The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) Project Information Document (PID) Appraisal Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 18-Jun-2021 | Report No: PIDA29777 Feb 03, 2021 Page 1 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) BASIC INFORMATION OPS_TABLE_BASIC_DATA A. Basic Project Data Country Project ID Project Name Parent Project ID (if any) Togo P172674 TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project Region Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Practice Area (Lead) AFRICA WEST 16-Jun-2021 26-Aug-2021 Education Financing Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency Investment Project Financing Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Primary, Finance Secondary, and Technical Education and Handicraft - MEPSTA Proposed Development Objective(s) The Project Development Objectives (PDO) are to improve the quality of, and equitable access to, basic education in selected regions, particularly for girls; and strengthen the overall management of the education system Components Component 1: Improving Quality of Teaching and Learning Component 2: Improve equitable access to basic education (primary and junior secondary) Component 3: Strengthening system management and resilience Component 4: Contingency Emergency Response Component (CERC) PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions) SUMMARY -NewFin1 Total Project Cost 60.10 Total Financing 60.10 of which IBRD/IDA 45.00 Financing Gap 0.00 DETAILS -NewFinEnh1 World Bank Group Financing Feb 03, 2021 Page 2 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) International Development Association (IDA) 45.00 IDA Credit 22.50 IDA Grant 22.50 Non-World Bank Group Financing Trust Funds 15.10 Education for All - Fast Track Initiative 15.10 Environmental and Social Risk Classification Moderate Decision The review did authorize the team to appraise and negotiate Note to Task Teams: End of system generated content, document is editable from here. Please delete this note when finalizing the document. Other Decision (as needed) B. Introduction and Context Country Context 1. Togo is a small, low-income country, located along the West African coast on the Gulf of Guinea, between Ghana and Benin, with an estimated population of 8.41 million people in 20211. From its deep-water seaport in the coastal south to its northern border with Burkina Faso, Togo sits on a narrow territory of 57,000 square kilometres, only 100 kilometres wide, creating a natural corridor that lends itself well to the country’s ambition of becoming a transhipment hub and logistics platform for the West African subregion. The Togolese population is expected to increase to slightly over 10 million by 2030 —with approximately 37.2 percent of the population under 15 years of age. 2. Despite Togo’s relatively stable economic performance over the last few years, the country has yet to take full advantage of its potential and growth remains lower than its peers2. Improvements in living standards remain modest and human capital outcomes are still weak and characterized by a great loss of productivity potential. Poverty and inequality remain high in Togo due to high population growth (approximately 2.5 percent 1 https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/togo-population/ as of March 8, 2021 based on the Worldometers/UN latest estimates. 2 Structural peer countries are Benin, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, while aspiration peers are Ghana, Morocco, and Rwanda. Feb 03, 2021 Page 3 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) per year), the concentration of growth in modern sectors that leaves behind rural areas and lack of access to quality services. In 2019, the national poverty rate was 45.5 percent3. Poverty rates generally increase as one moves away from the capital city (22.3 percent) to Plateaux, Kara and to the driest region of Savanes (65.1 percent) in the north except the Maritime coastal region (54.1 percent) due to a dependence on subsistence agriculture and isolation from markets and services. The Gini Index improved from 43.1 in 2015 to 37.5 in 2018-19 (33.1 in rural areas and 37.4 in urban areas). While this is an improvement, it is still among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. In terms of human capital outcomes, Togo’s human capital outcomes are still low. With a Human Capital Index (HCI) of 0.43, a child born today will only achieve 43 percent of their productivity potential if key health and education outcomes do not improve from their current levels. The average child is projected to complete approximately 9.7 years of schooling. Factoring in what children effectively learn, the actual educational attainment is reduced to six years. Togo’s ranking in the 2020 UN Human Development Index has significantly deteriorated over time, falling from 95th out of 124 countries (the bottom 23 percent) in 1980 to 167th out of 189 countries (the bottom ten percent). 