forced labour and child labour. e. Support the principles of freedom of association and collective bargaining of project workers in a manner consistent with national law; and f. Provide project workers with accessible means to raise workplace concerns. 75. ESS2 applies to project workers including full-time, part-time, temporary, seasonal and migrant workers. Under the CERP project, Labour and working conditions will be addressed directly through: i. Implementing adequate occupational health and safety measures, setting out grievance Redress Mechanisms for Project workers, and incorporating labour requirements into the ESHS specifications of the procurement documents and contracts with contractors and supervising firms (i.e. details in the Labour Management Plan). ii. Implementing and updating the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) measures in line with the LMP, Infectious Control and Waste Management Plan (ICWMP) and WHO guidelines on COVID-19. iii. Ensuring that all workers hired/supporting sign workers contracts stipulating their wages working conditions and hours and any benefits. Further still the project will adhere to the WHO Code of Ethics and Professional conduct. iv. Developing a Code of Conduct (CoC) for project workers in line with relevant national laws and legislation. v. Establishing a Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) for project workers in line with the provisions of and as described in the LMP. 3.4.1.3 ESS 3 – Resource and Efficiency, Pollution Prevention and Management 76. ESS 3 recognizes that economic activity and urbanization often generate pollution to air, water, and land, and consume finite resources that may threaten people, ecosystem services and the environment at the local, regional, and global levels. 24 77. In order to implement this standard, relevant aspects of the standard will be considered as needed, under ESS 1 above, which will include among other things, measures to manage health care wastes and other types of hazardous and non- hazardous wastes, through development of an Infectious Control and Waste Management plan (ICWMP), as already highlighted and use of World Bank Group Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines (EHSGs), and other relevant Good International Industry Practice (GIIP), including the WHO guidelines on Infectious and prevention control protocol for all schools. 3.4.1.4 ESS 4 – Community Health and Safety 78. ESS 4 recognizes that project activities, equipment, and infrastructure can increase community exposure to risks and impacts. In addition, communities that are already subjected to impacts from climate change may also experience an acceleration or intensification of impacts due to project activities. Under this standard, the CERP will put in place measures to: i. Minimize the potential for community exposure to communicable diseases; particularly the risks related to COVID-19 contagion upon school reopening; ii. Ensure that individuals or groups who, because of their particular circumstances, may be disadvantaged or vulnerable, are not harmed by the Project and have access to the development benefits resulting from the Project; iii. Manage the risks of the use of security personnel; iv. Manage the risks of labor influx; and, v. Prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment in accordance with the Project’s SEA/SH Action Plan. 79. The project will address the risk of gender-based violence and through: a) Disseminating key messages to the public focusing on: (i) no sexual or other favor can be requested in exchange for any assistance; (ii) staff are prohibited from engaging in sexual exploitation and abuse; and (iii) any case or suspicion of sexual exploitation and abuse can be reported to the Project GRM. b) Mandatory training and awareness raising for the workforce about refraining from unacceptable conduct toward all project stakeholders at all levels, specifically women. c) Informing all project workers about national laws that make sexual harassment and gender-based violence a punishable offence which is prosecuted. d) Adopting a policy to cooperate with law enforcement agencies in investigating complaints about gender-based violence. e) Developing a system to capture gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and workplace sexual harassment related complaints/issues. Staff will be able to 25 lodge complaints to the Sexual under the 2012 Regulations of the 2006 Employment Act that prohibit sexual harassment in the workplace. 80. GBV/VAC/SAE/SH Services Provider(s) and/or community based organizations are critical not only for supporting the project in addressing any case of GBV that may arise, but also in assisting the project to proactively prevent GBV/VAC/SAE/SH cases. The SEP will also ensure widespread engagement with communities in order to disseminate information related to community health and safety, particularly around social distancing, high risk demographics, and strict adherence to the set SoPs. 3.4.1.5 ESS 7: Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups 81. ESS7 ensures that the development process fosters full respect for the human rights, dignity, aspirations, identity, culture, and natural resource-based livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities. Among the key project stakeholders include Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups (VMGs). The presence of VMGs will be confirmed through a social assessment and a VMG Plan. If presence of this group is confirmed, the project will identify and address their issues through culturally appropriate consultations and preparation of a Social Assessment (SA) and Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups Plan (VMGP), which will be disclosed and adopted during project implementation. 82. The social assessment will cover the (i) aspirations, needs, and preferred options of the affected VMGs, (ii) local social organization, cultural beliefs, among the affected VMGs; (iii) potential positive and negative impacts on VMGs; (iv) measures to avoid, mitigate, or compensate for adverse project effects; (v) measures to ensure project benefits will accrue to VMGs; (vi) measures to strengthen the capacity of local authority and relevant government departments to address VMGs issues; (vii) the possibility of involving local organizations and non-governmental organizations with expertise in VMGs issues and among other components. The assessment will be done using precautionary approaches in line with MoH set SoPs on social gathering. 3.4.1.6 ESS 10 – Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure 83. ESS 10 recognizes the importance of inclusive and meaningful engagement between the Borrower and project stakeholders as an essential element of good international practice. Effective stakeholder engagement can improve the environmental and social sustainability of projects, enhance project acceptance, and make a significant contribution to successful project design and implementation. 84. In keeping with the requirements of ESS10, the MoES will establish a structured approach to engagement with stakeholders that is based upon meaningful 26 consultation and disclosure of appropriate information, taking into account the specific challenges and limitations associated with community consultations in areas affected by COVID- 19. The MoES has developed a draft SEP which will be completed the course of project implementation. 85. It is a requirement under ESS10 that a community GRM be constituted by the project. A community GRM will be prepared and operationalized throughout Project implementation. Grievances that arise as a result of the project will be handled at project-level grievance redress mechanism through and accessible grievance arrangements made publicly available to receive and facilitate resolution of concerns and grievances in relation to the Project, consistent with ESS10. 3.4.2 World Bank Group Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines 86. The EHS Guidelines6 are technical reference documents with general and industry-specific examples of Good International Industry Practice (GIIP) and are referred to in the ESF. The EHS Guidelines contain the performance levels and measures that are normally acceptable to the World Bank Group, and that are generally considered to be achievable in new facilities at reasonable costs by existing technology. The World Bank Group requires borrowers to apply the relevant levels or measures of the EHS Guidelines. When host country regulations differ from the levels and measures presented in the EHS Guidelines, projects will be required to achieve whichever is more stringent. 87. In the case of the Uganda COVID-19 Emergency Education Response (GPE) Project, the General EHS Guidelines apply. The implementing agency will pay particular attention to the following General EHS Guidelines: a) EHS Section1.5 – Hazardous Materials Management; b) EHS Section 2.5 – Biological Hazards; c) EHS Section 2.7 – Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); d) EHS Section 2.8 – Special Hazard Environments; e) EHS Section 3.5 – Transportation of Hazardous Materials; and f) EHS Section 3.6 – Disease Prevention 88. Additionally, the EHS for Health Care Facilities (HCF)7 also apply to the project. The EHS Guidelines for Health Care Facilities include information relevant to the management of EHS issues associated with HCFs which includes a diverse range of facilities and activities involving general hospitals and small inpatient primary care 6 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/157871484635724258/Environmental-health-and-safety-general-guidelines 7https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/960ef524-1fa5-4696-8db382c60edf5367/Final%2 B%2BHealth%2BCare%2BFacilities.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=jqeCW2Q&id=1323161961169 27 hospitals, as well as outpatient, assisted living, and hospice facilities. Ancillary facilities may include medical laboratories and research facilities, mortuary centers, and blood banks and collection services. 3.4.2.1 World Bank Technical Note on Public Consultations and Stakeholder Engagement 89. Due to the issues arising from face to face consultations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bank prepared a Technical Note on Public Consultations and Stakeholder Engagement in World Bank supported operations8. The ESMF and the SEP are prepared following the guidance provided based on the Technical Note. 3.4.2.2 WHO Guidelines on COVID-19 90. To help countries navigate through these challenges, the World Health Organization (WHO) has updated operational planning guidelines in balancing the demands of responding directly to COVID-19 while maintaining essential health service delivery and mitigating the risk of system collapse. The WHO is maintaining a website specific to the COVID-19 pandemic with up-to-date country and technical guidance9. As the situation remains fluid it is critical that those managing both the national response as well as specific health care facilities and programs keep abreast of guidance provided by the WHO and other international best practice. Current technical guidance provided by the WHO includes the following topics, which are updated regularly: a. National laboratories; i. Surveillance, rapid response teams, b. Risk communication and community and case investigation engagement; j. Infection prevention and control c. Early investigation protocols; (WASH, quarantine, safe management d. Country-level coordination, planning, of a dead body, etc.); and monitoring; k. Guidance for schools, workplaces & e. Clinical care; institutions; f. Essential resource planning; l. Points of entry/mass gatherings; g. Virus origin/Reducing animal-human m. Health workers; and transmission; n. Maintaining Essential Health Services h. Humanitarian operations, camps and and Systems. other fragile settings; 8 https://worldbankgroup.sharepoint.com/sites/wbunits/opcs/Knowledge%20Base/Public%20Consultations%20in%20WB%20O perations.pdf 9 https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 28 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL BASELINE 4.1 Physical Environment 91. Uganda is located on the Eastern region of Africa and lies mostly between latitudes 4012’ to the North and 1029’ to the South and between longitude 29034’ and 35000’ to the East. It lies 1,200m above sea level. Uganda occupies an area of about 236,000km2 of which, 33,926km2 is permanent water and 7,674km2 is permanent swamp, its dry land accounts for 194,000km2. It is bordered by the Republic of Kenya in the East, Tanzania and Rwanda in the South, Democratic Republic of Congo in the West and Sudan in the North. The Southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, shared with Kenya and Tanzania. The country is administratively divided into 146 Local Governments10 spread across four geographical regions: Northern, Eastern, Central and Western (see figure below), Figure 1: The 15 Sub-Regions of Uganda11 92. The country is mostly plateau with a rim of mountains, which makes it more suitable to agriculture. In addition, the country is well endowed with fertile soils with a wide range of vegetation, from tropical rain forest (in the South) to the Savannah in the North and Semi-desert vegetation in the North East. Most of the country lies within altitude 900– 1,500m above sea level. The lowest point in Uganda is at Nimule on the Sudan border in North Western part of the country, where the altitude is 600 m.a.s.l and the highest point is Mt. Rwenzori whose highest peak is 5 100 Ministry of Local Government 2019, 10 11 Uganda Bureau of Statistics 2017, The National Population and Housing Census 2014 – Education in the Thematic Report Series, Kampala, Uganda. 29 m.a.s.l. the country is also well endowed with national recourses which include; oil, gold, copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone and salt. 93. Uganda’s climate is characterized by equatorial climate with plenty of rain and sunshine moderated by the relatively high altitude. Due to its position across the equator, the country is endowed with a favourable climate. The average annual rainfall ranges from 600– 2,500mm received in two seasons of March–June and October–December. In most parts of the country, the mean annual temperature ranges from 160-310C. Most of the country has high moisture levels except the Karamoja region in the north eastern part of the country which experiences a semiarid condition especially during the dry season. The Northern region receives one rainy season from April to October, and the period from November to March has minimal rain. Most of the country receives between 750-2100 mm of rain annually. The climatic conditions in the project areas are discussed under broad climate of Uganda Figure 2: Uganda Rainfall Map12 4.2 Biodiversity 94. Uganda is a land locked country, located in an area where seven of Africa’s distinct biogeographic regions or phytochoria converge (White, 1983). The high level of biodiversity in Uganda is a function of Uganda’s location in a zone between the ecological communities that are characteristic of the drier East African savannas and the more moist West African rain forests, along with large differences in elevation and extraordinary combinations of terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Uganda includes several sites along the Nile River with spectacular waterfalls, including the Bujagali Falls (where white-water rafting is now conducted), Karuma Falls and Murchison Falls. The ecosystems range from the snow-capped peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains (Mountains of the moon), the Virunga Volcanoes and Mount Elgon to high altitude 12 ESMF for Uganda Secondary Education Improvement Project, MoES 2016 30 montane forests, to the open waters of Lakes Victoria, Albert and others, to the islands of Lake Victoria and Bunyonyi. Uganda has a unique blend of semi-arid woodlands, savannah and forest communities as well as a wealth of montane and lake habitats. 95. Natural forest types include those found at higher and lower altitudes and those with various plant compositions ranging from primarily evergreen to deciduous to bamboo forests. Forests and woodlands cover a total of 4.9 million hectares, about 24% of the total land area. Tropical High Forests (THF) cover 924,208 ha, forest plantations cover 35,066 ha and woodlands cover 3,974,102 ha. 96. Wetlands originally occupied about 13% of the land surface area of Uganda13. Wetlands in Uganda are classified as lakes and estuarine wetlands, riverine swamps and flood plains. The lakes and estuarine wetlands comprise Lakes Victoria, George, Edward, Albert, Wamala, Bisina, Opeta, Kyoga, Kwania and Bunyonyi. The riverine swamps and flood plains include the Okole, Kafu and Nile systems (NRSP, 2001). Uganda’s wetlands contain significant habitats, flora and fauna. Most wetlands in Uganda occur outside of protected areas, and their range and quality is rapidly being eroded for agricultural land. 97. Grasslands/savannas cover more than 50% of the land area of Uganda and are dominated in different locations by species as diverse as grasses, palms or acacias. Savannas throughout Uganda were once the home to large populations of rhinoceroses, elephants, giraffes, antelopes, lions, wild dogs and the like. Much of this habitat has been converted to human use for agriculture and grazing and a few of these large mammals, such as black and white rhinos and wild dogs, are considered to be extinct in the country. The remaining pockets of natural savannas and grasslands are primarily found in various protected areas in Uganda. Although large mammal populations are still relatively low following decades of over-hunting when Uganda was in turmoil, the numbers of many of these species are gradually making a come- back. 98. Open water is a category that includes major lakes such as Lake Victoria, Lake Kyoga, Lake Edward, Lake Albert, Lake George, and Lake Mburo and many smaller lakes, various stretches of the Nile River and rivers, streams and water bodies throughout the country. Collectively, these water bodies contain one of the largest assemblages of diverse freshwater fish species in the world. In Lake Victoria alone, more than 600 species of cichlid fish have been found, with as many as 102 species found in a single study of southern lake waters in the early 1990s. 99. 13 NEMA, 1999 31 100. The biological environment for most schools in Uganda is clear of harmful habitats with most schools located in easy to access locations. As one of the MoES requirement for establishment of a school in Uganda, the site location of the school must be safe for learners and is a priority consideration for licensing and registration of schools in Uganda. However due to the geographical terrain of some areas in the country, a few schools are found in isolated locations where the learners have to climb mountains, go through forests and cross water bodies to access the schools. The children in rural areas may not necessarily afford vehicles to school and as such they have to sometimes walk for long distances to access education services. 101. In Kalangala, Buvuma, Namayingo, Kabale, Kisoro, Kasese and Bududa Districts for example, some of the learners have to cross through water bodies or climb hills to access education. In other instances, the roads in some of the districts are impassable and whenever it rains for several days, the pupils and teachers find it difficult to access the school premises. 4.3 Population and Demographic characteristics 102. Uganda has one of the youngest and most rapidly growing populations in the world. Uganda’s population was estimated to be 44.2 million in 2019 (World Development Indicators, 2019). About half (48.7%) of Uganda’s population is younger than 1514, well above Sub-Saharan Africa’s average of 43.2% and world average of 26.8%. The country’s population growth rate, currently at 3.3%, is also above Africa’s average. Uganda’s population has increased from 9.5 million in 1969 to 24.2 million in 2002 and between 1991 and 2002 the population increased at an average annual growth rate of 3.2%. Children aged below 13 years constitute 46% of Uganda’s population while the age-group 14–64 years account for 51% of the population. The highest percentage of the population in both and urban areas was in the age-group 14–64 years 15 (49% and 58% each respectively). Uganda’s population at 34.9 million people and is one the fastest growing in the world 16. Overall, between 2002 and 2014, the population increased from 24 million to about 35 million representing an average annual growth rate of 3.0%. The current population is projected to be 40.817. The school-aged population (6 to 18 years) is growing at a very high rate. In 2010 it stood at 10.9 million and it is expected to reach 20.6 million by 2025.18 This implies that the education system will have to significantly increase its current intake capacity to achieve the national goal of universal primary and secondary education by 2025. 14Uganda CPF FY16-21, 2. 12 15Uganda National Household Survey 2016/2017 16 National Housing and Population Census (NHPC), 2014 17State of Uganda’s population report 2019 18 UNESCO 2014, Teacher Issues in Uganda: A shared vision for an effective teachers’ policy. 32 103. Demographic trends in Uganda have been rapidly changing and this is mainly because of high fertility rate coupled with declining infant mortality and low life expectancy. Uganda’s fertility rate or the average number of children per woman throughout her lifetime declined from 7.1 children per woman in 1990 to 5.5 children per woman in 2017 (WDI, 2018). This is a significant decline, but it is still well above the average fertility rates in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and lower-middle-income countries (LMIC) globally, with 4.8 and 4.6 children per woman respectively, in 2017. It is more than double the fertility rates in LMIC (2.7%). It is also more than 2.5 times the population replacement rate (fertility rate that would keep the population size constant), which is 2.1 children per woman on average. 104. Infant and under Five Mortality rates between 2000 and 2016, declined by more than half, dropping from 88 to 43 deaths per 1000 live births and from 152 to 64 deaths per 1,000 live births respectively19. A higher proportion of those over 5 years died due to injuries from road traffic accidents (2.9%) and cardiovascular diseases (2.9%) compared to the under 5. The proportion of death due to Tuberculosis among persons aged 5 years and above has more than doubled in the last one year, from 6.4% to 15.8%. On the other hand, the leading cause of death among persons aged below 5 years is malaria (19.9%) followed by pneumonia (12.4%) and anaemia (12.2%)20. 