3. In addition, to widespread poverty, environmental problems and population growth continue to impede advancements in development. Togo’s natural resources are being depleted with consequences for the ecosystem with clean water becoming increasing scarce. The main climate risks facing Togo are violent winds, coastal erosion, poor distribution of rain, and late rains, with flooding and drought. Togo intends to contribute to the fight against climate change by strengthening the resilience of its production systems and means by embarking on a carbon-lean development path. This vision is in line with international commitments and national strategic orientations relating to the need for fair, inclusive growth that responds to the challenges of sustainability, creating decent jobs, helping to reduce poverty, and protecting natural resources. Togo has been engaged in a proactive strategy for sustainable development and against global warming that focuses mainly on bad production practices in the economic sectors; lack of population control; and the high poverty rate, which is exacerbated by the negative impacts of climate change, further reinforcing the vulnerability of the production sectors and the pressure on natural resources. This can be seen, among others, in the National Programme for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) 2010-2050, the National Strategy for Reducing the Risk of Catastrophes in Togo (December 2009), the National Medium Term Priority Framework (NMTPF) for Togo (2010-2015), and the National Action Plan for Marine and Coastal Environmental Resources Management. 4. The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic caused an abrupt halt to Togo’s relatively strong growth momentum. Supported by a stable macroeconomic framework and significant improvements in the business climate, the country’s growth was relatively robust, averaging five percent (2.4 percent in per capita terms) between 2017 and 2019. Togo’s Ease of Doing Business ranking jumped by more than 50 places globally, increasing from 156th in 2018 to 97th in 2020, while its Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) score rose from 3.1 in 2017 to 3.3 in 2019, reflecting a gradual improvement in macroeconomic management and business regulation. Since 2020, Togo is no longer included in the harmonized list of countries in fragile situations. However, in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic almost brought the economy to a halt. As a result, 2020 growth is estimated to have declined to 0.7 percent and the fiscal deficit widened to 6.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), reflecting a sharp increase in public spending to protect lives and livelihoods of poor households, as well as to support firms facing revenue losses as economic activity contracted.4 Annex 14 presents the Togo Country 3 WAEMU Harmonized Households Survey. 4 International Monetary Fund (IMF). Country Report No. 20/107. Togo sixth review under the Extended Credit Facility arrangement and request for augmentation of access. Staff Report. April 2020. Feb 03, 2021 Page 4 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) Program Adjustment Responding to COVID-19. It shows the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country and Government’s response—with support from the World Bank Group (WBG)—to the crisis. B. Sectoral and Institutional Context 5. Togo’s general education system is divided into four levels: (i) a two-year pre-school cycle for 4- to 5- year-olds; (ii) a six-year primary cycle for 6- to 11-year-olds; (iii) a seven-year secondary education cycle for 12- to 18-year-olds, consisting of a four-year junior level and a three-year senior level; and (iv) a higher education system (two public universities, one private university, and 26 private institutions which provide two additional years of education at the tertiary level). Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is also offered at the junior and senior secondary levels. Currently, only primary education is mandatory. The system is administered by three ministries: The Ministry of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education and Handicraft (Ministère des Enseignement Primaire, Secondaire, technique et de l’Artisanat - MEPSTA), the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (Ministère de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche - MESR) and the Ministry of Social Action, Promotion of Women and Literacy (Ministère de l’action sociale, de la promotion de la femme et de l’alphabétisation - MASPFA). 6. Government efforts in the education sector over the past decade have resulted in substantial progress in educational outcomes. As a result of the abolition of school fees starting in 2008/09, much progress has been made over the last decade to improve education access, completion, efficiency, and gender equity. Table 1 below presents the evolution of key basic education indicators from 2011 to 2020. Annex 6 provides additional details on student enrollments by level of education and type of institution5. These Government efforts have been underpinned by an increase in the budget allocated to education, which rose from FCFA 57.0 in 2011 to 172.3 billion in 2020. In percentage of GDP, education spending increased by 1 percentage point over ten years, while expenditures per pupil rose from CFAF 30,661 (USD 52.3) in 2010-11 to CFAF 53,760 (USD 91.8) in 2018-19. Annex 8 shows the evolution of budgetary indicators for the education sector since 2010 (in billions of FCFA). Despite the increase in public funds in financing education, Togolese families still cover a significant portion of their children's educational expenditures—with more than half (56 percent) of current expenditures on education (including state and household) being borne by households6. Table 1: Evolution of Key Basic Education Indicators. Primary Junior Secondary Indicators 2010/11 2019/20 2010/11 2019/20 Number of Classrooms (public) 21,110 26,566 4,799 5,875 Number of Learners 1,299,802 1,634,441 394,956 602,992 Number of Teachers (public) 20,637 26,445 4,070 9,163 Gross Enrollment Rate 124.3 126.7 - 79.7 Gross Intake Ratio 139.3 75.22208 Repetition rate* 21.5 13.7 18.4 21.4 Completion Rate 72.1 89.5 39.5 53.11 Gender Parity 0.97 1.02 0.86 Household contributions 37,622 43,775 71,955 84,272 5 Public, private, local initiative schools referred to in French as EDIL: École d ‘Initiative Locale. 