4.3.1 Internally Displaced People (IDPS) and Refugees 105. Uganda is the largest refugee hosting country in Africa and the third largest host in the world with 1.4 million (as of February 2020) refugees concentrated in 12 out of its 146-local government21. The country saw a dramatic increase in refugee numbers in July 2016 with the inflow of refugees from South Sudan, followed by an additional inflow from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in early 2018.22 These new refugee inflows combined with the existing and protracted refugee situation have put enormous pressure, most especially on the local host community, creating challenges in the delivery of essential services and pressures on existing public service delivery systems and infrastructure. They have also exacerbated a range of ongoing environmental and social impacts and associated challenges. 106. When renewed conflict broke out in South Sudan in July 2016, an unprecedented number of refugees came to Uganda, doubling the refugee population in less than seven months. Uganda has since become the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, with refugees making up 3.5% of the country’s total population of 39 million. The economy faces challenges, compounded by adverse weather and spill- 19 UBOS 2017 20 Uganda National Household Survey 2016/2017 21 https://www.unocha.org/southern-and-eastern-africa-rosea/uganda 22The refugee inflow represents a steady inflow. 33 over from the civil unrest in South Sudan. More than 50% of the refugee population in Uganda is located in refugee settlements in the West Nile region. In the 5 districts in the West Nile there are almost a million refugees making up 32% of the population, while in the Districts of Adjumani and Moyo refugees now make up well over half of the total population. More than 400,000 refugees live in the central and southern districts of Hoima, Kyegegwa, Kamwenge, Isingiro, and in Kampala. 107. Like other learners that belong to the categories of VMGs, the IDPs and refugees are more likely to suffer the negative impact of social exclusion during the implementation of project activities. The negative impacts are in addition to the psychological distress experienced and if not effectively handled, severe effects might arise. Schools in the IDP camps can themselves be sites of violence if no specially attention is put on addressing it. Given their experience, teachers who lack adequate training may use corporal punishment to maintain classroom discipline. The project interventions should therefore put emphasis on ensuring that all the COVID-19 education related challenges for the IDPs and refugees in line with the project are prioritised and addressed accordingly. 4.4. Economic growth 108. Uganda has been one of the top regional performers in terms of economic growth and poverty reduction over the last decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to slow economic activity. Uganda’s (GDP) per capita was US$878 by 2019 based on strong growth in the past few years.23 This has however not been the same in 2020. Real GDP growth was projected to fall to 3.3 percent in FY20 from 6.5 percent in FY1924 as major trade partners face recession, as the travel restrictions affect the thriving tourism industry and as the country faces the sharp decline in world oil prices. The full or partial closure of businesses and industries in the country is increasingly hitting low- and middle-income earners and the poor. 109. Specifically, economic growth is expected to slow down due to direct health and social effects of the disease; and preventive measures (i.e. lockdowns) to contain the spread of the disease. Preventive measures to contain the pandemic will first affect households engaged in the services sector (around 30 percent of the labour force), tourism and agriculture. Eventually, disruptions in supply will lower the aggregate demand, which added to an overall slowdown in trade, will reduce the demand for food and agricultural products, and this will further decrease rural incomes. 23 Uganda Economic Update #14, 2020. 24 Uganda Emergency Fiscal and Growth Stabilization Development Policy Operation (P173906) 34 4.5 Education System 4.5.1 Strategic Framework 110. Education in Uganda is embedded in the country’s strategies for socio- economic development. Vision 2040 recognizes the provision of universal primary and secondary education as a human right and emphasizes the objective of improving girls’ completion rates. Vision 2040 also highlights the importance of changing the curriculum and methods of instruction and examination to adapt the education system to Uganda’s development objectives and also promoting the development of sports through public-private partnerships. NDP III25 (2019), also recognises human capital development feature prominently, both as a means to provide Uganda’s emerging higher value-added private sector with the human capital needed for growth and productivity, and also as a crucial means to promote universal and equitable socio-economic development for Uganda’s population (NPA, 2019). 4.5.2 Education Structure 111. The current structure Uganda’s of formal education provides for four levels of education; starting with (i) an initial non-compulsory pre-primary phase of the early childhood development (ii) 7 years of primary education for 6-12 year-olds (leading to the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) award) (iii) 4 years of lower secondary for 13-16 year-olds (leading to the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) award) followed by 2 years of Advanced secondary education (leading to the Ugandan Advanced Certification of Education (UACE) award), (iv) tertiary and university education. Uganda’s education structure starting from Pre-primary education to higher education is summarized in the table below. Pre-primary is provided only by private schools to children of 3 to 526 years old, and mostly in urban areas. 25 Spearheaded by the National Planning Authority 26 Baby class (3 years old), middle class (4 years old) and top class (5 years old). 35 Figure 3: Structure of the Formal Uganda Education System Source: Department of Education Planning and Policy Analysis (MoES, 2017/18) 4.5.3 Education Governance and Administration 112. The Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) is the mother ministry responsible for the governance of e Education and s Sports in the country. In collaboration with other line ministries and local governments, the MoES, supports and provides technical guidance, coordinates, monitors and evaluates policies, regulates and sets standards for management of Education, Sports and the sector’s players27. 113. In terms of leadership, the overall responsibility of the education sector lies under the leadership of a Cabinet Minister for Education assisted by 3 State Ministers who are responsible for Primary, Higher and Physical Education and Sports. These are mainly political heads that are mandated with the task of seeing that government goals and aspirations in education are achieved. The overall administration of the day-to-day affairs of the sector lies in the hands of the Permanent Secretary (PS), who is the Chief accounting officer. The sector has ten technical departments headed by Commissioners who are supervised by and answerable to the Directors of Education except the one for the Education Planning and Policy Analysis department (EPPAD), The Directors of Education, the Under Secretary and the Commissioner of Education 27 NDP III, 2019 36 Planning, report to the Permanent Secretary who is the accounting officer and overall supervisor of the education sector. 114. There are support sections operating under the leadership of the Under Secretary Finance and Administration including: Accounts, Procurement, Personnel and Administration. In addition, there are also semi-autonomous institutions under the Ministry, these include: the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), Directorate for Industrial Training (DIT), Uganda National Examinations Board(UNEB), Uganda Allied Health Examinations Board (UAHEB), Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB), Uganda Nurses and Midwives Examinations Board (UNMEB), National Council of Sports (NCS), National Council for Science and Technology, Education Service Commission (ESC), UNESCO National Commission (UNATCOM) and public Universities including the National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE) that stated operating in 2020. New institution like the BTVET Council and Teacher Council are envisaged following the adoption of both the TVET policy and the Teacher Policy. 115. Following the decentralization process of the civil service (1998), management and provision of basic education was largely put in the hands of the Local governments (LGs). They provide principal services in the implementation of education policies and programs (ESSP, MoES 2017). In particular, local governments are responsible for the delivery of pre-primary and primary education. While not directly responsible for secondary education and BTVET, local government guides education and training provision at these levels through the work of District Education Officers (DEOs) and District Inspectors of Schools (DISs). 4.5.4 Provision of Education Service 116. In Uganda, education service is provided by both public and private providers and these are both obliged to comply with existing applicable legislation and regulations. The Government introduced Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 1997 to offer free education at the primary level and later in 2007; Universal Secondary Education (USE) and Universal Post Ordinary Level Education Training (UPOLET) was introduced. The Government pays for the buildings, equipment, teacher and administrator salaries, and maintenance. The sector also funds tertiary education through the national merit system, district quota system, students’ loan scheme and through international bilateral scholarship programmes. 117. Private provision of education in Uganda is the only mode of the provision in pre-primary education. In secondary education, BTVET and higher education, more than half of all pupils and students are educated by private providers. Primary 37 education is the sub-sector where most pupils are educated by public providers: over 80% of pupils are in public schools, and the remaining 20% in private schools. Figure 4 : Share of pupils & students enrolled in private & public schools (by sub-sector) Source: Authors’ estimates based on EMIS data (MoES, 2017) 4.5.5 Education Coordinating Mechanisms 118. Education in Uganda and sports sector is coordinated through a number of mechanisms, which are composed of both state and non-state stakeholders. Among these include; Table 1: MoES Education Coordination Stakeholders STAKEHOLDER COMPOSITION RESPONSIBILITY Departmental ▪ Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E WG); Discuss, approve and come up and Cross-Cutting ▪ Sector Policy and Management (SPM with technical education Working Groups. WG); strategies. ▪ Education Sector Budget (ESB WG). advisory and coordinating group ▪ Government representatives that monitors the government’s Local Education ▪ Education Development Partners commitment to maintaining Group (LEG). (EDPs), funding to the education sector ▪ Civil Society Organizations while the country benefits from ▪ Private sector. the support of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) ▪ Permanent Secretary of the MoES Education Sector ▪ Education Development Partners (EDPs) Strategic planning arm of the Consultative ▪ MoES staff (Heads of Departments and sector-wide approach and Committee Secretaries to the Cross-Cutting therefore inputs into education (ESCC). Technical Working Groups and policy, strategy, and financing. Departmental Meetings). ▪ Minister of Education and Sports Top Management Advice and recommendations of ▪ Ministers of State for Education, Meeting (TMM) the ESCC, for strategic planning Directors and policy-making purposes. ▪ Heads of Departments. 38 STAKEHOLDER COMPOSITION RESPONSIBILITY ▪ Uganda National Association of Teachers’ Union (UNATU) ▪ Uganda Privates Teachers Union (UPTU) ▪ Uganda Private Schools Teachers Association in Uganda (COUPSTA) Teacher Lobby for and represent the ▪ Association of Secondary Schools Head Associations interests of the teachers teachers of Uganda (ASSHU) ▪ Uganda Liberal Teachers Union (ULITU) ▪ Federation of Non-State Education Institutions in Uganda (FENEI) ▪ Uganda Association of Private Vocational Institutions (UGAPRIVI). Supporting Uganda’s education Non- ▪ NGOs Engaged in advocacy, capacity governmental ▪ FBOs building and also giving dire and civil society ▪ CBOs support in form of education organizations materials and facilities. Consumers of the education and Community training system and also Parents, local leaders, Faith leaders, members participation in school management. 4.4.6 Education Sector Funding 119. Recent public spending on education in Uganda, as a share of GDP, is one of the lowest in the region. Education expenditure as a share of the national budget has decreased from 15 to 10 percent over the last few years despite introducing the Universal Secondary Education (USE) policy in 2007 and against the minimum recommended levels of spending at 15 percent. It is also despite the large volumes of foreign aid allocated to the education sector, as Uganda has been one of five top recipients of foreign aid at US$1.6 billion disbursed between 2002 and 2014 (World Bank 2017). 4.5.7 Pre- Primary Education in Uganda 120. The Education Act 2008 establishes pre-primary as the first level of education in Ugandan and the estimated pre-primary school age in Uganda is 3-5 years. According to the Education Act (2008), pre-primary education is stipulated to be run by private agencies or persons. However, Government’s efforts in strengthening pre- primary education are through regulations and training of staff in Early Childhood Care and Education. Following the guidance of the National Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) 2016 which provided a framework for comprehensive approach for children from conception to eight years of age, MoES with the support of the Global Partnership for Education reviewed the 2007 ECD 39 Policy and has just finalised the new ECCE Policy with a costed action plan to scale up the government engagement in regulating and supporting the pre-primary sector. 121. Pre-primary education services have rapidly expanded in Uganda in the recent years. In 2015, there were only 5,763 registered pre-primary schools with a total enrolment of only 477,123 learners. By 2017, the number of pre-primary schools had increased to 7,210 and the total enrolment increased to 608,973 (301,523 boys and 307450 girls)28. 2019 school mapping exercise indicated a total of 28,208 Pre-primary education centres and a total enrolment of 2,050,40329. The UNHS (2016) conducted by the UBOS indicated that 43% of children aged 3 to 5 years attending pre-primary schools, with girls (45%) having a slightly higher attendance rate than boys (42%). In 2017, Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) stood at 15.4% while the Net Enrolment Rate (NER) was 8.4%30 . 4.5.8 Primary Education in Uganda 122. Primary education in Uganda is universal and compulsory and comprises 7 years, from Primary 1 (P1) to Primary 7 (P7). The official entry age to P1 is six years of age. Primary schools in Uganda are composed of two categories, namely, government aided (public) schools and private schools. Public schools are established, operated and financed by the Government of Uganda, while private schools are established and run by private entities; individuals and groups. Private schools are of for-profit (individually owned) and not-for-profit such as; those established by and run by the Civil Society/Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), Faith-Based Organizations (FBO) and Development Partners. 123. Access to primary education in Uganda has been increasing over years since the introduction of universal primary education in 1997. For ten years between 2007/08 and 2017/18, the number of primary schools grew by over 43% from 14,728 schools to 20,305 schools31 and Out of the 20,305 primary schools registered in the 2017/18 ASC, 71% (14,400 schools) are in rural areas, 17.5% (3,555 schools) are in peri-urban areas and 11.6% (2,350 schools) are in urban areas. 2019 school mapping exercise indicated a total of 36,314 Primary schools across the country 32. The continuously rise in the number of schools in the county has overtime witnessed correlational increase in the enrolment. Primary school enrolment increased from about 8.3 million in 2012 to about 8.84 million pupils in 2017 of whom 19.6% (1.73 million) were in private schools33. Gender Parity Index stood at 1.01 in FY 2017/18 implying that there were 28 MoES Fact Sheet, 2017 29 Report on the Master List of schools in Uganda (MEIU) UBOS 2019 30 MoES Annual school Census, 2017 31 Education Abstracts (MoES, 2002-2017) 32 Report on the Master List of schools in Uganda (MEIU) UBOS 2019 33 Education Abstracts (MoES, 2002-2017) 40 no significant gender disparities in enrolment at the national level. There are slightly more girl children enrolled at primary education level compared to boys. 124. Equitable access to primary education remains a challenge to achieve the goal of Universal Primary Education. According to the population data (UBOS, 2016/17) and enrolment data (EMIS, 2016/17), approximately 2% of Ugandan children aged from 6 to 12 years (154,552 children) are not in school because of financial constraints for covering the household contribution to education (such as pens, papers, exercise books, exams, uniforms, transportation, and school development funds) are an impediment to school attendance. Based on the research conducted by Theunynck in 2018, school-age children in rural communities in Uganda are 5 times more likely to travel more than 2km (30 minutes) to school compared to children from urban settings. Financial constraint is cited as the most important reason for dropping out of school, both for girls and boys. When adding the response of “expensive/ not affordable” and “lack of funding,” 68% of male and 65% of female respondents gave financial constraints as the reason for leaving school. Among female respondents, 4.4% indicated pregnancy as a reason for leaving school34 Table 2: Number of primary-school-age out-of-school-children in Uganda, 2017 S/N Age Group 2017 Data 1 Primary school age population (6-12 years old) 7,559,500 2 6-12 years old enrolled in pre-primary schools 161,717 3 6-12 years old enrolled in primary schools 7,243,231 4 6-12 years old who are not enrolled in school (4=1-2-3) 154,552 5 Share of children who are not enrolled in school 2.0% Source: UBOS and EMIS data (MoES, 2002-2016) 125. Internal efficiency in primary education has been continuously challenged with many children dropping out of school without completing the 7-year cycle. Out of the ten pupils who enter P1, around six reach P5 and only three reach P7. The survival rate to P5 improved substantially in the years from 2007 to 2009; but since then, both the survival rate to P5 and P7 have remained stagnated and unchanged. 34 The Uganda National Household Survey 2016 41 Figure 5: Number of primary-school-age out-of-school-children in Uganda, 2016/17 Source: Authors’ estimates based MoES Fact Sheet (MoES, 2002-2017) 4.5.9 Secondary Education in Uganda 126. The structure of Uganda's secondary education system is divided into the Ordinary level and Advanced level system. The estimated entry age to lower secondary education is 13 years and admission to secondary schools depends upon set minimum grades scored in the national Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE). Lower secondary consists of 4 years of schooling at the end of which students undertake national Ordinary-level exams (O-level) in at least 8 subjects with a maximum of 10 subjects. Upper secondary consists of 2 years of schooling at the end of which students sit their national Advanced-level exams (A level) in at least 3 subjects. A small proportion of “O” level graduates earn scores high enough for admission to “A” level secondary education for advanced education in their area of specialization, which lasts for two years. Others join BTVET, Primary Teachers’ Colleges (PTCs) and Health Training Institutions (HTSs) for certificate courses upon completion. ‘A’ level education students sit for the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education Examination (UACE), which determines selection for university education (for both degree and diploma courses) and diploma awarding tertiary institutions like National Teacher Colleges (NTCs), Uganda Technical Colleges (UTCs), Uganda Colleges of Commerce (UCCs), and HTIs. 127. The ownership of secondary education in Uganda is categorised into three forms of schools: government-owned schools (20%), private sector-owned (69%), and community-owned (11%)35.It is important however to note that while the majority of schools (80%) are either privately or community owned, they cater for less than 50% of school enrolments and their presence in the rural areas is limited. 128. The policy of Universal Secondary Education (USE) was initiated by the Government of Uganda in 2007 to improve equitable access to quality education for economically vulnerable families by abolishing fees for public secondary education. 35 EMIS, 2017 42 This at the same time created an avenue for subsidisation of the cost of secondary education in selected private schools under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. Public secondary schools in every sub-county were meant to become fee-free USE schools. The same USE program supported students with a UGX 47,000 subsidy per term per student for fees (US$ 30 at the 2007 exchange rate) in selected private schools in sub-counties without public schools under Public-Private Partnership (PPP). However, with a well thought out strategy of cost saving, In January 2018, the MoES announced a gradual phase-out of the USE PPP program. In order to have a smooth PPP phase-out without disruption to access and disadvantaging the affected beneficiary students, GoU embarked on constructing its new secondary schools and grant aiding community schools with a special focus on the sub-counties that did not have any secondary school. 