6 Togo Diagnostic Report of the National Education System (RESEN), 2018; February 20, 2019. Feb 03, 2021 Page 5 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) % of current expenditure allocated to the sub-sector 48.0 46.3 15.0 16.2 Sources: Author from National Statistic Yearbook 2020 + RESEN 2019 and latest QUIEEB 2016 and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). *Repetition rate integrates intra-cycle repetition which is currently forbidden in Togo but still ongoing therefore, MICS data was used. 7. Despite the substantial progress achieved, the country’s education sector continues to face several challenges. Key challenges identified by the recent Country National Education System Diagnostic (RESEN - Rapport d’Etat du Système Educatif National—RESEN; 2019) include: (i) low learning outcomes; (ii) low internal efficiency of the education system; (iii) lack of a well-trained and qualified teaching force; (iv) inequitable access to basic education, especially for girls; (v) insufficient number of schools at all levels and a deficit of classrooms at the secondary level; (vi) weak teacher management and accountability system associated with poor quality of educational services delivered; and (vii) inefficient spending, leading to a perennial lack of basic infrastructures at all levels of the education system. (a) Quality of Education (i) Low learning outcomes leading to poor human capital accumulation. Togo is one of 14 countries that participated in the 2019 CONFEMEN Educational System Analysis Program (PASEC-2019) assessment. Results from this assessment revealed that a significant proportion of Togolese students did not meet the established threshold for language proficiency. More specifically, according to the results of PASEC 2019, more than 75 percent of the children assessed did not have the requisite skills needed to continue their learning without difficulty. More importantly, less than a quarter of the children are completing primary school with sufficient proficiency in reading and mathematics as defined by PASEC. By comparing countries’ scores with the international average in language and mathematics at the early primary level (i.e. grade 2), Togo’s performance does not compare favorably. Moreover, the results from the PASEC assessment demonstrated that Togo’s low learning performance in grade 6 are primarily driven by low grade 2 national scores in reading and in mathematics. These results are reflective of a profound learning crisis in Togo. Learning poverty in Togo currently stands at 86 percent. This means that 86 percent of children in Togo are unable to read and understand a short, age-appropriate text by age 107, adjusted for the out-of-school children. International evidence shows that reading is a critical gateway skill. Finally, proficiency in reading is empirically associated with proficiency in numeracy and in the acquisition of some socioemotional skills. (ii) Low Internal efficiency of the education system. Expanding access, improving attendance, and providing budgetary resources alone, are insufficient to guarantee positive educational outcomes. Too many children in Togo continue to drop out of school and repetition rates are still high. Approximately 28.7 percent of resources in primary and 34.8 percent in lower secondary were lost due to repetition and dropouts8, highlighting that the internal efficiency of the education system in Togo remains low. In addition, the proportion of repeaters in Togo remains far higher than the average for low-income African countries. Repetition rates in Togo were 13.7 percent and 20.2 percent in primary and lower secondary 7 Learning Poverty’ means being unable to read and understand a short, age -appropriate text by age 10. This indicator captures both the share of children who have not achieved minimum reading proficiency and the share of children who are out of school. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/brief/learning-poverty. 8 MEPSTA and MICS 2017. Feb 03, 2021 Page 6 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) levels respectively (MICS 2017) — higher than most African countries such as Ghana (1.8 percent at primary) and Cameroon (12.1 percent at lower secondary. (iii) Lack of a well-trained and qualified teaching force despite the existence of numerous training institutions. There are seven ENIs and the Directorate of Training under MEPSTA’s leadership, one ENS, and the National Institute of Education Sciences (Institute National des Sciences de l’Education – INSE) under the auspice of the MESR], many teachers do not have adequate qualifications to teach at the level they are teaching. According to the national teacher policy, a teacher must have pedagogical training and completed either secondary education or have a degree in tertiary education to teach9. However, due to inadequate teacher training programs and unclear and unenforced recruitment guidelines, many teachers still lack basic qualifications10. Pre-service training offers extremely limited opportunities for practical training, and both pre- and in-service professional development opportunities are hampered by the insufficient number of skilled trainers, lack of strong mechanisms to identify training needs, the low levels of content and pedagogical competencies of both trainers and teachers, and lackluster coaching units. 8. Previous Bank and Global Partnership for Education (GPE)-funded operations, such as the Education and Institutional Strengthening Projects (PERI 1 & 2 [Projet d’education et de renforcement institutionnel] 2011- 19)11 led to significant improvement in the quality of teaching and learning in the early grades of primary. PERI- 1 and 2 supported series of reforms including the curriculum reform from grade 1 to 3; the textbook policy reform and the provision and distribution of approximately 5.2 million textbooks to all public and community schools (Ecoles d’Initiative Locale – EDIL)12, which resulted in an increase in the ratio of textbooks to students13. In addition, PERI-1 and PERI-2 put in place a system of school support and teacher monitoring through the provision of performance-based school grants for school improvement plans and performance-based grants/incentives to inspectorates and Regional Education Directorates (Direction Régionale de l’Education—DRE), resulting in an increase in resource availability and regular classroom visits in targeted schools. The proposed Project will build on these successes to improve the quality of education in primary and lower-secondary, by continuing to support curriculum reform from grade 4-6 and teacher training activities, textbook policy reform, as well as education improvements plans at district and regional levels. (b) Access to Education and Equity (iv) Inequitable access to basic education, particularly among girls. Significant gender gap persists and increases as students move through the education system. The odds of completing primary school are estimated at 79.6 percent for girls compared to 88.8 percent for boys, a difference of 9.2 percentage points. The gap continues to widen as a student progresses through the education system, reaching 13.4 percentage points in lower secondary. Girls from poor families have a 51 percent probability of attending 9 In Togo, to teach in preschool and primary school, you must hold a CFENI certificate (Certificat de Fin d’études Normales des Instituteurs) at BAC + 1 level or a DFPE diploma (Diplôme de Formation des Professeurs D’écoles) at BAC + 2 level according to the national policy on teachers. 10 Approximately 2,500 new teachers are appointed every two years. 11 The PERI-1 project was funded by an EFA-FTI grant in the amount of US$45 million and the PERI-2 project was funded by a GPE grant in the amount of US$27.8 million. 12 PERI-1 supported textbook under the previous program for primary while PERI-2 supported textbook for grade 1-3 in the new curriculum. 13 One book for two students in 2011 to one book for one student in 2018. Feb 03, 2021 Page 7 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) lower secondary school and only 17 percent probability of completing that level of education; this probability falls to 8 percent for entry into high school and 4 percent for completion. Box 1. Main obstacles for girls’ access to education and key consequences. According to the November 2019 United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) study in Togo, obstacles to girls' education stem from demand-side and supply-side constraints. On the demand side, they include child trafficking, poverty, early marriage, early pregnancy, harmful and gender-biased traditional and cultural norms and practices, and gender-based violence (GBV). On the supply side, obstacles to girls’ education include: (i) the poor quality of the learning environment in existing schools, with dilapidated schools lacking basic amenities (i.e., toilets, water points, etc.) and adequate learning resources; and (ii) the lack of secondary schools in rural areas. Children are forced to travel long distances to attend school and often families bear the high costs of transportation and the long commute increases safety and security concerns, particularly for girls. Togo also has systemic and institutional constraints. At the system-level, there are some weaknesses in the strategies to promote girls education, a shortage of female teachers in rural and disadvantaged areas and the high cost of schooling can be prohibitive. At the institutional level, the system does not have a specific service or budget line to support girls’ education, and the lack of gender focal points at the decentralized level (regions, inspections, schools)14 has huge consequences for creating safe schools. (v) Togo has an insufficient number of schools at all levels and a deficit of classrooms at the secondary level. There is an acute shortage of schools at both primary and secondary levels outside urban areas. Children living in rural areas often travel long distances to reach the nearest