129. The enrolment in secondary schools in Uganda has increased over years. Between 2010 and 2017 for example, the enrolment increased by 12% from 1.22 million to 1.37 million with lower secondary schools enrolment of 1.24 million students, while only 135,500 (10%) study in upper secondary (nine times less). Before the introduction of the USE Policy in 2007, enrolments grew by 4% per year on average. Following the introduction of the Policy, enrolments increased by 16% in 2007/08 and by 28% in 2008/09. Between 2010 and 2017, enrolments continued to increase by 4% per annum. 2019 school mapping exercise by UBOS indicated a total enrolment of 1,779,550 students for the lower secondary section in Uganda36. 130. Access to secondary education remains highly inequitable in terms of gender. The GER in secondary education over the past decade has stagnated between at approximately 25% and 30% with the female students having slightly lower. NER improved from 22% to 24% during the decade. Figure 6: Secondary Enrolment, GER and NER trends by sex Source: Authors’ estimates based on EMIS data (MoES, 2005-2017) 36 Report on the Master List of schools in Uganda (MEIU) UBOS 2019 43 131. Secondary education in Uganda is also characterised by glaring variation in secondary school attendance by household wealth and gender37. Only 5% of girls and 8% of boys from the poorest quintile (20%) of households attend secondary education and more than one third of boys and girls from the wealthiest quintile of households (35 and 42% respectively) go to secondary school. Disparities in completion rates are also evident between rural areas, at 6.5%, and urban areas, at just over 14%. Regional and wealth-related disparities are much more pronounced for girls. Compared to boys, girls’ secondary education experience is characterized by lower access, higher dropout, and lower transition rates. 4.6 Uganda’s response to COVID-19 132. Despite its challenges, Uganda remains a regional leader in outbreak preparedness and response. This is demonstrated through its relatively strong performance on the 2019 Global Health Security Assessment (GHSA) ranking63 out of 195 countries38 as well as in the WHO’s Joint External Evaluation (JEE) 39. The experiences acquired in containing past outbreaks including; Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus disease, Rift Valley fever, Anthrax, Meningitis, Measles, Cholera, and Ebola has undoubtedly help Uganda to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. 133. From the time of the declaration of the outbreak by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Government of Uganda had activated its National Rapid Response Plan to prevent and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic spearheaded by the Emergency Operations Centre hosted at the Ministry of Health (MOH). On Saturday 21st March 2020, Uganda confirmed its index case of COVID-19 and as of 28th November 2020, Uganda had registered 19,588 cases and 106 confirmed deaths40. 134. Uganda has, since the identification of the first index case, introduced internationally recognized public health measures to curb the spread of the virus. These include regular hand washing with soap and running water, maintaining a social and physical distancing of at least 2 metres and declaring COVID-19 a “notifiable disease” on 13th March 2020 by the Minister of Health hence closing the country’s border points to anyone entering Uganda except cargo planes and trucks and a total countrywide lockdown was instituted on March 30th 2020. 37National Household Survey 2012/13 38Worldwide, the average score on the GHSA index is 40.2%. The average for the African region is 30.8% and only four countries in the region exceed the world average (South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia). However, the overall score for Uganda on the GHSA is 44.3% which means that there is scope for improvement. 39 The JEE is a voluntary, collaborative, multi-sectoral process to assess country capacities to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to public health risks whether occurring naturally or due to deliberate or accidental events. 40 https://www.health.go.ug/covid/ 44 135. In addition to other preventive interventions, the MoH approved the “Keep-A- Distance/Tonsemberera” multi media campaign that is leading efforts to disseminate COVID-19 messages nationwide to various intended audiences. The dynamics of the epidemic in Uganda have continued to change and everyone in Uganda is mandated to implement the following preventive measures against COVID-19; a) wash-your- hands with soap and sanitizers, stay-home and stay-safe, keep-a-distance, wear a face mask in public, 136. In April 2020, an online social media campaign assessment revealed successful awareness creation but high levels of complacency amongst Ugandans because most Ugandans still do not consider the disease as a threat. There is low risk perception since communities have not heard of nor been in close proximity with a COVID-19 patient, someone who has recovered or died from the disease. The severity of COVID-19 is not fully understood. And as such many people are hesitant to adopt and maintain behaviours. Other current barriers to communication efforts include: Knowledge gaps/ misinformation, mistrust, reluctance to perform recommended behaviours, refusal to interact with response teams, resistance to engage/ quarantine, cost or state of quarantine site, the need to survive (social- economic challenges), barriers to the desired change attributed to the immediate environment of the target group (contextual realities e.g. living or working in a congested area). 137. As the Ministry of Health continues to focus on the health technical issues and behaviour change aspects related to the disease, there are a number of non-health related issues related to COVID-19. These include among others; re-opening of crucial sectors that need to be addressed for their being locked up are affecting many individual’s abilities to adhere or change behaviour. 4.7 Impact of COVID-19 on Education 138. On Wednesday 18th March 2020, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda announced the immediate closure of all educational institutions by 20th March 2020 to avoid panic and possible rapid spread of new infections in the country.41 At the time, around 15 million learners had been enrolled in school with over 2 and 10.7 million attending pre and primary schools respectively. While school closures seemed to present a logical solution to enforcing social distancing within communities, prolonged closures started causing disproportionately negative impact on the most vulnerable students. 139. As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the country, over 92 children aged between 0 and 12 years have been infected with COVID-19 according 41 https://reliefweb.int/report/uganda/education-now-time-build-back-better 45 to the ministry of health. This is about 2 percent of the cases in the country which are nearing 5,000.42 Majority of the children who had tested positive are contacts who had picked the disease from either parents or guardians who had tested positive. 140. Currently, the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), with support from UNICEF, World Bank and other education development partners, developed and are implementing the Education Sector Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19 with a major focus on developing systems for online learning such as television, radio, mobile phones, and internet as a measure to provide lessons for learners at home and mitigate the impact of school closure. For the most deprived children who lack access to technology, the MoES developed and is distributing printed self-learning materials. 42 https://www.independent.co.ug/covid-19-over-90-children-have-tested-positive-moh/ 46 5.0 ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL RISKS AND MITIGATION 5.1 Potential Environment and Social Risks 5.1.1 Introduction 141. The project aims at ensuring that primary and lower secondary school learners continue learning during the school closure and on preparing the system for school re- opening once the situation allows through strengthening the capacity of the education system and to build resilience to respond to this and other emergencies in the future. The interventions under these components are targeting children in school and communities; therefore, the environment and social risks that are identified here will mostly be borne in the school community. Furthermore, the environment and social risks are expected to be generally substantial, temporary, controllable and above all, these risks are can be mitigated. Given that nationwide scope of the project, the project beneficiaries and stakeholders will be exposed to similar risks and the ESMF has categorised the different risks into (i) Environmental and (ii) Social and Health risks as discussed below. 5.1.2 Environmental Risks 142. The project activities are expected to have low environmental risk (or impacts) to learners, teachers and communities as compared to social and health risks. The potential environmental risks identified include; 1. Poor solid waste management for worn out masks face masks, paper litter and used up boxes or containers for the sanitizers. This might increase the risk of infection to the school community members in case they are contaminated with corona virus. 2. Impacts relating to poor setting and construction of wastewater pits (as per MOH recommendations, the waste water pit should be of appropriate depth, properly constructed (and filled with hard-core stones and covered). 3. Contamination of water bodies or sources with waste water from hand washing facilities in schools which can potentially affect the larger community. If not well managed, the waste water may end up in the neighbouring community water sources like swamps and open wells. 4. Air Pollution resulting from open burning and/or incineration of solid wastes like rubbish and/or COVID-19 waste materials e.g. used masks. Many schools continuously use burning as a safe way of disposal. This will ultimately trigger off air pollution with its negative effects to the environment around schools and communities. 5. Inadequate and irregular water supply for WASH in schools. 47 6. Poor storage of surface disinfectants/sanitisers used in COVID-19 mitigation activities that could potentially affect the health and wellbeing of the learners, teachers and other school occupants 7. Impacts relating to inadequate supply of cleaning materials/disinfectants at schools as per the MOH Covid-19 SOPs for school re-opening. 8. Poor disposal of empty disinfectant containers/bottles can also impact negatively on the community health and safety in case the empty containers are not cleaned before disposal and ends up being are re-used for other purposes by the community. 5.1.3 Social and Health Risks 143. The project activities are expected to have moderate social safety risks to learners, teachers and community members. The potential risks identified include; 1. Continued or increased spread of COVID-19 in communities evidenced in new cases amongst learners, teachers and other community members. This may be a result of continued human interactions with both symptomatic and asymptomatic corona virus carriers or using the same facilities, utilities, equipment or supplies like water sources, stationery, toilets, masks, furniture, computers contaminated with the novel virus, 2. Failure of learners, teachers in schools and/or community members to observe the set COVID-19 SoPs and other social safeguards as a result of relaxation, neglecting or even complacency. As has always been communicated by MoH, many learners might relax in observing the SoPs. This is likely to continue and could be evidenced in learners not wearing masks at all or improperly for extended periods of time. 3. Exclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups. During implementation, some learners might be excluded as a result of the failure to customise some project interventions to their specific needs. For example the channelling of learning through radio might not only exclude learners with hearing impairment but also those that do not have access a radio sets at home. 4. Exposure of learners to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) in quest to access learning materials as they may be abused in the process. In addition, this may also result from lack of access to school support systems such as the Reporting, Tracking, Referral and Response (RTRR) pathways at school level. 5. Increased cases of psychological and physical violence at school and within the surrounding community in the process of enforcing the set SOPs. 6. Social stigmatisation and segregation of learners, teachers and/or community members who have previously or contracted COVID-19. 7. High absenteeism rate or neglect of duty by teachers due to fear of contracting the virus. 48 8. Fatigue among teachers especially if they have to cluster learners into acceptable class sizes in accordance with the set SoPs. 9. Failure by learners to use the provided self-study materials while at home as a result of limited/lack of timely support from their parents and/or teachers. 10. Increased costs of operation resulting from enforcing or observing the set SOPs e.g. space, routine testing, Health care and among others. 11. Side effects of using chemicals to spray/disinfect classes, learners’ materials, tools and/or even learners themselves etc. 12. Occupational hazards: Implementing stakeholders risk contracting COVID-19 during implementation of the project. e.g. teachers will continue teaching regardless of the status of infection in learners for fear of losing out on pay while others may continue showing up to work even with symptoms. Other teachers risk contracting the virus resulting from using public transport or teaching without proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like face-shields, sanitizers. 13. Failure of schools, communities, district officials and other stakeholders to own environmental and social safeguard project related interventions during and after project implementation for sustainability. 5.2 Environment and Social Risks Mitigation Measures 144. In order to avoid or minimize impacts associated with activities to be funded under the project, mitigation measures must be implemented as part of the subproject operations to ensure compliance with local and international environmental and social guidelines and standards. This section therefore suggests appropriate mitigation approaches against the risks identified in 5.1.2 and 5.1.3 and are summarised in the three project stages i.e. Designing and Planning, Operational and Decommission stage. The sub-sections below provide guidance on overall mitigation approach to facilitate quick decision-making during implementation for addressing the emergency situation. 5.2.1 Planning and Designing Stage 145. At this stage, key Environmental and Social measures considered will include the following; 1. Proper planning, designing and procuring foot operated hand-washing facilities with appropriate materials, structure and size; this may involve considering aspects of hand washing-facility to learner ratio to control crowding and resultant infection of users. 2. Planning and budgeting for acquisition and maintenance of water reservoirs or water sources to support in water storage and use within schools. 3. Planning strategic location of hand-washing; this may involve considering aspects of universal access by users (to ensure ease of access to the said facilities 49 by the physically handicapped learners) and management of water waste into the environment. 4. Design a functional water waste management system and facilities like drainage channels considering aspect of safeguards against environmental degradation and destruction of bio-diversity resulting from water pollution. 5. Plan and estimate the volume of water waste to be generated by schools for proper planning of disposal. 6. Proper planning for the storage and disposal of school solid waste considering aspect of contaminating, transmission and infecting the environment with pathogens as well polluting the air from pungent smells. 7. Planning for regular cleaning and disinfection of sites, classrooms, offices and setting the timing when the disinfection will be done including provisions for the lost time. 8. Engaging community members and other stakeholders like local leaders, environmentalists etc. in the planning and designing of project activities. 9. Procuring goods and supplies based on technical specifications provided by WHO interim guidance for COVID-19 10. Planning for appropriate human resource with an environmental and social inclination to technically guide in the design, implementation and monitoring of environmental and social risks that are likely to arise from the project. 5.2.2 Operational Stage 5.2.2.1 Environmental Risks 146. The Project Coordination Unit (PCU) with support from the different stakeholders will; 1. Ensure that all school management staff have a copy and have been trained/supported to operationalise the E&S safeguards prepared by the project. 2. Ensure that each school has a proper waste management and disposal systems that considers all aspects of protecting the environment from water, soil and air pollution. These include waste disinfection, reuse and/or recycling (where practical in the COVID-19 context). 3. Ensure that school have consistent water source(s) and water reservoirs for continuous flow and use of water 4. Support routine training, monitoring and support for school management as well as other stakeholders to ensure compliance to the set environmental management standards and safeguards including the Infection Prevention and Control measures as spelt out in the ICWMP attached in Appendix 5. 5. Conduct periodic monitoring and auditing of the school waste management sites and protocols to ensure compliance. 50 6. Institute remedial or correctional measures required to ensure compliance with proper waste management. 147. All the above measures will be implemented in collaboration with the district local government technical staff including the District Environmental officer, District Health Officer (DHO), District Education Officer (DEO), District Inspector of School (DIS), District Community Development Officer (DCDO) and among others. 148. Additionally, some roles may also be required to be undertaken by the School management Committees (SMCs)/School Administration including among others that 1. Developing and implementing a regular schedule for environmental cleaning and disinfection of their schools, commonly used areas by learners etc. 2. Provision of Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) for the support staff responsible for cleaning the environment. 3. Monitoring safe and correct use and storage of cleaning material and disinfectants, including storing products securely away from learners, including proper disposal of empty disinfectant containers. 5.2.2.2 Social and Health Risks A) Prevention and Containment of Covid-19 149. The Project Coordinating Unit in collaboration with implementing stakeholders will ensure that; 1. Learners, teachers and the community members are regularly updated with awareness and prevention information as well as being constantly reminded of their need to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This will be done using precautionary approaches that prevent infection and/or contagion nature of COVID-19 such as Information leaflets, posters and brochures; audio-visual materials, social media and other direct communication channels such as mobile/ telephone calls, SMS, etc. Please refer to the SEP for detailed approaches of engagement to the different stakeholders. 2. Schools meet, observe and maintain the SoPs and other operational requirements set by MoH and MoES respectively to avoid and/or contain the spread of the corona virus. This may include aspects like regular temperature screening and recording of learners, teachers and other staff temperatures, COVID 19 first aid kits, proper wearing of face masks, routine cleaning and sanitizing of the classrooms and other frequently touched surfaces within the schools’ premises, enforcing social distancing, isolation of suspected/asymptomatic COVID-19 patients etc. 51 3. Learners, teachers, support staff and community members self-monitor for possible symptoms (fever, cough) and to report to their supervisors if they have symptoms or are feeling unwell. 4. Covid-19 school Committees and proper reporting procedures are in place 5. Regular guidance and counseling and also psychosocial support for staff, learners and parents. 6. COVID-19 response systems and procedures for Covid-19 positive learners, teachers and other support staff are enacted and maintained i.e. like, evacuation procedures, and isolation centers at nearby hospitals; B) Exclusion Risks 150. Vulnerable and marginalized groups are often excluded from decision-making processes and their needs for development are mostly neglected. Consequently, their opportunities to make social contributions may be limited because of their limited access to valued social resources. It is therefore important to ensure that the project impacts benefit vulnerable and marginalized groups, who often do not have a voice to express their concerns to overcome their long term challenges. 151. According to the ESS1, Disadvantaged or vulnerable groups refer to those who may be more likely to be adversely affected by the project impacts or more limited than others in their ability to take advantage of the project benefits. Such an individual or group is more likely to be excluded from/ unable to participate fully in the mainstream consultation process and as such may require specific measures and or assistance to do so. This takes into account considerations relating to age, including elderly and minors and including circumstances where they are separated from their family, the community and other individuals upon which they depend. 152. The ESS7, uses the term “Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities” recognizing that some marginalized groups may be referred to in different countries by different terms. Such terms include “Sub-Saharan African historically underserved traditional local communities,” “indigenous ethnic minorities,” “aboriginals,” “hill tribes,” “vulnerable and marginalized groups,” “minority nationalities,” “scheduled tribes,” “first nations,” or “tribal groups.” 153. Based on the above definitions, under the CERP Project the vulnerable or disadvantaged groups may include but are not limited to the following; learners from refugee and displaced persons’ communities; learners with disabilities and their caretakers; those living in remote or inaccessible areas; learners from particularly low income families without access to the new means of study (lack of access to Internet, Television, Radio or Newspapers); girl children who are prone to early marriage 52 and/or early pregnancy due to economic hardships resulting from the epidemic; all learners prone to child labor abuse exacerbated by the effect of the epidemic on livelihoods; Learners from marginalized communities e.g. Batwa from Kasese and Iki from Kaabong; learners moving long distance to and from school; persons with chronic diseases and in particular those with suppressed immunity or living with HIV; redundant teachers made vulnerable due to the result of the project’s introduction of alternative learning means. 154. In line with the requirements of ESS1 and ESS7, the Project Coordinating Unit will ensure that learners, teachers and other stakeholders are not discriminated due to their, health condition (e.g. COVID-19 status or any chronic illness, socioeconomic status, places of origin, race, gender, ethnic background, tribe, religion, disabilities and any other vulnerability by; 1. Providing learning materials that meet the various learner needs in the different contexts; this will consider children with special needs and other vulnerabilities. 2. Supporting all schools to enroll all learners regardless of their COVID-19 status or any other form of vulnerability. 3. Training and support teachers and other staff to protect, manage and support all learners without discrimination. 4. Sensitization of communities about the benefits of re-enrolling learners back into school. The SEP is referred here for detailed approaches for awareness- raising activities to communities. 5. Supporting teachers and parents to use self-study materials provided by the government. 6. Creation of IEC tools to sensitize learners, teachers and communities against stigmatizing COVID-19 patients as indicated in the draft SEP. 7. Distribution of goods or services on basis of need, while ensuring that the distribution systems is not compromised due to elite capture. C) Gender based Violence and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Risks 1. Conducting a GBV or SEA risk assessment to establish the extent to which learners, teachers and community members affected by GBV or SEA. 2. Extending psychosocial support to learners, teachers and community members affected by GBV or SEA. 3. Sensitizing, training and supporting women and girls to identify and avoid risks, potential perpetrators, danger zones and key life skills required to avoid situations that exposes them to the GBV and SEA. 4. Designing and instituting a referral/grievance system/pathway for reporting, tracking, and response to GBV and SEA at school and within the community. 5. Provide GBV/SEA requirements in teachers and project staff’s ethical code of conduct. 53 6. Establish and operationalize GRM whose approach is sensitive to issues of GBV and SEA. 7. Engagement with local communities to provide access to information for all populations, accounting for age, disability, education and gender. 8. Ensure that GBV and SEA messages are packaged and disseminated in a manner that reaches marginalized and vulnerable social groups. 9. Emphasize stakeholder engagement aspects within the SEP. D) Occupational Hazards The Project Coordinating Unit will ensure that; 1. A Human and Occupational Resource Management Procedure (Labour Management Plan) is developed to address the risks. 2. Teachers and other support staff have appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). 3. Public spaces like classes, staff rooms, offices and tools are regularly cleaned and disinfected with the approved/recommended disinfectants/chemicals. 4. Special arrangements are made for teachers, support staff and project staff with any form of vulnerability including applying the principles of universal access for all staff and learners. 5. Guiding rules and regulations for students and staff with in schools premises are in place. 6. Teachers, school and project support staff are sensitized, trained and supported to identify and avoid occupational risks and hazards. 5.2.2.3 Decommission Stage At this stage, two aspects need to be considered: 1. Sanitation and hygiene facilities may be required in response to containing COVID-19. They may be decommissioned by handing them over to the relevant authorities at the end of the project for handling or appropriate action. 2. Sharing project information about the project results, outcomes and other achievements on environmental and social safeguards at the end of the project. 3. Commissioning other project decommission plans and schedules based on the new developments of the disease. 54 6.0 PROCEDURES TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES 155. This section sets out the procedures for identifying, preparing and implementing the project components, environmental and social screening, preparation of required E&S plans, consultation on such plans, review and approval and implementation. The Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) is responsible for the overall implementation of the project. The PCU will have day to day responsibility for project management and support; including ensuring that project implementation is compliant with the World Bank’s ESF, WHO COVID-19 Guidelines as well as the Government of Uganda constitution and other regulations. 156. The PCU will be adequately staffed to oversee the project’s work and ensure that schools comply with all project procedures and receive professional implementation and project management support, including for procurement. PCU staffs will specifically ensure the MoES department undertaking activities financed by the project liaising with the PCU on ESMF implementation throughout the life of the project. 6.1 Screening potential Environmental and Social issues 157. The purpose of screening is to (i) determine whether activities are eligible to be financed, and likely to have potential negative environmental and social risks and impacts; and (ii) identify the appropriate E&S documents that contain mitigation measures for activities with adverse risks or impacts after excluding certain high or substantial risk activities and classifying the appropriate risks. The PCU will use the E&S screening form (See Annex 1). Based on the screening, the PCU will (a) ensure that the activities on the “ineligible list” will not be financed by the Project; (b) sign the E&S screening form; and (c) prepare and implement the specific E&S instrument and plan as needed. Copies of each of these screening forms will be kept at the PIU and individual schools. 6.2 Environmental and Social Instruments 158. The PCU and individual departments will prepare and implement the necessary E&S instruments for each of the activities financed under the project. The scope of this Project includes following E&S instruments; i. Environment and Social Management Plans (ESMP): Screening will determines what E&S instruments are required for a sub-project in which mitigation measures will be incorporated during preparation of the instruments. MoES through the PCU will ensure that stakeholders are aware and committed to comply with the E&S obligations in the instruments prepared. ii. Labour Management Plan (LMP): In line with the requirements of ESS2, a Labour Management Procedures (LMP) will be prepared and adopted to 55 implement adequate occupational health and safety measures (including emergency preparedness and response measures), setting out grievance Redress Mechanisms forworkers , and incorporating labor requirements into the E&S specifications of the procurement documents and contracts with contractors and PCU. iii. Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP): In line with the requirements of ESS10, the PCU has prepared a SEP for the project and it is applicable to all project financed activities. Individual schools will follow the guidelines mentioned in the SEP to ensure learners and their families, local government authorities, and the general community are aware of the project interventions and have access to community-based information and reporting channels. iv. GBV/VAC/SEA/SH plan. In line with the requirements of ESS2 and ESS4, the PCU will prepare and implement the plan to contribute to a reduction of GBV/SEA/VACiS following an assessment and the plan will promote the rights and empowerment of those affected by the same especially girls in the selected project area. Other instruments that will be prepared include: v. Infectious Control and Waste Management Protocol (ICWMP) : Each school will prepare and implement ICWMP based on the ICWMP (See Annex 3) vi. Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups Framework (VMGF); to address the needs of VMGs in line with the requirements of ESS7. vii. Grievance Management guidelines/updated Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRM) for workers (ESS2) and the Community (ESS10). viii. Communication strategy to provide guidance on the means and types of passing on information among the different stakeholders ix. Social Safeguards monitoring and reporting tools. 6.3 Consultation of prepared E&S Instruments 159. Given the need for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, stakeholder consultations for the environmental and social instruments were conducted virtually or through observing SOPs whenever possible. The PCU, MoES officials, MoH officials and key stakeholders at Central, local government and school level were identified and consultations were made via phone, email, and small meetings of no more than ten individuals at a time. 160. As a summary, their feedback received includes both positive and negative impacts of the project. On a positive side, the stakeholders see the project as part of a measure to ensure continuity of learning during Covid-19 outbreak. On a negative side, they drew the project attention to the need to carefully address social risks emanating from effective implementation especially related to safety of both learners and teaching and non-teaching staff and other stakeholders that occasionally interact 56 with schools community. They also indicated fear for inability of some groups/individuals (e.g. VMGs) to continue with education due to the negative socio- economic impact of COVID-19. Thus, they suggested that there should be appropriate efforts towards enforcement of the set SoPs by MoH and MoES at school level alongside actions to raise awareness of Covid-19 preventive measures among communities. For more details 6.4 Review and approval of the E&S instruments; 161. The E&S instruments will be reviewed by E&S specialists in PCU and the different departments of the implementing ministries, and approved by the Project Coordinator. The World Bank will also review and clear the E&S instruments as well. 6.5 Disclosure of instruments 162. The E&S instruments will be disclosed for the public on the World Bank external website and MOES website, press releases in the local media, Information leaflets, audio-visual materials, social media, training and meetings and other direct communication channels. Copies of the instruments will also be available to interested and affected persons on demand at the location of the respective subproject(s). 6.6 Implementation and Monitoring of the E&S Plan 163. MoES will be responsible for the M&E process of all activities under the project. The Department of Planning will be responsible for upgrading and maintaining a functioning Education Management Information System (EMIS) that includes the data required to monitor all the activities and results for the project. The PCU M&E specialist will work closely with relevant departments within the MoES to updated results of all indicators. The Project Coordinator will submit monthly and quarterly progress reports and annual Progress Reports to the World Bank. She/he will also facilitate internal and external communication and other supporting activities, including on progress toward targets described in the Results Framework. 164. Specifically, the PCU safeguard team working with other stakeholders from relevant Government Agencies and the District Local Governments will undertake monitoring during project implementation to evaluate the impacts and the mitigation measures to address these impacts. The monitoring will be undertaken at the beneficiary schools, through preparation of monthly and quarterly monitoring reports that will feed into the Project Coordinators monthly and annual progress reports to be submitted to the Management of the Ministry and the Bank. 6.7 Reporting 165. Individual coordinating departments will prepare and provide monthly reports to the PCU on each activity being undertaken. These reports will include progress on 57 any on-going E&S intervention, statistics related to the implementation of the IPCP, statistics related to local hotlines, any grievances received via the GRM and information on their resolution, and any other relevant information. 166. The PCU will prepare and submit regular monitoring reports on the environmental, social, health and safety (ESHS) performance of the Project, including but not limited to implementation of ESCP, stakeholder engagement activities and grievances log. 6.8 Completion and Evaluation 167. In line with the ESCP, upon completion of the Project, PCU will monitor and evaluate the results before closing the contract. Any pending issues and/or grievance must be solved before project sub-component is considered fully completed. PCU will prepare the completion report describing the compliance of E&S risk management measures, and submit it to the Bank. 58 7.0 PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND DISCLOSURE 168. The consultation process and its results is duly documented in the SEP. The project will adapt to different approaches of consultation and information disclosure of project activities and incorporate national guidance by MoH on avoiding the spread of the virus and will focus specifically on risks associated with project activities. 7.1 Strategy for Information Disclosure and Consultation Process 169. Among the strategies to be adopted while conducting stakeholder consultation and engagement (i.e. will be updated during implementation) include; 1. Sensitizing Teachers, learners, school and community members and project staff to understand, articulate and execute E&S safeguards like behaviour and good Infection Prevention and Control measures including hand hygiene practices. 2. Sharing information about the E&S safeguards in the routine communication campaigns i.e. press releases in local media (both print and electronic), written information with disclosure including brochures, flyers, leaflets, posters and well as regular updates on the MoES website. This information can also be shared widely by other partners and stakeholders like NGOs and other departments by other ministries. 3. Reviewing the country COVID-19 spread in the project area, and the restrictions put in place by the government (MoH) to contain virus spread. 4. Avoiding public gatherings (taking into account national restrictions), including public hearings, workshops and community meetings, and minimize direct interaction between project agencies and beneficiaries / affected people. 5. Conducting consultations in small-group sessions, such as focus group meetings. This should only be done with permission from relevant authorities. 6. Conducting meetings through online channels, including Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Team, Blue Jeans, Skype meetings and any other platforms where small meetings are not permitted or feasible. 7. Diversifying means of communication and rely more on social media and online channels. Where possible and appropriate, create dedicated online platforms and chat groups appropriate for the purpose, based on the type and category of stakeholders. 8. Utilising traditional channels of communications (TV, newspaper, radio, dedicated phone-lines, public announcements and mail) when stakeholders do not have access to online channels or do not use them frequently. 9. Dissemination of information digital platform (where available) like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp groups, Project weblinks/websites, and traditional means of communications (TV, newspaper, radio, phone calls and emails with clear description of mechanisms for providing feedback via mail and / or dedicated telephone lines. 59 10. Reviewing the SEP, particularly the approach, methods and forms of engagement proposed, and assess the associated potential risks of virus transmission in conducting various engagement activities. 170. All channels of communication will need to: 1. Clearly specify how stakeholders can provide their feedback and suggestions 2. Ensure that the vulnerable groups as outlined earlier will have the chance to participate and take benefit from the communication. 3. Consider the level of household outreach with using each channel of communication say social media, radio, SMS, telephone calls, TV etc. 4. Consider language diversity or use of modes of different languages locally understood through verbal communication, audio visuals or pictures instead of text, etc; 5. Ensure SoP’s as guided by Ministry of Health to contain the spread of COVID- 19 60 8.0 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT 8.1 Stakeholder Engagement Plan 171. In compliance with the ESS10, a standalone Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) has been prepared that defines a program for stakeholder engagement, including public information disclosure and consultation, throughout the entire project cycle. Specifically, the SEP outlines the ways in which the project team will communicate with stakeholders and includes a mechanism by which people can raise grievance, provide feedback, or make complaints about project and any activities related to the project. Additional measures are also included to ensure that the marginalised and vulnerable social groups such as learners with disabilities; those living in remote or inaccessible areas; learners from particularly low income families; girl children who are prone to early marriage and/or early pregnancy will have the chance to participate and benefit from project activities. 172. The SEP will be periodically revised and updated as necessary in the course of project implementation in order to ensure that the information presented herein is consistent and is the most recent, and that the identified methods of engagement remain appropriate and effective in relation to the project context and specific phases of the development. Any major changes to the project related activities and to its schedule will be duly reflected in the SEP. 173. Due to the emergency situation and the need to address issues related to COVID-19, the initial SEP was developed to be disclosed prior to project appraisal and as the starting point of an iterative process to develop a more comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategy and plan. Upon relaxing of the SoPs by the government including allowing small meeting observing social distance, a second phase of stakeholders consultations were conducted in twelve districts across the country with key stakeholders that included; District Officials, School governing bodies (SMCs and BoGs), learners, teachers, parents, children with special needs, local council representatives, religious leaders and cultural leaders, community members and among others. The consultations aimed at seeking stakeholders’ suggestions regarding project risks, impacts and mitigation measures. 174. As a summary, their feedback received includes both positive and negative impacts of the project. On a positive side, the stakeholders see the project as part of a measure to ensure continuity of learning during Covid-19 outbreak. On a negative side, they drew the project attention to the need to carefully address social risks emanating from effective implementation especially related to safety of both learners and teaching and non-teaching staff and other stakeholders that occasionally interact with schools community. They also indicated fear for inability of some groups/individuals (e.g. VMGs) to continue with education due to the negative socio- economic impact of COVID-19. Thus, they suggested that there should be appropriate 61 efforts towards enforcement of the set SoPs by MoH and MoES at school level alongside actions to raise awareness of Covid-19 preventive measures among communities. 175. The project also conducted stakeholders’ engagement on school readiness to open where many stakeholders indicated willingness to have the schools opened under strict adherence to the set SoPs. The project engaged teachers and other school players on psychosocial support for learners at school. This prepared them to give support to all learners that have encountered several challenges during COVID-19 school lockdown. 8.2 Grievance Redress Mechanisms 176. In order to resolve all grievances effectively, two GRMs will establish under the CERP Project; the community GRM as provided for under ESS10 and the workers GRM. For the two GRMs, the Project will establish Grievance Redress and Management Committees (GRCs) at National and District and community with representation from the beneficiary schools. 177. In order to resolve all grievances effectively, two GRMs will establish under the CERP Project; the community GRM as provided for under ESS10 and the workers GRM. For the two GRMs, the Project will establish Grievance Redress and Management Committees (GRCs) at National and District and community with representation from the beneficiary schools. 