primary school. There is also a lack of secondary schools where school-age children live since there has not been any expansion of secondary schools in existing primary schools in remote areas. Existing classrooms are overcrowded and in poor conditions and not environmentally appropriate for Togo’s climate. About one-third of classrooms in public primary schools in rural areas are inadequate—not in ‘good condition’. In public primary schools, it is estimated that about 1,620 classrooms will need to be constructed by 2030 to improve access. In secondary education, it is estimated that 2,491 classrooms will need to be constructed by 2030 to accommodate an increased number of students coming from primary schools and reduce the school to classroom ratio (SCR) from 80.2 in 2018 to 50.8 in 2030. This level of construction would provide a sufficient stock of classrooms in good condition for the expected number of students to be enrolled at the primary and secondary levels by 2030. 9. The proposed Project intends to leverage on promising interventions implemented under previous Bank operations (2011-19) to tackle education access challenges. Under PERI-1 and PERI-2, the Government adopted and implemented a community-based approach to school construction that proved to be a viable and cost- effective approach to expand the number of schools. The community-based approach to school construction managed and implemented by school-based management committees (COGEPs) significantly reduced transaction cost, built local capacity in school construction and maintenance, and improved the quality of construction and delivery time. In addition, the community approach helped promote greater community participation in school management and allowed communities to play a role in improving the quality of education at the school level. The proposed Project intends to build on the community-based approach for the construction of 460 new classrooms at the primary and lower-secondary levels. 14 UNICEF, 2019, Rapport d’étude sur les facteurs de non -scolarisation des filles dans les zones de sous- scolarisation (régions de Savanes, Centrale et des Plateaux). Feb 03, 2021 Page 8 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) (c) Education System Management and Sector Financing (vi) Ineffective teacher management, recruitment, and deployment. The latest Service Delivery Indicator (SDI; 2016) showed that many teachers in early grades were not well qualified (see Annex 7 for SDI key results), and a large and growing share of teachers are volunteers who are not well prepared for the role. According to the latest national statistics, volunteers comprise 27 percent of teachers in primary, 41 percent in middle school and 25 percent in high school (while there were none in high school in 2011). In addition, teachers are not well supported due to the low numbers of well-prepared inspectors and pedagogical advisors, with 487 teachers, on average, assigned to one inspector at the national level. Finally, supervisions are conducted without a systematized monitoring system, resulting in inadequate management and lack of accountability. (vii) Inadequate financing and Inefficient spending. As of 2019, Togo’s expenditure on education as a percent of GDP (5.1 percent) was among the highest in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. Approximately 22 percent of total revenues—excluding government grants—were spent on education in 2019. On average, public education expending per child was US$306, representing nearly half of the average expenditure per child across the SSA region. However, salary expenditures represent 87.2 percent of the primary budget and crowds out non-salary recurrent expenditures to enhance quality. Investment expenditures are also inadequate; 37 percent of schools still lacked basic infrastructure such as classrooms, and most textbooks for students were being provided by donors. 10. To address these challenges, and as highlighted in the ESP, the Government strategy consists of reforms focusing on strengthening the management and governance of the system. A number of reforms have been identified in the ESP—with regard to the teacher policy reform (i.e., massive recruitment of qualified teachers, equitable deployment of teachers nationwide, especially outside of urban areas, etc.). The proposed Project intends to support these envisaged reforms and strengthen system resilience by: (i) strengthening information systems; and (ii) consolidating leadership and accountability at district and regional levels, as well as building the capacity of COGEPs. Government’s Sector Strategy and Plan 11. Taking into consideration the key challenges highlighted above, Togo’s education authorities revised education policy documents (Education Sector Plan—ESP, 2020-2030). The first ESP for the period 2010-2020 was approved by the Government and endorsed by education donors in 2010, which qualified Togo to apply for and receive a GPE Catalytic Grant in the amount of US$45 million. In 2014, Togo received a second GPE grant of US$27.8 million covering 2014-2018 (ESP 2014-2025), both with the World Bank as Grant Agent. A new RESEN15 was carried out by the Government in May 2019, with support from UNICEF and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) International Institute for Educational Planning Pôle de Dakar. Based on this diagnostic and in consultation with key stakeholders, a new ESP (2020-2030) was finalized and endorsed by the Local Education Group (LEG) on July 24, 2020. Key priorities outlined in the new ESP include improving the quality of education provided; reducing inequity in access, retention, completion, and transition; and strengthening governance and management of education system at all levels. 