8.2.1 Community GRM 178. The proposed community GRM for this project is a 4 tier/level grievance handling procedure. Grievances at the project level will be handled by committees set up at the 4 different levels that include: - (i) Grievances handling at National Level: Grievances will be handled at the project’s level by MoES project Coordinating Unit (PCU) that will setup the national level committee and be working through Grievance Redress Committees (GRCs) at the other levels. The PIU will inform stakeholders about the grievance procedure and will keep a log of complaints received, like all the other levels. (ii) Grievance handling at District level: These will handle grievances that have come from the schools and the community GR committees that are related to project and are unresolved at the level. The committee will solve grievances at the level; in case they need referral those grievances will be sent to the National level. (iii) Grievance Handling at Community level: These will handle grievances reported by the community members relating to project. The GRC at this level will be specific to addressing the concerns of the VMGs as provided for under ESS7. These 62 grievances will be solved following the existing government structures to solve grievances at the level. Where they fail is when they forward the grievances to the District level handling the project issues. (iv)Grievance handling at schools level: These will handle grievances that occur at school level or reported to the school but related to the project. The GR Committee at this level should be able to handle grievances at that level, where they fail, that’s when they forward grievances to the District level Committee. 179. The GRC membership will also co-opt representation from the already existing COVID-19 response structures at the National, District and School level that is to say; COVI-19 Education Task Force, District COVID-19 Task Force, COVID-19 School Task Force respectively. These will all take account of gender considerations with at least 40% female composition. 180. The GRMs will be accessible to all stakeholders, including learners, parents, teachers, community members, civil society, media, and any interested parties. Stakeholders will use the GMs to submit complaints related to the overall management and implementation of the project. The school and community level GRCs will submit monthly reports to the District level GRCs who will then submit monthly reports to national level GRC at the MoES/PCU. All the GRCs for the various GRM tiers will receive training in receipt of complaints, logging complaints, IEC materials, grievance resolution, documentation and record keeping, appeal process. 8.2.2 Workers GRM 181. In order to create a working environment that provides safety and security to all workers, a separate GRM which responds to the requirements of ESS2 will be established for project workers to lodge their complaints relating to their working environment or conditions. For direct workers, the mechanism should involve an appropriate level of management and address concerns promptly, using an understandable and transparent process that provides feedback to those concerned, without any retribution. The contracted workers and suppliers will inform their teams of the grievance mechanism at the time of hiring, and make it easily accessible to them. 8.2.3 Grievance Tracking and Reporting 182. The PCU will take the overall charge of logging, tracking and reporting on all the project related grievances. The national GRC will be accessible to all stakeholders, including affected people, community members, educationists, civil society, media, and any interested parties. The PCU will therefore maintain a log of complaints received during project implementation and also ensure that they are regularly tracked to the conclusion to the satisfaction of the PAPs. 63 183. From the District reports on grievance management, the PCU will prepare a monthly status reports on the progress made in handling all grievances received via the GRM and information on their resolution, and any other relevant information. 184. The PCU will submit periodic reports on project implementation to the Bank as per grant conditions including a summary of grievances, enquiries and related incidents, together with the status of implementation of associated corrective/preventative actions. 8.2.4 World Bank Grievance Redress System 185. Communities and individuals who believe that they are adversely affected by a World Bank supported project may submit complaints to existing project-level grievance redress mechanisms or the World Bank’s GRS43. The GRS ensures that complaints received are promptly reviewed in order to address project-related concerns. Project affected communities and individuals may submit their complaint to the World Bank’s independent Inspection Panel which determines whether harm occurred, or could occur, as a result of World Bank non-compliance with its policies and procedures. Complaints may be submitted at any time after concerns have been brought directly to the World Bank’s attention, and Bank Management has been given an opportunity to respond. 43 For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank’s corporate Grievance Redress Service (GRS), please visit http://www.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/products-and-services/grievance-redress-service. For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank Inspection Panel, please visit www.inspectionpanel.org. 64 9.0 PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND CAPACITY BUILDING 9.1 Institutional Arrangements and Responsibilities of Key Personnel 9.1.1 Ministry of Education and Sports 186. The Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) will assume overall responsibility for implementing conditions of this Project and the overall accountability of the project will rest with the Permanent Secretary. The Ministry will assume overall responsibility over the beneficiary institutions/and or contractor’s compliance standards and obligations in the implementation of the ESMF as well as wider contractual obligations. The day to day implementation will be under the Directorate of Basic and Secondary Education and the Department of Education Planning and Policy Analysis. The MoES will be responsible for overall compliance enforcement of relevant national E&S regulations and guidelines. 187. The MoES and other relevant implementing staff shall be responsible for designing, funding, and implementing training for Project staff, consultants, and contractors on the Project’s Environmental and Social (ES) instruments, including but not limited to the Code of conduct, the GBV/VAC/SEA/SH Assessment and Plan, the relevant requirements of the LMP, SEP, ICWMP and WHO guidelines on COVID19. Initial Project staff and consultants will be oriented within one month of the Effective Date by the Ministry and other staff from PCU. Throughout Project implementation, training and capacity will be undertaken as and when required. 9.1.2 The Project Coordination Unit-PCU 188. The Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) with support from MoES will enforce the implementation of the project guidelines and activities as identified in the ESMF and other E&S support documents and/or instruments. These include (but not limited to) 1. Providing technical and operational support to schools and other stakeholders on implementing the mitigation measures included in the ESMF. 2. Documenting and reporting the progress on the implementation of the ESMF, including monitoring the compliance of schools to the ESMF during the implementation 3. Supporting the training and capacity building actions included in the ESMF; and 4. Ensuring close coordination with other project support implementing partners or departments. 5. Monitoring the use of funds, human and other technical resources earmarked for the implementation of the ESMF. 65 9.1.3 Environment and Social Safeguard Specialists 189. E&S specialists will support in planning and developing environmental and social safeguard measures including implementing the ESMF, ESMP and other E&S instruments before commencement of the project. The specialists will assess the E&S issues and impacts associated with the project and support development and implementation of strategies addressing environmental and social safeguard concerns. 9.1.4 Social Development Specialists 190. Social Development Specialists will support in planning and implementation of social safeguard measures including implementing the ESMF and associated instruments. The specialists will directly oversee the implementation of strategies addressing social safeguard concerns including collection, analysis and reporting on social safeguard measures as well as preparing monitoring reports and other relevant documentations to track the implementation and progress of ESMF performance of schools. The specialists will also support training and capacity building of relevant stakeholders on environmental and social issues. 9.1.5 District Local Government Authorities STAKEHOLDER RESPONSIBILITY o Ensure that every school accounts for health, social safeguard and Environmental management within its means on a monthly basis Chief o Participate in trainings and awareness-creation activities Administrative for school stakeholders on E&S interventions at school Officer level. o Participate in routine monitoring for E&S interventions at school level o Co-ordinating project activities at district level o Participate in the E&S assessment exercises at district level. o Coordinate and conduct routine school follow-up, District Education monitoring and supervision for E&S activities Officials and District o Preparing periodic status reports on E&S safeguards for inspectors of schools under their jurisdiction Schools o Organising trainings and awareness-creation for school stakeholders on E&S interventions at school level. o Addressing district level grievances referred from schools level District Community o Participate in the routine E&S assessment exercises at Development district level. Officials o Participate in the routine school monitoring and supervision for E&S activities o Ensuring that schools and communities adhere to the set social safeguards o Offer technical support in trainings and awareness- creation for community stakeholders on E&S interventions 66 STAKEHOLDER RESPONSIBILITY at school level. o Offering psycho-social support to learners and other community members who are currently or have been formerly infected or affected COVID-19 persons. District Health o Chairs the Covid-19 district task force. Officials o Following up on the suspected cases in the communities and guide on the referral processes. o Preparing periodic status reports on the status of Covid-19 in their respective districts. o Offer technical support in trainings and awareness- creation for community stakeholders on E&S interventions at school level. o Follow up on WASH in schools within a particular district District o Conduct routine schools and community campaigns on Environmental strengthening environmental protection and Officer implementing environmental management plans including monitoring the compliance with the IPC measures as per the Project IPCWMP. 1.1.6 School Leadership and Management Authorities STAKEHOLDER RESPONSIBILITY o Ensuring availability of the preventive materials like masks, hand washing facilities and sanitizers o Conducting routine awareness for school level stakeholder on E&S safeguard. Head teachers o Addressing grievances at schools e.g. from teachers o Conducting routine monitoring and supervision for implementation of E&S activities at school level. o Preparing and submission of periodic reports on E&S safeguards to responsible authorities o Conducting routine supervision on the extent of adherence of the SoPs o Conducting routine awareness and sensitisation on the safety of learners within and outside the school Teachers boundaries o Reporting any COVID-19 suspected cases to the relevant authorities o Supporting the overall implementation of the IPC measures as provided in the IPCWMP. o Planning, budgeting and implementing of school level E&S safeguard interventions/activities School o Monitoring actual implementation of activities planned Management E&S safeguard interventions/activities Committee (SMC) o Creating awareness (as a resource person) amongst learners and communities on E&S safeguards 67 STAKEHOLDER RESPONSIBILITY o Follow-up and report community adherence to E&S safeguard standards o Engage in mobilising parents to support and strengthen school activities o Adhering to the set SoPs o Reporting cases of violation of SoPs by fellow learners Learners o Sharing with peers on E&S safeguard interventions at school level. o Conducting routine cleaning/disinfecting of areas in schools like classrooms and other public places like Non-teaching offices and canteens personnel o Ensuring effective enforcement of E&S safeguard interventions at school level and report accordingly. 9.2 Capacity Building and Training 191. The Ministry of Education and Sports and other relevant implementing support staff shall be responsible for designing, funding, and implementing training for Project staff, consultants, and contractors on the Project’s E&S instruments. Initial Project staff and consultants will be oriented and trained on the E&S safeguards during the first month after commencement of the project. The training will be done throughout the project and it will be done by the PCU and MoES. 192. The project will also implement stakeholder engagement activities throughout the life of the project through; feed backing about emerging issues and project information. This could be in form of threats and opportunities faced by the project and psycho-social support to the teachers and students; enabling access to schools and/or learning materials. 9.3 Estimated Budget 193. The costs of implementing the ESMF listed here are related to Project management costs in addition to the dedicated E&S personnel PCU budget line item. The main costs of implementing this ESMF related to (i) training and workshops, (ii) development of E&S due diligence as well as measures and other tools, (iii) information and communication, and (iv) Supervision, monitoring, and reporting. Many of the costs are integrated in the Project budget lines to achieve its objectives, for example information and communication as well as supervision and reporting budget. 68 Table 3: ESMF Implementation Costs Estimated ESMF Activities Description of Activities (USD) 1. Development of ESMF communication materials (leaflets, 20,000 posters, press releases) Information 2. Production of E&S instruments and communication 50,000 and materials targeting education stakeholders Communication 3. Awareness creation and dissemination of the E&S instruments and communication materials targeting public 30,000 servants and education stakeholders and the 4. MoES to provide training for technical persons on E&S 25,000 Training and good practice at national and district level. workshops Broadcast communication Materials and airing of Radios 25,000 /TVs/spots/jingles and programmes Supervision, 5. Conducting routine monitoring and support supervision at monitoring, and district level 30,000 reporting Contingency 6. Miscellaneous expenditures during implementation 9,000 TOTAL 189,000 69 Annex 1: Screening Form for Potential Environmental and Social Issues This form is to be used by the Social Development and environmental Specialists to screen potential environmental and social environmental and social risk levels of a proposed subproject determine the relevance of Bank environmental and social standards (ESS), propose its E&S risk levels, and the instrument to be prepared for the sub project. Subproject Name Subproject Location Subproject Proponent Start/Completion Date Answer ESS Due diligence Questions relevance YES NO / Actions Does the subproject involve land acquisition ESS5 RAP/ARAP, and/or restrictions on land use? SEP Does the subproject involve acquisition of ESS5 assets to hold patients (including yet-to-confirm cases for medical observation or isolation purpose)? How will the resulting waste water be handled to minimise potential for ground water contamination? Does the project have arrangements for proper ESS3 ESIA/ESMP, waste storage and disposal? SEP Is there sound regulatory framework, ESS1 ESIA/ESMP, institutional capacity in place for infection SEP prevention and control including waste management? Does the subproject involve recruitment of ESS2 LMP, SEP workforce including direct, contracted, primary supply, and/or community workers? Is the subproject located within or in the ESS6 ESIA/ESMP, vicinity of any ecologically sensitive areas? SEP Are there any vulnerable groups present in the ESS7 Vulnerable subproject area and are likely to be affected by Groups the proposed subproject negatively or Plan/IPDP positively? Is the subproject located within or in the ESS8 ESIA/ESMP, vicinity of any known cultural heritage sites? SEP Does the project area present considerable ESS1 ESIA/ESMP, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual SEP Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) risk? I Annex 2: Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) Matrix Introduction This ESMP includes several matrix of E&S mitigation measures throughout the project lifecycle. A full-fledged ESMP shall include other key elements such as institutional arrangement, capacity building and training plan, budgets and fundraising sources, and background information. The Borrower may incorporate pertaining sections in the ESMF into this ESMP, with necessary updates. The matrix stress lifecycle management of E&S risks, including planning and design, construction, operational and decommissioning stages. Because COVID-19 is a latest threat to global public health, preparedness and responses vary across countries. Nonetheless, avoiding and minimizing chances of infection and protecting public health sit at the core. Properly managing E&S risks associated with COVID-19 responses serves the purpose. Thus, professional efforts should be made throughout the project lifecycle. The issues and risks presented in the matrix are based on studies of COVID-19 responses thus far, issues of similar Bank financed healthcare sector projects. They should be expanded and/or updated during the project environmental and social assessment process, including stakeholder engagement. Many pertaining mitigation measures and good practices are well documented in WBG EHS Guidelines, WHO guidelines and other GIIPs. They should be followed in general, taking into account country context. Proper stakeholder engagement including close involvement of medical and healthcare waste management professional should be conducted in determining the mitigation measures. The Infectious Control and Waste Management Plan is considered part of this ESMP. The ESMP should make reference to pertaining E&S instruments as required by ESF, including LMP and RAP. II Table 4: Environmental and Social Risks and Mitigation Measures during Planning and Designing Stage Potential E&S Issues and Risks Proposed Mitigation Measures Responsibilities Timeline Requirements Budget 1. Bureaucratic delays in designing ▪ Early initiation of the procurement and approving E&S instruments process and other processes ▪ Streamlining document review and o Stationary approval systems MoES, PCU & WB Continuous o $5000 o Air time ▪ Develop a roadmap for timely review and approval of the required E&S instruments 2. Poor quality (counterfeited or adulterated) COVID-19 o Stationary preventive materials on the ▪ Follow approved procurement o Air time market like face masks, sanitizers, standards for purchasing project PCU Continuous o PPD o $1500 hand washing facilities, materials. document temperature guns, and other ation equipment for schools and communities. III Table 5: Environmental and Social Risks and Mitigation Measures during Operational Stage Potential E&S Issues and Risks Proposed Mitigation Measures Responsibilities Timeline Requirements Budget ▪ Sensitise and Train schools and communities on proper solid waste management ▪ Support schools to gazette o Training both temporary and materials permanent rubbish disposal o Transport 1. Poor solid waste management for mechanisms and systems MoES, School facilitation worn out masks face masks and ▪ Link schools & community to Administrations First 3 months o Resource $25,000 used up containers for the solid waste public or private and PCU persons sanitizers. solid waste management o Training services providers materials ▪ Engage/Use a licensed waste holder to transport the waste. ▪ Encourage student to student monitoring of poor waste management and disposal ▪ Schools should be supported o Funds for School to invest in water harvest mobilisation Administration, 2. Inadequate and irregular water ▪ Strategies should be devised at o Awareness Student leaders, Continuous $18,000 supply for hand washing in schools school level to regularly creation and Teachers on replenish hand washing materials duty facilities. o Funds for ▪ Support school managements mobilising and administrations to 3. Contamination of water bodies or schools construct water waste LGs, SMCs, BOGs, sources with waste water from Continuous o Monitoring $10,000 drainage channels and soak CMCs schools school pits or connect to the main implementati drainage channels. on IV Potential E&S Issues and Risks Proposed Mitigation Measures Responsibilities Timeline Requirements Budget ▪ Sensitize schools & LGs, SMCs, BOGs, communities on the negative CMCs 4. Air Pollution resulting from open effects of air pollution burning and/or incineration of o Airtime ▪ Support schools & solid wastes like rubbish and/or Continuous o Transport & $15,000 communities to establish safe COVID-19 waste materials e.g. Fuel ways of burning solid waste used masks. i.e. use of incineration as opposed to open burning ▪ Encourage continued use and o Information, management of SoP’s set by Education MoH and MoES and ▪ Follow the MoH and MoES Communicat set guidelines for managing ion (IEC) COVID-19 cases materials ▪ Conduct emergency screening o Awareness for learners, teachers and creation 5. Continued or increased spread of support staff in case of any o Routine MoH/DHO, COVID-19 in communities suspected COVID-19 case monitoring School evidenced in new cases amongst ▪ Institute/put in place Continuous o Fuel & $20,000 Management & learners, teachers and other evacuation procedures Transport MoES community members. ▪ Establish a referral system for o Resource case management for learners persons teachers and support staff i.e. linking the school to the nearest health centre ▪ Strengthening emergency preparedness and psychosocial support systems within schools V Potential E&S Issues and Risks Proposed Mitigation Measures Responsibilities Timeline Requirements Budget ▪ Develop and implement School o Facilitation efficient teacher-learner Administration, for teachers support and feedback MoES, PCU o Airtime for mechanisms to facilitate home TVs and learning Radio ▪ Develop easy-to-use self-study stations materials o Data (Mbs) 6. Failure by learners to use the ▪ Utilize distance learning for social provided self-study materials while support systems like main Continuous media $45,000 at home stream (TVs, Radio) and social engagement media o Fuel & ▪ Encourage parents to support Transport home learning ▪ Encourage utilization of E- learning systems where possible to improve on the teacher student coordination VI Potential E&S Issues and Risks Proposed Mitigation Measures Responsibilities Timeline Requirements Budget ▪ Conduct continuous school Learners’ o IEC materials and community sensitizations Leadership, School o Transport & on the relevance of observing Administration, Fuel the SoPs LGs, MoES, PCU o Resource ▪ Sharing COVID-19 key Persons awareness and health o Radio and 7. Failure of learners, teachers in safeguarding messages on TV airtime schools and/or community COVID 19 with learners, members to observe the set teachers, parents and COVID-19 SoPs and other social community members through Continuous $30,000 safeguards as a result of relaxation, various media (SMS, text, TV neglection or even complacency. and radio) ▪ Conduct routine school support supervision and follow-up on levels of adherence to the set SoPs ▪ Encourage schools to revise and include the SoPs in their rules and regulations VII Potential E&S Issues and Risks Proposed Mitigation Measures Responsibilities Timeline Requirements Budget ▪ Sensitise stakeholders on the impact of GBV ▪ Develop and implement school and community GBV/VACiS/SEA reporting and referral mechanisms o IEC materials ▪ Conduct boys and male o Transport & engagement campaigns and Fuel Community, DLGs, Exposure of learners to Sexual community sensitisation o Resource School Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) in programs against sexual Continuous Persons $17,000 administration, quest to access learning materials exploitation o Airtime & MoES, PCU ▪ Linkages with nationals and Data local government authorities o Radio & TV and organisations that fight airtime for and protect the rights of all women and girls ▪ See Gender Based Violence (GBV) Action plan School o IEC materials 8. Increased cases of psychological ▪ Engage stakeholders on administration, o Resource and physical Violence at school reporting, tracking, referral MoES, PCU & Persons and within the surrounding and response to VACiS Community, Continuous o Airtime & $15,000 community in the process of ▪ Disseminate national Policies Data enforcing the set SOPs. and Guidelines on VACiS e.g. o Radio & TV the RTRR guidelines. airtime VIII Potential E&S Issues and Risks Proposed Mitigation Measures Responsibilities Timeline Requirements Budget ▪ Conduct sensitisation of MoH, LGs, NGOs, o Resource learners, teachers and PCU, MoES persons communities on managing o Fuel & and rehabilitation for COVID- Transport 19 o Airtime & 9. Social stigmatisation and ▪ Provide psycho-social support Data segregation of learners, teachers to the affect stakeholders o IEC materials and/or community members who ▪ Share COVID-19 key Continuous o Radio and $15,000 have- or previously contracted awareness and health TV airtime COVID-19. safeguarding messages on COVID 19 with students, teachers, parents and community members through various media (SMS, text, TV and radio) ▪ Engage teachers on COVID-19 School o IEC materials key awareness and health administration, o Transport & safeguarding messages DLGs Fuel ▪ Conduct routine monitoring o Resource and support supervision for persons 10. High absenteeism rate or neglect of teachers duty by teachers due to fear of ▪ Take action against those Continuous $10,000 catching the disease. teachers who neglect duty without communication from authorities ▪ Also see GRM and LMP for details IX Potential E&S Issues and Risks Proposed Mitigation Measures Responsibilities Timeline Requirements Budget ▪ Conduct psycho-social School o Resource support for teachers administration and persons 11. Fatigue among teachers especially ▪ Encourage schools to DLGs o Funds for if they have cluster learners into recognise, motivate and rewards Continuous $9,000 acceptable class size in accordance reward performing teachers o Transport & with the SOPs Fuel ▪ Also see GRM and LMP for o IEC materials details ▪ Conduct Social Assessments to School o Resource identify groups of learners Management, persons and other support staff with DLGs, PCU, MoES o Transport & any form of vulnerability Fuel 12. Exclusion of vulnerable and ▪ Develop and distribute First 6 months o Special needs marginalized groups as a result of learning materials that cater of project learning the failure to customise some $25,000 for the different needs for implementatio materials project interventions to their learners and/or teachers n o Airtime & specific needs. Data ▪ Also see Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups (VMGs) Action Plan for details School o IEC materials ▪ Engage schools and education administration, o Airtime & partners to support teacher MoES, PCU Data 13. Increased costs of operation motivation o Resource (especially for teachers) resulting ▪ Encourage schools to solicit Continuous persons $10,000 enforcing or observing the new set for teacher support from o Transport & SOPs. parents, foundation body and Fuel communities o Invitations for partners X Potential E&S Issues and Risks Proposed Mitigation Measures Responsibilities Timeline Requirements Budget ▪ Encourage schools to procure School o Resource and use certified and administration, persons recommended materials & MoES, PCU o IEC materials tools o Transport & ▪ Sensitize and train all Fuel SMCs/school administration o Airtime & 14. Side effects of using chemicals to and teachers on the proper Data spray/disinfect classes, learners’ use and storage of First 3 months $18,000 materials, tools and/or even disinfectants, including learners themselves etc. disposal of empty disinfectant containers. ▪ Strengthen the linkage with the nearby health services ▪ Have emergency programs to manage any emergency that may occur ▪ Encourage teachers to observe School o Radio & TV the SoPs including the IPC administration, airtime measures in the IPCWMP. DLGs, MoES, PCU o IEC materials ▪ Encourage schools to purchase o Transport & Personal Protective Fuel Equipment (PPE) for teachers 15. Occupational hazards Continuous $20,000 like sanitizers, gloves and face- shields/face masks ▪ Continuous monitoring and enforcement of the use of PPE ▪ Also see GRM/LMP for details XI Table 6: Environmental and Social Risks and Mitigation Measures during Decommissioning Potential E&S Issues and Risks Proposed Mitigation Measures Responsibilities Timeline Requirements Budget 1. Failure of schools, communities, ▪ Develop and implement an School o Training district officials and other E&S safeguarding sustainability Administration, materials stakeholders to own and sustain plan MoH, DLS, PCU, o Fuel & E&S safeguard project related ▪ Continuous training and MoES Transports interventions after project sensitisation of stakeholders o IEC implementation on the benefits of sustaining Last 3 months materials E&S interventions beyond the of project o E&S tools $25,000 project life implementation o Technical ▪ Encouraging schools and persons district to come up with proposals that can be supported to sustain E&S safeguard programs 2. Failure by schools and other ▪ Follow a decommissioning School o Fuel & stakeholders to plan Administration, Transport decommission/hand over ▪ Involve relevant Authorities MoH, DLS, PCU, o Airtime and Last 1 month of sanitation and hygiene facilities for technical guidance and MoES Data project $10,000 to relevant Authorities support. implementation ▪ Prepare and share a decommissioning report with lessons learnt XII Annex 3: Summary of Concerns Raised from Stakeholders Consultations44 Stakeholders Responses/Concerns about the project implementation Recommendations ▪ Appreciated the project interventions aimed at ▪ Roll out and encourage use of E-learning modes supporting education during the lockdown of learning to reduce on the infection rates. ▪ Ability of the project implementing stakeholder to Government must invest in ICT for learning, and consistently observe the set SoPs and thus not causing Embrace ICT- continued learning in all schools. a second wave of mass Covid-19 infection in the ▪ Enhance community awareness about the Covid- country. 19 pandemic such that parents can sensitize their ▪ Inability of the project to attract parental support yet children about its dangers. DISTRICT OFFICIALS (DEO, parents are pivotal prayers for children’s ▪ Provide basic requirements to maintain learners DIS, DCDO, DHO, ▪ Failure of some schools to open due to their inability in schools e.g. hand washing facilities, face PROBATION OFFICER, to meet the set SoPs masks, menstrual hygiene requirements to girls DISTRICT PERSONNEL ▪ Inadequate infrastructure for some schools and thus and among others. OFFICER) cannot accommodate all learners at school at once ▪ Phased reopening should be conducted. following the SoPs. ▪ Apply a Shift system for learning to limit ▪ Parents can’t support learners with materials, guidance congestion. due to poverty. ▪ Prioritize education for the VMGs such as ▪ Lost hope for resuming education for some children refugees, special needs children, children from with many engaged in other economic activities like marginalized communities, teenage mothers farming. among others. ▪ Increasing cases of GBV within the community e.g. ▪ There is need to equip the health facilities with Forced early marriages, domestic violence, all its requirements and recruit a health officer 44 The project successfully undertook physical stakeholders’ consultations in December 2020 in 12 selected districts of Lwengo, kalangala, Mityana, Luuka, Siroko, Napak, Nwoya, Adjumani, Kasese, Hoima, Kiryadongo and Kagadi. The key respondents targeted included parents/guardians, parents/guardians of children with special needs, local council representatives, religious leaders, teachers and school administrators, District Education Officer and Inspector of schools, Center Coordinating Tutors, Community Development Officer, community members, some religious and cultural leaders, S pecial Needs Officer, Probation Officer, Gender Officer among others . Please refer to annex 6 below for a summary list of participants. XIII Stakeholders Responses/Concerns about the project implementation Recommendations Defilement, fighting, adultery and among other. How for the school. the project is prepared to handle children affected by ▪ Government should start expediting the plan to GBV. have all school stakeholders vaccinated against ▪ They also observed that due to poverty many parents COVID-19 pandemic. accept compensation for their children instead of ▪ Support provision of temporary structures to pushing the case up to court to see that the offenders support social distancing. are punished. ▪ Parents need more sensitization on parental ▪ How the project will support learners that have roles so that they are able to fully offer the experienced several challenges including teenage needed support to children. pregnancies ▪ Government should come up with strict ▪ How the project will engage learners at home without protocols for all refugee children to follow. communication means (e.g. radios and TVs) ▪ Government should invest in more research ▪ Some of the SOPs can’t be met considering the nature about COVID -19 and constantly give schools of the Ugandan schools. guidance on how to deal with the pandemic in ▪ In refugee regions there is a risk of cross border the context of school. movement of refugee students which increases the risk ▪ Adapt to the new normal and Incorporate the of Covid-19 infection especially in the refugee presence of pandemics in planning, budgeting communities. and implementation of all school activities ▪ No specific undertaking by the district to handle ▪ Building capacity of stakeholder for resilience continued emergency learning. Therefore sustainability through their respective covid-19 task forces of the project interventions might be affected. ▪ Change of the school calendar time without ▪ Study learning materials provided by the ministry, affecting the teaching and learning syllabus however some learners may not get the materials. ▪ Continuous inspection and supervision of ▪ Ability of the project to deal with challenges of schools. learners in the VMG category. ▪ Create a vote at the district level for disaster ▪ Solid waste management will be a big issue to deal preparedness at the district level. with at school. ▪ How the project will work with all education partners XIV Stakeholders Responses/Concerns about the project implementation Recommendations to extend services learners. ▪ Some girls got married while others were sexually ▪ Strict adherence and enforcement of the set SoPs abused and they became pregnant. ▪ Support the schools in water harvesting. ▪ High levels of poverty among parents, this is due to ▪ Continued sensitisation of the community. enforcement of the lockdown. Also some parents ▪ Support teachers with basic PPE to be able to have opted to invest the money in other businesses. support continued learning process during the ▪ Stigma among the children in fear of infected with ongoing pandemic. Covid 19. ▪ Provision of WASH facilities, SOPs material and ▪ Lack of school fences which exposes schools to the PPE material to the school. outside population. ▪ Trained teachers on child protection, child safe ▪ Inadequate space at school for social distancing. funding policies, provided masks, sanitizers. ▪ Lack of trained health personnel at school level to ▪ Need to support Covid-19 committees in handle health concerns. schools. ▪ Covid-19 Information gaps. No massages around the ▪ All students should be tested before they report SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION school environment on Covid-19. to school so as to be sure that they are safe. AND TEACHERS ▪ High cost of materials for covid-19 SOPs management. ▪ There is also need to provide food to learners ▪ Re-enforcing SOPs through regular supervision and and teachers at school to stop them from monitoring. moving out of the school to obtain lunch in the ▪ Social distancing is a challenge for children. nearby centres. ▪ Not all schools have safe water sources. ▪ Recruit a well-trained health officer at the school ▪ Lack of PPEs for both the teaching and the non- or attach a nurse to a school and ensure that first teaching staff (many do not have masks for example, aid kits are in place. cleaning protective gears, hand washing ▪ Teachers need to be immunized first given their facilities…etc.) high risk of infection. ▪ High people teacher ratio ▪ Encourage fencing of schools to control ▪ In private schools, the teachers have not been paid movement in and out of the school. since the schools closed and therefore many teachers ▪ Engage the parents to keep the children safe. are likely to lose their jobs as directors fight to reduce ▪ Plan for contraction of temporally structures XV Stakeholders Responses/Concerns about the project implementation Recommendations expenditures at school level. such as tents. ▪ Increased cost of living for teachers’ wellbeing due to ▪ Creation of a fund to support proprietors of the Set SoPs. i.e. more transport cost, feeding costs, private schools. family care cost, water bills and medication. ▪ Retool teachers on new methods of teaching. ▪ High risk of exposure to COVID-19 infection by ▪ Provision of additional furniture to enforce teacher given the different categories of learners social distance. handled from different communities ▪ Re-enforcing SOPs through regular supervision ▪ With many schools having no accommodation for and monitoring. teachers, daily movement for the teachers exposes ▪ Formation of school Covid-19 management them to the risk of infection. committees, in place for teachers and pupils and ▪ Some teachers complained of being overworking in a support them in operationalization. bid to catch-up with syllabus coverage but also ▪ Providing psychosocial support to learners all additional work in terms of handling more classes. the time ▪ Inadequate capacity building for teachers on detection ▪ Training and capacity building of the school and emergency handling of COVID 19 registered management committee, teachers and other School case support staff on how to manage the Covid-19 pandemic. ▪ Think of health insurance coverage for school staff. ▪ Some children have overgrown so they may choose to ▪ School children and teachers should be stay away from school because of their body size. vaccinated first. Some parents are already viewing their children as ▪ SCHOOL GOVERNING BODIES mature girls have led many to be married off. ▪ Enhance community awareness campaigns about (SMC/BOG & PTA) AND ▪ Increment in school fees especially in private schools the pandemic such that parents can sensitize PARENTS/GUARDIANS since many parents have not been working. their children about its dangers. ▪ Many children have become unruly at home and most ▪ Strengthen media sensitisation via radios, TVs of the time ever moving because of being too idle and and social media. neglected. ▪ Strict enforcement of the set SoPs XVI Stakeholders Responses/Concerns about the project implementation Recommendations ▪ Some girls been married off, impregnated, lost interest ▪ Equip schools with basic requirements to in education maintain learners in schools e.g. provision of ▪ They also observed that some requirements like soap, menstrual hygiene requirements to girls, midday water and sanitizers may be hard to get at home and meals, SoP facilities and among others. This will yet at school they are there. make school a safer place than home. ▪ Learners may use a taxi in process of moving from ▪ Sensitize parents about parenting children. home to school which exposes them. ▪ Encouraging parents to keep learners busy at ▪ Some bad peers are discouraging their friends from home. going back to school. ▪ Sensitize communities on the rights and ▪ The risk of going home on a daily basis and during responsibilities of the children. holidays and reporting back to school. ▪ Encouraging parents to support their children by ▪ Some parents have involved children in business providing them with the basic needs in life. (Child labour). Children hawking tomatoes and eggs ▪ Discouraging unnecessary movements amongst among others. the young people especially in isolated places. ▪ Some parents have become too negligent and less ▪ Sensitize learners on the dangers of early concerned about the behaviours of their children. unhealthy sexual behavior. These children are likely to comeback indisciplined ▪ Educating the parents about re-entry of child and un controllable at school. mothers into the schooling system. ▪ The learners have been sexually abused e.g. through ▪ Introducing bible studies and spiritual growth defilement, incest and abortions. interventions targeting indisciplined children ▪ Children have been traumatised because of the socio- with in the community. economic situations at home that have culminated ▪ Empower community leaders to keep girls safe. into increased domestic violence. These are the ▪ Continuously adopt e-learning strategies that category of learners schools are receiving. allow children to directly interact with their ▪ Learning was through radios for which many homes teachers. don’t have. ▪ Design and implement reward systems for ▪ Lack of parental guidance and fear of parents to meet children in schools as motivational measure to their responsibilities. make them to stay in school and at the same XVII Stakeholders Responses/Concerns about the project implementation Recommendations ▪ Poverty in homes has caused many parents to marry time encouraging others to come to school. off their daughters and the increased desire for ▪ Equip local health facilities with all its material things. requirements to counter Covid-19 emergencies including recruiting health worker to handle emergency school cases. ▪ Strengthen provision of social amenities to the communities and also fight corruption in delivery of these social services. ▪ Long distances moved by students. ▪ Vaccinate teachers and learners before mass ▪ Majority of learners are rural based and don’t have school opening access to modern communication technology. These ▪ Ensure strict enforcement of the set SoPs therefore miss out on audio visual learning via Radios ▪ Through provision of more infrastructures to and TVs. maintain social distance. ▪ Teachers on TV and Radios were very fast and, in ▪ Continued learner sensitization on SoPs. some cases, they failed to follow some lessons. ▪ Provide learners with more masks and sanitizers. ▪ Difficulties to consult from teachers/fellow students ▪ Restricted entrance to the school premises. with home study approach. ▪ Provide enough hand washing facilities on the ▪ Too much child labour. school compound. LEARNERS ▪ Misunderstandings with the parents thus causing ▪ Allocate more time to complete the syllabus. conflicts leading to violence against children at home. ▪ Religious leaders should engage in sensitization ▪ Many boys got employed (e.g. like sugar cane cutting, and moral guidance. boda-boda riding and fishing) and are therefore not ▪ Putting up temporary structures to reduce willing to go back to school having tasted their own congestion in the classrooms. income sources. ▪ Provision of essential materials for the special ▪ Sharing masks and clothes by learners. needs children e.g. bicycles for the disabled. ▪ Too many distractions for learning while at home ▪ Not letting the teachers out of school, Teachers ▪ Early pregnancies and Forced early marriages for should be confined in the school. many peers ▪ Schools should provide adequate materials for XVIII Stakeholders Responses/Concerns about the project implementation Recommendations ▪ Some girls testified to having pressure from men who learning and hand washing equipment. wanted relationship with them. ▪ Schools should provide basic needs for girls ▪ Learners with disabilities had limited access to including conducting routine guidance and hospitals as all transport means were closed off. counselling for children. ▪ Colleagues did not return to school due to lack of ▪ Opening up of more schools to accommodate school fees. learners as many learners walk long distances to ▪ Idleness, curiosity, lost hope in education and lack of access schools which discourages many from guidance and counselling forced many learners to school engage in illegal and immoral acts. ▪ Strict laws against sexual abuse. ▪ Poor sanitation facilities at school. No washrooms, ▪ Pupils should be sensitized to avoid touching few latrine facilities (girls sharing latrines with mouth and nose. teachers). ▪ Schools should give chance to students to take ▪ Difficult to enforce social distance measures especially part in decision making. among lower class learners. ▪ Mass sensitization of the community through ▪ Lack of enough hand washing facilities. media. ▪ Sharing of text books will lead to easy spread of the ▪ Government arrest perpetrators of violence and virus. also strictly work on corrupt officials. ▪ Children need to seek guidance from God and church leaders too. XIX Annex 4: Infection and Prevention Control Protocol HEALTH CARE SETTINGS (adapted from the CDC Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for patients with confirmed COVID-19 or persons under investigation for COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings) 1. Minimize Chance of Exposure (to staff, other patients and visitors) • Upon arrival, make sure patients with symptoms of any respiratory infection to a separate, isolated and well-ventilated section of the health care facility to wait, and issue a facemask • During the visit, make sure all patients adhere to respiratory hygiene, cough etiquette, hand hygiene and isolation procedures. Provide oral instructions on registration and ongoing reminders with the use of simple signs with images in local languages • Provide alcohol-based hand sanitizer (60-95% alcohol), tissues and facemasks in waiting rooms and patient rooms • Isolate patients as much as possible. If separate rooms are not available, separate all patients by curtains. Only place together in the same room patients who are all definitively infected with COVID-19. No other patients can be placed in the same room. 2. Adhere to Standard Precautions • Train all staff and volunteers to undertake standard precautions - assume everyone is potentially infected and behave accordingly • Minimize contact between patients and other persons in the facility: health care professionals should be the only persons having contact with patients and this should be restricted to essential personnel only • A decision to stop isolation precautions should be made on a case-by-case basis, in conjunction with local health authorities. 3. Training of Personnel • Train all staff and volunteers in the symptoms of COVID-19, how it is spread and how to protect themselves. Train on correct use and disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves, gowns, facemasks, eye protection and respirators (if available) and check that they understand • Train cleaning staff on most effective process for cleaning the facility: use a high-alcohol based cleaner to wipe down all surfaces; wash instruments with soap and water and then wipe down with high-alcohol based cleaner; dispose of rubbish by burning etc. 4. Manage Visitor Access and Movement • Establish procedures for managing, monitoring, and training visitors • All visitors must follow respiratory hygiene precautions while in the common areas of the facility, otherwise they should be removed • Restrict visitors from entering rooms of known or suspected cases of COVID-19 patients Alternative communications should be encouraged, for example by XX use of mobile phones. Exceptions only for end-of-life situation and children requiring emotional care. At these times, PPE should be used by visitors. • All visitors should be scheduled and controlled, and once inside the facility, instructed to limit their movement. • Visitors should be asked to watch out for symptoms and report signs of acute illness for at least 14 days. EDUCATION SETTINGS: Made reference to Guidelines for opening of education institutions and implementation of COVID-19 Standards Operating Procedures (SoPs)45 PHASED RE-OPENING OF EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS i. Education institutions shall reopen starting 15th October 2020 for candidate classes (P7, S4 and S6) and final year students in higher institutions of learning. Institutions shall follow a revised national education institutions calendar as shall be provided. ii. Education institutions shall resume full operations for all learners when Ministry of Education, working with Ministry of health, determines that it safe for institutions to operate at full capacity. iii. Special schools for learners with special needs may open and operate for all classes provided they have the capacity to adhere to the social distancing of at least two metres. iv. All primary and secondary schools that reopen shall operate either as day or boarding schools but not both. v. The general guidelines on safety measures for reopening of education institutions shall apply to international schools in Uganda. However, given that these schools follow the school calendar of their international affiliates and their candidate classes do not correspond to the standard education cycles in Uganda, international schools in Uganda may reopen with guidance from Ministry of Health. GUIDELINE FOR TRANSPORTATION OF LEARNERS AND STAFF i. Parents are advised that under this emergency public health situation, they should, as much as possible, identify schools nearest their home to enrol their children for the meantime to avoid risks, unnecessary costs and inconveniences of long distance travel to schools. ii. Schools in urban centres, where many learners need to use public means, are advised as follows: a) The school administration shall register all learners and their modes of transport to and from school. 45 Details available on https://www.education.go.ug/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Guidelines-and-SOPS-for- Re-openning-Education-Institutions-During-Covid-19.pdf XXI b) Learners who walk to school or are transported by private means to schools may continue to do so; however, they may not use public transport on any occasion, even when they cannot walk or be privately transported to and from school by their parents/guardians. c) Schools shall ensure that the private means vehicles and drivers are registered with the school and are the only ones allowed to transport the learners. The schools, working with urban authorities, shall organize dedicated vans/buses on designated routes to transport learners, including learners with special needs, who cannot walk or be transported privately to school. Such transport should be within a radius of 5kms and shall observe the standard operating procedures for public transport as issued by H.E. the President. e. Teachers who are not accommodated at school and do not use private transport shall use the dedicated school buses/vans on designated routes as in ii (c) above. iii. Learners and teachers shall not be allowed to move to and from school on general public transport, including taxis, vans and buses. SAFE EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS OPERATIONS: The SOPs, a copy of which is attached, provide detailed requirements for risk reduction of the spread of Covid-19 in the operations of education institutions. Institution should fully internalize and adhere to the requirements in the SOPs. The following are highlights, clarifications and additions for implementation of implementation of the SOPs to guarantee safety and protection of learners and staff in education institutions. However, it is the primary responsibility of the heads of education institutions, working with School Management Committees, Boards of Governors or Governing Councils, to create a safe learning environment. The management of institutions should put in place all appropriate measures for prevention and management of Covid-19. i. Prior to reopening, the management of each education institution serving as quarantine centres shall undertake to ensure that if their institution is disinfected and confirmed as safe for resumption operations. The disinfection shall be done with support of the respective district Covid-19 taskforce. ii. The management of all education institutions shall hold a staff meeting to discuss the implementation of the SOPs within the institution and agree on appropriate classrooms and dormitory spaces to ensure physical spacing of 2 meters between learners in class and in dormitories. iii. Each institution shall constitute a Covid-19 Committee of not more than seven (7) members, including two (2) learners and a member of the support staff. The role of the Covid-19 Committee shall be to initiate, implement and monitor measures for prevention of the spread of Covid-19. XXII iv. It will also be the responsibility of Covid-19 Committee to collect, manage and pass on records of daily monitoring of learners temperature and other health conditions to the District Covid-19 Taskforce. v. The District Taskforce shall takeover situation management in case of suspected or confirmed case(s) in an education institution. vi. Each class/lecture room shall have a student monitor responsible for promoting compliance to Covid-19 control and safety measures vii. All education institutions shall ensure that all members of the school community observe recommended social distancing of at least 2metres, effective and frequent hand washing and proper use of facial masks that must be worn at all times. Each learner should have a minimum of two face masks. viii. Education institutions shall take every precaution to ensure that no learner, who is reported to have entered the country illegally, is allowed into institution premises. Such learners should be reported to the relevant authorities for necessary action. ix. Education institutions shall restrict entry to their premises by members of the public. x. All education institutions shall ensure that adequate security and safety measures, including provision of a fence/ barrier and guards to restrict entry to and exit from institutional premises. xi. Education institutions should provide extra support to safeguard vulnerable learners, including SNE learners, and learners with identified health conditions. xii. Institutions should establish or strengthen collaboration with Covid-19 District Taskforce and social service providers for continuity of critical services in institutions such as health screening, school feeding programs, guidance and counselling. xiii. Each institution should appoint a member of staff from the established Covid19 taskforce to be a Community Liaison Officer (CLO). The CLO shall coordinate the institution’s relationship and engagement with the community to p romote observance of Covid-19 control measures. xiv. Institutions should guide and counsel learners against Covid-19 related stigmatization. xv. All education institutions should conduct behaviour change and health education sessions for staff and learners and provide reminders on safety, in form of posters, on safe behaviour. EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF SCHOOL FACILITIES Implementation of the SOPs requires ample facilities such as classrooms, desks and hand washing equipment, which may not be readily available in all institutions. It is necessary that institutions effectively utilize the available facilities to implement the requirements of the SOPs. XXIII i. Each institution should re-arrange the sitting of learners using all available rooms within the school to ensure the required social distancing. This may include use of libraries, laboratories, dining halls, main halls where available. ii. Where classrooms have temporary partitions, institutions should remove the partitions to create larger rooms for ample sitting and aeration/ventilation. iii. Where available, main halls, dining halls and other large rooms should be prioritized for use as classrooms to ensure that available teachers cater for a sizeable number of learners per class. However, such rooms should accommodate only the appropriate number of learners that ensures the specified physical distancing. iv. A foot-operated hand washing facility shall be placed at strategic point of access to each block (and floor where applicable) used by learners and staff. Schools are advised to improvise with available containers and local materials to provide safe hand washing. v. Safe temporary shelters, such as tents, may be used as classrooms. Open air spaces, such as tree shades may be improvised as temporary venues for some classes. REORGANIZATION OF SCHOOL PROGRAMMES To minimize the risk of Covid-19 and ensure recovery of lost learning time, institutions should review their programmes and prioritize curriculum completion. i. There shall be no group and close contact co-curricular activities in all education institutions until further notice. Nevertheless, learners should be guided to engage in individual health exercise such stretching and push-ups while observing the social distancing of at least two metres. ii. All education institutions shall avoid general assemblies that bring together a large number of students. iii. There shall be no external mocks or other external examinations organized for students in secondary and primary schools. iv. Institution heads should ensure that all staff integrate COVID-19 awareness and prevention messages in every lesson. v. There shall be no career days, class days or official visitation days, in education institutions until further notice. vi. Mid-morning and lunch breaks shall be staggered and fully supervised by the teachers for adherence to social distancing, wearing of face masks and hand washing. vii. Institutions with large numbers of candidate/final year classes, which cannot be accommodated in the available classrooms at the social distancing of two metres, shall make arrangements to operate either: a. Morning and afternoon shifts. Where this is applicable, the morning shift shall end at 12:30pm and the afternoon shift shall start at 2:00pm to allow for disinfection of the affected XXIV surfaces before the next shift or b. An alternate-day attendance schedule where different streams attend on alternate days as may be deemed appropriate, in a bid to ensure that numbers are manageable. viii. For boarding institutions, after-class afternoon and evening programmes shall not involve team or group and close contact sports or activities; and they shall be supervised by a dedicated team of staff. Every dormitory shall have a resident tutor to supervise adherence to the SOPs. ix. Institutions should not keep learners beyond the official school closing time. MANAGEMENT OF STAFF AND CAPACITY BUILDING i. Schools that do not employ a qualified and dedicated health worker shall establish a formal collaboration with a health facility within a radius of 5kms for quick response and management of emerging health issues. ii. Each education institution shall work closely with the district Covid-19 taskforce to organize basic training for its staff on management of Covid-19. iii. Institutions shall build staff awareness and knowledge on Covid-19 safety measures through regular sharing of accurate information and literature. iv. Education institutions shall use only full-time staff, who shall not be allowed to part-time in other institutions. PROVISION OF FACILITIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SOPs i. The Permanent Secretary shall provide detailed guidance to institutions that receive capitation grants from Government on how additional facilities for implementation of the SOPs may be acquired. ii. Proprietors of private education institutions are advised to mobilize resources to ensure compliance with the SOPs. iii. All education institutions’ budgets shall be reviewed to give priority to improved hygiene management, including disinfection of frequently touched surfaces such as desk tops, door handles, light switches, door frames and book covers. iv. Government of Uganda shall supply two standard face masks to each candidate/final year student reporting back to school/institution. Learners should have at least one more face mask when reporting to school. SCHOOL FEES i. Education institutions shall engage their parents/guardians to adopt flexible fees payment arrangements and allow payment in appropriate instalments. ii. The management and governance of all education institutions shall review institutional annual work plans and budgets to realign them with the changes in education institution programmes and priorities. XXV iii. Education institutions shall not increase fees. GENERAL APPEAL All heads of education institutions are reminded that the country is still at high of the Covid-19 and maximum care must be exercised at all times. Having accurate information and facts about COVID-19 will help diminish students’ fears and anxieties about the disease and will ultimately help them cope with measures that are being undertaken to minimize the risks of infection. Education managers are further reminded to build and maintain strong collaboration with health facilities and workers in their neighbourhoods and always seek for guidance and support from your respective district Covid-19 taskforce XXVI Annex 5: Infectious Control and Waste Management Protocol 1.1 UNDERSTANDING INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL MEASURES IN SCHOOLS AND LEARNING SETTINGS: a) In the context of schools and learning settings, we consider measures that can contribute to limit the exposure to the disease and reduce the probability of its transmission amongst pupils, students, teachers and none-teaching staff at school. We must take note that prevention measures at school level alone, will not prevent the disease from spreading into an area, but increased vigilance and hygiene can at least contribute to reduce its spread. b) All workers, formal and informal, must be trained on the risks and hazards associated with the exposure to the virus, and also trained on appropriate workplace protocols to prevent/reduce the likelihood of exposure and infection. c) There should be training sessions for the pupils and students on infection prevention and control and waste management to minimize exposure and infections within and without the school premises especially for day scholars. d) Basic hygiene measures such as regular washing hands with soap, wearing of clean masks and use of sanitizers need to be promoted and appropriate means provided for the learners, teachers and none teaching staff. e) A regular health check-up even at school level for example daily body temperature check should be established and emphasized for teachers, none teaching staff and pupils/students. f) Strategies to reduce human interaction and ensure distance among the different categories of people at education institutions should be put in place and work shifts could be revised and encouraged to minimize congestion. This may also be considered for students and pupils especially from day schools. g) Safe work practices, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as resistant gloves, face and eyes protection gears, masks, need to be provided as well as training on appropriate removal and disposal or maintenance of the same. h) Coordination with local waste collectors, NGOs and other relevant groups should be explored to purchase basic necessities such as hygiene kits among others. i) Special attention should be paid to schools and learners with special needs so that they are adequately planned for. MoES should be mindful of this category and make close follow ups and ensure that their issues are well addressed. 1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE PROTOCOL The protocol is suggested for school administrators to help in preparedness and response to the current COVID-19 global pandemic. It provides an overview of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and its relationship with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and how school administrators can help prevent infection and its XXVII spread in schools, through human to human and by touching surfaces contaminated with the virus. WASH services including waste management and environmental cleaning are all important for IPC. It also highlights key actions that can be undertaken to prevent infection in schools where they have been reopened as well as considers the future when all schools shall be fully reopened for all the learners to resume learning activities. 2.1 WATER: Availability of clean water remains crucial to support personal hygiene including hand washing with water and soap as a key preventive measure. Water should also be available for regular cleaning and disinfection purposes, laundry (when applicable) and other activities. KEY ACTIONS a) Ensure that water is available to the guidelines provided by MoES and the SOPs prescribed by MoH; each school should have a steady supply of water in adequate quantity of 20 litres of water per child per day in boarding schools and handwashing facilities of 1000 litre capacity water tank for day schools. It should be noted that safe water is ideal, but quantity is of utmost importance to allow hygiene practices) for the purpose of environmental cleaning and personal hygiene; consider additional storage and transport of water where needed. b) Ensure water is available through on-site taps, or reservoir at the schools and containers filled regularly. Learners, teachers and non-teaching staff are advised to use reusable drinking water bottles and avoid sharing cups. These should be cleaned and disinfected at the end of each day at household level by parents or guardians. c) Whenever possible, provide drinking water stations with foot operated pedal- operated taps and devices or water dispensers with sensors to minimize hand contact and reduce the risk of infection; in most cases though, where standard taps are in use, ensure taps are regularly cleaned together with regular hand washing. d) Students, teachers and non-teaching staff should be trained on the safe management of drinking water points to avoid overcrowding, potential water contamination and subsequent infections. e) All water made available should have a residual concentration of free chlorine of 0.1mg/l (1,000 ppm) after at least 30 min contact time. f) Improve water safety with safe storage of treated water in regularly cleaned and covered containers in schools. 2.2 PERSONAL HYGIENE Hygiene and positive behavior change, or adaptation, are key IPC measures for preventing the transmission of COVID-19 at school. XXVIII KEY ACTIONS: a) Remind, brief or train students, teachers and non-teaching staff on why, when and how to wash hands frequently; students and teachers should wash their hands frequently, after touching surfaces, coming out of public transportation or building, touching door handles, elevator doors and buttons, entering and coming out of toilets and bathrooms; before and after eating; hands must be washed systematically after blowing your nose, coughing (where possible, toilet tissue is recommended for blowing nose as it can be discarded immediately after use, instead of handkerchiefs) or sneezing; the appropriate technique and time taken to clean hands is also important (scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds) b) Ensure the availability of hand washing stations with soap and water or hand sanitizers dispensers in schools; the quantity of handwashing per students may vary, with the ideal being one handwashing station per classroom, near every door of toilet-bathroom, in dormitories, cafeteria-dining entrance, main school entrance and halls. Ensure a minimum distance of 1 meter between users in the event of multiple taps system. c) Deliver messages on how to limit the risk of transmission: avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth without proper handwashing, cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Covering the mouth with bare hands while sneezing should be avoided. d) Messages on the basics of hygiene will be provided in different types and means like use of posters placed in generally accessed places by all the learners, teachers and others as a way of raising awareness for example how to wear a face mask, basics of hand washing/hand hygiene following the recommended WHO Guidelines for hand washing. 2.3 FOOD HYGIENE FOR SCHOOLS KEY ACTIONS a) Cooks/Chefs must wash their hands thoroughly with clean water and soap before cooking and serving food. In addition, they must wear a mask while cooking and when helping pupils/students to serve food during mealtime. b) Where possible, cooks/chefs should also wear gloves to serve pupils/students meals. It’ is always good to avoid bare-hand contact with ready to eat food to reduce the chances of contaminating it. c) Schools should review their menu to ensure that they serve only hot meals. The survival of COVID-19 at different temperatures is not thoroughly researched. However, reheating food at a temperature of 149°F (65°C) for at least 3 minutes is recommended. XXIX d) Pupils/students: ✓ They must wash their hands thoroughly with clean water and soap before and after eating food and after visiting a toilet/ latrine. Handwashing facilities must be kept clean and sanitized to reduce the risk of infection. ✓ Space out tables and chairs in dining areas, so they are 2meters apart and ensure that they are regularly disinfected. ✓ Limit the number of children who can come into the dining area at a single time. ✓ Where possible, children should be supplied with a one-time hygiene kit to be used all the time for hand hygiene before and after meals. ✓ Utensils and cutlery must be kept clean and sanitized before use by cooks/chefs and pupils/students. ✓ Avail cloth, soap and water for cleaning/ disinfecting kitchen surfaces or at points of cooking and waste bins/ bags. ✓ Food stores must be regularly kept clean by disinfecting surfaces twice a day. 2.4 ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANING Environmental cleaning is a key Infection Prevention Control (IPC) measure for preventing the transmission of COVID-19. Existing recommended cleaning and disinfection procedures in schools should be followed consistently and correctly. Surfaces and laundry (when applicable) in all environments where students, teachers and non-teaching staff spend time (classroom, dining, playrooms, staff rooms, dormitories, laboratories) should be disinfected. There are many disinfectants that are active against COVID-19. Schools are recommended to the use of commercial detergent with water, to remove dirt, followed by commercial chlorine-based disinfectants, ensuring a concentration equivalent to 0.1 % of active chlorine for surfaces and 70% of ethyl alcohol for disinfection of objects. KEY ACTIONS: a) Cleaning and disinfection schedule should be established and implemented for each school. b) Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects such as bells, playing materials, learning and teaching aids, using wet rug and a regular household cleaning spray with disinfectant c) Wipe down often-touched surfaces such as door handles, window nobs, elevator buttons, lunch table, railings with wet rag or a household cleaning spray with disinfectant. d) Mop up classroom and bathroom-toilets with commercial detergent and disinfectant. e) Cleaning staff must be equipped with basic PPEs (boots, gloves, masks) and trained on safe toilets disinfection practices. XXX f) Cleaning staff should also be trained on safe storage of disinfectants to ensure that these are safely stored away from learners. g) Schools will also have measures in place to ensure safe disposal of empty disinfectant containers/sanitizers bottles to ensure the health and safety of both learners and community is maintained. 2.5 WASTE MANAGEMENT Proper collection, storage and transfer or elimination of waste in schools is important, particularly collecting and elimination tissues utilized for cough and sneezing, menstrual hygiene materials, used cleaning materials. KEY ACTIONS a) Whenever possible, pedal-operated waste collection bins with liners should be available at point of use in schools. b) In the absence of pedal-operated waste bins, otherwise, open waste containers are better than those which require physical opening/covering by hands as this will expose students, teachers and non-teaching staff to infection. c) Menstruation and Hygiene Management (MHM) waste and tissue used for cough/sneeze should be properly disposed off in bins located in girls, boys and teachers’ toilets, collected and eliminated safely on-site or transported in adequate landfill. d) In bigger schools, temporary storage location to cater for large volumes can be arranged, together with transport mechanism in trucks and final disposal arrangements. e) Pit burning with the aid of fuel drops such as kerosene can be opted in the absence of incinerators, providing all safety measures for students are taken. 2.6 SANITATION Sanitation systems help prevent the spread of many diseases, provide clean and healthier surroundings for students, teachers and non-teaching staff. While COVID-19 is mostly transmitted through the respiratory route, ensuring the availability of safely managed sanitation systems such as improved Latrines or toilets connected to a septic tank or sewer line scan further limit the risk of transmission. Indeed, Sanitation, in this context, in addition to safe excreta disposal, also refers to the collection and elimination of wastewater from washing hands, cleaning, laundry and bathing. KEY ACTIONS: a) In targeted schools, students and teachers must have access to an adequate number of toilets (for girls and boys), maintained clean at all times, ensuring frequent, at least daily, disinfection of floors and door handles. Disabled students should have access to sanitation facilities equally. XXXI b) Sanitation staff must be equipped with basic Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) (boots, gloves, masks) and trained on safe toilets disinfection practices. c) Ensure availability of cleaning and disinfection supplies (chlorine, detergents, mop, buckets). d) Ensure the safe on-site elimination of faecal materials and wastewater in schools or the adequate collection, treatment and final disposal of faecal materials and wastewater in schools. e) School sanitation staff should be briefed on safety protocols for desludging f) Toilets pits (where applicable): desludging services should be made available where septic tanks and pits must be emptied g) Ensure that where necessary, appropriate wastewater pits are properly constructed of appropriate depth and filled with hard core and well covered, for handling and disposal of wastewater. 3.0 ACTIVITIES WHEN CHILDREN RETURN TO SCHOOL AFTER CLOSURE DUE TO COVID-19 KEY ACTIVITIES: a) Continue to observe Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures – environmental cleaning, disinfection and hand and personal hygiene. b) Practice respiratory hygiene by coughing or sneezing into a bent elbow or tissue and then immediately disposing of the tissue. c) Strengthen school committees and ensure continued availability, functionality and maintenance of WASH services. d) Together with Health, continue education and training of students and teachers integrating diseases prevention in lessons and activities. Training in environmental cleaning and ensuring these are regularly monitored by the school administration. e) Ensure constant availability of cleaning materials and supply of disinfectants to all schools to allow for regular cleaning of routinely touched/used surfaces and to ensure there is no lapse in sanitation practices at all times. f) Prioritize WASH activities in School Improvement Plans 4.0 ACCESSING THE EDUCATION INSTITUTION MoES advises that as much as possible considering the Covid 19 situation, parents may take their children in schools close by home to minimize risks and inconveniences that may come along. Parents who can afford to drop and pick their children to and from school should maintain that. Learners who use public means of transport, the parents and the schools should work together following the guidance provided by the Ministry of Education and Sports. XXXII All learners, teachers and none teaching staff as well as visitors among others should ensure that all are wearing face masks before accessing the school, continuous screening/testing for temperature, availability of sanitizer at school gate and maintaining daily and accurate records of learners, staff, visitors’ names, contacts, temperature recordings etc., washing hands with soap and water/disinfectant/use of hand sanitizers before being allowed to continue to classroom, physical distancing, where possible etc. 5.0 PROCEDURES FOR HANDLING COVID-19 SUSPECTED /CONFIRMED CASE IN EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS All suspected cases at school should be reported to the nearest health facilities for further check and management. Samples should be taken from the suspected cases and taken for investigation. Should they be found positive, the school should be closed and cordoned off until it has been cleared for the safety of the learners. Areas of contact should be disinfected as part of management procedures. The school should have a separate room to accommodate suspected cases while investigations are going on. All contacts should also be monitored until all cases have been confirmed and isolated. The school administration should allocate some teachers the responsibility of monitoring the learners, teachers and none teaching staff of coughs, sore throat, fever, headache and any other related symptoms of Covid-19. It should be noted that it is the primary responsibility of education institutions to ensure that the appropriate procedures and measures are in place for prevention and management of Covid-19 Pandemic. XXXIII Annex 6: List of Stakeholders Consulted S/N NAME TITLE 1 ABIGABA EMMANUEL H/TR 2 ABIGABA JACKSON TEACHER 3 ACHIA ABENGO DEO 4 ACHILLA HENRY STUDENT 5 ADEKE MAJORINE SWT 6 AGAN MARY APUUN DCDO 7 AISO PAUL TEACHER 8 AKAREUT JANET STUDENT 9 AKIO AWAKA MARGARET PTA MEMBER 10 AKITENG CHRISTINE TEACHER 11 AKOL PAUL STUDENT 12 AKUGUZIBWE PETER TEACHER 13 ALEPERR J STEPHEN BOG 14 ALINAITWE SHARON PUPIL 15 ALIYO CLARE PUPIL 16 AMANYIRE DANIEL PO 17 AMANYIRECAROLYNE TEACHER 18 AMODING MARY SWT 19 ANGAUN MOSES STUDENT 20 ANGELLA KEVIN TEACHER 21 ANGIRO PAUL STUDENT 22 ANGUFIBO ROGERS PUPIL 23 ANYAIT NORAH H/TR 24 ASIO SARAH BOG 25 ASOBORA JOVAN PUPIL 26 ATEGEKA PATRICK TEACHER 27 ATENDEREZIBWEJAVIRA STUDENT 28 ATIROR EZRA PTA 29 ATIYAUN ALBERT SPWO 30 ATUGONZA HERBERT TEACHER 31 ATUHAIRWE IMMACULATE STUDENT 32 ATUHAIRWE MERCY STUDENT 33 ATUHUURAEVELYNE PUPIL 34 AWATEGA JOHN BOSCO STUDENT 35 AYEBALE IMMACULATE PUPIL 36 AYEBARE MARY STUDENT 37 AYESIGA JIMMY PUPIL 38 AYESIGA NOAH TEACHER 39 BABIRYE EVA HR 40 BABIRYE RECHEAL STUDENT 41 BALEMEEZI FREDRICK DCAO 42 BALISANYUKA HENRY D/HTR 43 BAMWESIGYE BRIGHT STUDENT 44 BANAKORA STEPHEN SPSWO 45 BANAKORA STEPHEN SMC 46 BASAJJA CHRISTOPHER EO 47 BASHABOMWE HENRY BOG MEMBER 48 BIKA J INOHAMIS DCDO 49 BINDIKABANA JOHN SMC 50 BINGIRITAH TEACHER 51 BIRIMUMAISODEO TREASURER PTA 52 BIRUNGI HARRIET ENVIRONMENT OFFICER 53 BIRUNGI PATIENCE STUDENT 54 BITAMALE ISAAC SPWO 55 BUKENYABERTHOLOMEW DEO 56 BUSIKWA SHANAZ STUDENT 57 BUSINGEDIDAN SPORTS OFFICER 58 BYARUGABATOPHEL D.O.S 59 BYA-RUHANGA JOSEPH PTA MEMBER 60 BYENUME FREDRICK DHI 61 BYOONA GERALD DISTRICT ENVIR. OFFICER 62 CHEGEM ESTHER STUDENT 63 CHELANGAT ALFRED SMT 64 CHEMUTAI FRACHAN BOG 65 DDAMULIRA JONATHAN PUPIL 66 DR. MOSES NAMBALE DEO 67 DR. WAKOOKO PAUL DHO XXXIV S/N NAME TITLE 68 EDONYU EMMANUEL DEPUTY H/T 69 FR. FRANK BALYEBUGA H/TEACHER 70 FRIDAY MARGARET D/HT 71 GALANDI MOSES DIS 72 GODFREY SSERWANJA DEO 73 GULYENDO GEORGE CDO 74 HOPE SHIVAN STUDENT 75 IMAIKORIT SIPOLA STUDENT 76 INYHENSIKO SARAH SMC 77 ISABIRYE CHRISTOPHER STUDENT 78 ISABIRYE KENETH TEACHER 79 ISINGOMA ISAAC STUDENT 80 JARYEKO MOSES STUDENT 81 KAANWATEOPISTA SMC 82 KAGERE JOSEPH TEACHER 83 KAGORO EMMANUEL PTA MEMBER 84 KAKANDE FREDRICK TEACHER 85 KALULU SWAIBU SMC 86 KANSIIMEEVELYNE STUDENT 87 KARUNGINOELINE PUPIL 88 KASADHA ERIISA TEACHER 89 KASUJJA REAGAN STUDENT 90 KATASISYLIVIA STUDENT 91 KATENDA ANDREW PUPIL 92 KATONGOLE NOAH H/TEACHER 93 KATUNGWENSI KENNEDY DSLO 94 KATUSIIME ELIZABETH STUDENT 95 KAWOMBE KEVIN STANLEY PUPIL 96 KAYIZZIDISAN STUDENT 97 KAYONGO BUTAMIS STUDENT 98 KEEM QUINTO M HRM 99 KIGANDA ALEX STUDENT 100 KIIRYA STEVEN STUDENT 101 KIIZA HARRIET SMC 102 KIMONO M WATUWA D/HTR 103 KIRUI ANTHONY DOS 104 KIRUNGIYOWERI PTA MEMBER 105 KISAMBIRA JOHN H/TEACHER 106 KISEMBO ANDREW VC PTA 107 KITAKISIGE GEORGE BOG 108 KITI ALI PTA 109 KOMUHENDO SHIVAN STUDENT 110 KORUBE AARON STUDENT 111 KUGONZAGERTEUDE BOARD MEMBER 112 KUNIHIRA JULIET SMC 113 KUSIIMA JUSTUS TEACHER 114 KUTWONULI BONIFACE ALACHU PROBATION OFFICER 115 KYALIGONZA FRANCIS TEACHER 116 KYALISIMA JOHN TEACHER 117 KYOMUHENDO SIMON DOS 118 LODIM JOSEPH C/SMC 119 LOKIRU EMMANUEL PTA 120 LOKNGO REGINA SMC 121 LOKUTAE JONATHAN SMT 122 LONGOK JOYCE STUDENT 123 LONGOLI ROSE PTA 124 LOOYAN BETTY LOKUTA SWT 125 LOWAL ARCHONGEL GABRIEL DIS 126 LUGADA PAUL TEACHER 127 LUTALO EMMANUEL STUDENT 128 MADAYA WICLIF STUDENT 129 MAFABI RASHID N SEO 130 MAGEEZITOMSTEEL BOARD MEMBER 131 MAGOMU ALLAN STUDENT 132 MALE SAMUEL TEACHER 133 MANAFA ASHA SWT 134 MANANA KENETH STUDENT 135 MANGUYU DANIEL SMT 136 MASABA BONIFACE STUDENT 137 MASHETI CHARLES PTA XXXV S/N NAME TITLE 138 MAYEGA ANTHONY SCDO 139 MBABAZI WILFRED TEACHER 140 MONDAY DEEZI CP SMC 141 MUBAJE BOSCO STUDENT 142 MUDUWA GRACE STUDENT 143 MUGANYIZI GODFREY SEHO 144 MUGISADAVIS PUPIL 145 MUGOYA CATHY KAREN SPWO 146 MUHUMUZA MICHAEL STUDENT 147 MUKIIBI HUSSEIN PHRO 148 MUKWAYA GILBERT STUDENT 149 MULEGI JOHN A SMT 150 MUNGOM ALI STUDENT 151 MUNYES MERCY NOELLA STUDENT 152 MURUNGI BRIGHT JOSEPH PUPIL 153 MUSENERO BENARD DNRO 154 MUSIIMENTA ALLEN STUDENT 155 MUSIMBI AMISI SMC 156 MUSINGUZI GODFREY PHRO 157 MUSIWA AZIZI C/SMC 158 MUSIWA YUNUSU BOG 159 MUTESASIRA EDWARD DANIEL STUDENT 160 MUTESI PLANNER 161 MUTESI MAUREEN STUDENT 162 MUTWALO GEORGE STUDENT 163 MUTYABULE EDGER STUDENT 164 MUYINDA JOHN SMC 165 MUZIRA DAVID DCDO 166 MWESIGE JAMES D H/TR 167 MWESIGENDYANABO STUDENT 168 MWESIGWA GODFREY DH/TR 169 NABABIROSELINE TEACHER 170 NABUGODI LAWRENCE MASABA D/HTR 171 NABUKONDE PEACE STUDENT 172 NABUKONDE SUZAN STUDENT 173 NABUKWASI SANDRA STUDENT 174 NABUTEFE PHOEBE SMC TR REP. 175 NAGGUBIRIJENIPHER STUDENT 176 NAGUTI RACHEAL STUDENT 177 NAIGAGA IRENE SWT 178 NAISUKWE GETU STUDENT 179 NAKABUYEGETRUDE TEACHER 180 NAKAJJIMU CAROLINE PUPIL 181 NAKALISA LYDIA STUDENT 182 NAKAYIWA MARGRET SENIOR EDUC. ASSISTANT 183 NAKIJJOBA CHRISTINE PUPIL 184 NAKIMBUGWE FLORENCE PO 185 NALIKU MILTON BURSAR 186 NALUBEGA SUSAN TEACHER 187 NALUKWAGO HARRIET H/TEACHER 188 NAMAZZI WINNIE PUPIL 189 NAMBAGALA AMISI SMC 190 NAMBIRIZI RUTH STUDENT 191 NAMBOZO AFUSA BOG 192 NAMIGADDELOVINCCA DEO 193 NAMOE STELLA STUDENT 194 NAMUKOSE JOYCE STUDENT 195 NAMULEMBWA SULAI STUDENT 196 NAMULONDO RACHEAL STUDENT 197 NAMYENYA MARY GORRET STUDENT 198 NANDEJJE RICHARD TEACHER 199 NANGOBI HIDAYA ADHO(EN) 200 NANSAMBASHARIFAH PUPIL 201 NANSUBUGA ANGELLA PA 202 NANTONGOJALIAH STUDENT 203 NANYANZI ROSETTE GTA 204 NARUS REGINA DHO 205 NAWOK ROSE SMC 206 NGAMBEKIJOTHAMA SAS 207 NGIRO JAMES EO XXXVI S/N NAME TITLE 208 NGOBI FRANCIS SMT 209 NINSIIMA ALEX TEACHER 210 NSIIMIRERACHEAL PUPIL 211 NYAKATOPASKALINA PUPIL 212 NYANGOMA JULIET TEACHER 213 NYANGOMAMELLEN PUPIL 214 NYANGOMASPECIOZA TEACHER 215 OBURA FELIX SMT 216 OCOM ISAAC STUDENT 217 OGWANG DENIS PTA MEMBER 218 OJAMBO JOSEPH NEYINDA DCDO 219 OKALEBO JOHN PETER H/TR 220 OMODING JOHN LOGWAJJA H/TR 221 OPIO CHARLES TEACHER 222 OUMO AMBROSE STUDENT 223 PEDO DAVID STUDENT 224 PEERA ALEX C/M PTA 225 REV. KABANDA KENNETH K DIS 226 RUMANYWOHA SAM TEACHER 227 SEMAKULA SEBASTIAN H/TR 228 SR MARGARET KIIZA D/DEAN 229 SSEBAKA EDWARD D H/TR 230 SUNDAY LAWRENCE TEACHER 231 TEKO JOYCE STUDENT 232 TIKYAMULALA ESTHER PTA 233 TUMWESIGE DENIS TEACHER 234 WABYONA NICKOLAS PUPIL 235 WAISWA CHARLES PTA 236 WAISWA EMMENUEL TEACHER 237 WAKADHUBI BEN TEACHER 238 WALUTYEBA PETER STUDENT 239 WANGOLO NICHOLAS TEACHER 240 WANYENZE BARBRA PHRO 241 WANYENZE FLORENCE STUDENT 242 WESONGA ALFRED J DIS 243 WESONGA GERALD PTA 244 WOLAYO JULIET TEACHER 245 WOLIMBWA GODFREY PTA 246 ZZIWA JUDE D H/TR XXXVII Annex 7: Resource List: Covid-19 Guidance WHO Guidance Advice for the public WHO advice for the public, including on social distancing, respiratory hygiene, self- quarantine, and seeking medical advice, can be consulted on this WHO website: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public. Technical guidance • Infection prevention and control during health care when novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection is suspected, issued on March 19, 2020 • Recommendations to Member States to Improve Hygiene Practices, issued on April 1, 2020 • Severe Acute Respiratory Infections Treatment Center, issued on March 28, 2020 • Infection prevention and control at health care facilities (with a focus on settings with limited resources), issued in 2018 • Laboratory biosafety guidance related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19), issued on March 18, 2020 • Laboratory Biosafety Manual, 3rd edition, issued in 2014 • Laboratory testing for COVID-19, including specimen collection and shipment, issued on March 19, 2020 • Prioritized Laboratory Testing Strategy According to 4Cs Transmission Scenarios, issued on March 21, 2020 • Infection Prevention and Control for the safe management of a dead body in the context of COVID-19, issued on March 24, 2020 • Key considerations for repatriation and quarantine of travellers in relation to the outbreak COVID-19, issued on February 11, 2020 • Preparedness, prevention and control of COVID-19 for refugees and migrants in non-camp settings, issued on April 17, 2020 • Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak: rights, roles and responsibilities of health workers, including key considerations for occupational safety and health, issued on March 18, 2020 • Oxygen sources and distribution for COVID-19 treatment centers, issued on April 4, 2020 • Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Action Plan Guidance COVID-19 Preparedness and Response, issued on March 16, 2020 • Considerations for quarantine of individuals in the context of containment for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), issued on March 19, 2020 • Operational considerations for case management of COVID-19 in health facility and community, issued on March 19, 2020 XXXVIII • Rational use of personal protective equipment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), issued on February 27, 2020 • Getting your workplace ready for COVID-19, issued on March 19, 2020 • Water, sanitation, hygiene and waste management for COVID-19, issued on March 19, 2020 • Safe management of wastes from health-care activities, issued in 2014 Advice on the use of masks in the community, during home care and in healthcare settings in the context of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, issued on March 19, 2020 • Disability Considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak, issued on March 26, 2020 WORLD BANK GROUP GUIDANCE • Technical Note: Public Consultations and Stakeholder Engagement in WB- supported operations when there are constraints on conducting public meetings, issued on March 20, 2020 • Technical Note: Use of Military Forces to Assist in COVID-19 Operations, issued on March 25, 2020 • ESF/Safeguards Interim Note: COVID-19 Considerations in Construction/Civil Works Projects, issued on April 7, 2020 • Technical Note on SEA/H for HNP COVID Response Operations, issued in March 2020 • Interim Advice for IFC Clients on Preventing and Managing Health Risks of COVID-19 in the Workplace, issued on April 6, 2020 • Interim Advice for IFC Clients on Supporting Workers in the Context of COVID-19, issued on April 6, 2020 • IFC Tip Sheet for Company Leadership on Crisis Response: Facing the COVID-19 Pandemic, issued on April 6, 2020 • WBG EHS Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities, issued on April 30, 2007 ILO GUIDANCE • ILO Standards and COVID-19 FAQ, issued on March 23, 2020 (provides a compilation of answers to most frequently asked questions related to international labor standards and COVID-19) MFI GUIDANCE • ADB Managing Infectious Medical Waste during the COVID-19 Pandemic • IDB Invest Guidance for Infrastructure Projects on COVID-19: A Rapid Risk Profile and Decision Framework • KfW DEG COVID-19 Guidance for employers, issued on March 31, 2020 • CDC Group COVID-19 Guidance for Employers, issued on March 23, 2020 XXXIX