15 Diagnostic Report of the National Education System (RESEN), 2018 in its preliminary version presented on 19 and 20 February 2019 in Lomé. Feb 03, 2021 Page 9 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) 12. The proposed Togo Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (IQEBE), which will support the implementation of the Government’s ESP (2020-30), has a total funding envelope in the amount of US$60.1 million. It will be co-financed by the International Development Association (IDA) (US$22.5 million equivalent Credit and $22.5 million equivalent Grant) and GPE Grant (US$15.1 million) 16. This will be the first IDA financed project in the education sector in Togo in 20 years. Notwithstanding that fact, the World Bank has had a strong engagement in pre-primary and primary education through the two GPE-supported operations17 as well as a higher education operation.18 Box 2. COVID-19 Is Disrupting Education Systems and Increasing Learning Poverty At the beginning of March 2020, Togo rolled out a series of school closure measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 20, 2020, the Government closed all schools (preschool, primary, secondary, vocational training centers) and universities. According to the latest national education statistics,19 over 2.6 million children were deprived from learning activities and 75,413 teachers unable to teach. The crisis has impacted education systems in numerous ways, including by increasing learning losses and inequalities, deteriorating children’s nutritional and health status, increasing the number of dropouts, especially among girls,20 and disadvantaged populations, decreasing parental spending on education, reducing government spending on education, as well as negatively impacting the overall quality of education provided. Before the crisis, Togo’s learning poverty, measuring the percentage of 10-year-old children who are not able to read and understand a simple text, was 86 percent. Many of the challenges that education systems are facing are being deepened by the crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing these challenges will require building a more inclusive, efficient, and resilient education system. To mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the Togolese education system, the MEPSTA developed a National COVID-19 response plan (April 2020 – December 2021). Its three main objectives were to: (a) ensure continuity of learning; (b) prepare and support safe school reopening; and (iii) strengthen system resilience. Alignment of the proposed Project and the COVID-19 Education Response Project (P174166). The World Bank is currently implementing the COVID-19 Education Response Project (2020–2021) financed by a GPE’s grant in the amount of US$7 million to support the implementation of selected activities included in the Government’s National COVID-19 Response Plan. The COVID-19 Response Project aims to increase access to distance learning in grades 1-9 and safe and effective re-opening of schools. It supports the immediate effects of school closures and the recovery of the school system. The proposed Project will leverage promising interventions currently 16 The total GPE financing of US$15.6 million of which a grant agent supervision fee of US$500,000 has been deducted. 17 The two GPE-supported projects are the Togo Education and Institutional Strengthening Project 2 (PERI-2, P146294), and the COVID-19 Education Response Project (P174166). 18 At the regional level, Togo was part of the African Higher Education Centers of Excellence Project (P126974), which closed in March 2020, and is now part of the Second Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence for Development Impact (P169064). 19 Education yearbook 2020 (including the exam classes). 20 The gender dimension of dropouts is serious and far-reaching, as early marriage may keep girls and young women out of schooling for life. Feb 03, 2021 Page 10 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) being implemented under the COVID-19 Education Response Project, such as the provision of school grants, the deployment of remedial programs for at-risk learners in order to prevent risks of repetitions and drop-outs, as well as the development of a multimodal distance learning platform, which will be deployed and implemented under this IDA-GPE funded Project. The proposed Project will seek to contribute to medium- and long-term response efforts pursued by the Togolese Government and to improve the overall resilience and quality of the education system in Togo. C. Proposed Development Objective(s) Development Objective(s) (From PAD) 13. The Project Development Objectives (PDO) are to improve the quality of, and equitable access to, basic education in selected regions, particularly for girls; and strengthen the overall management of the education system. Key Results PDO Level Indicators 14. Progress towards achievement of the PDO will be measured by the following PDO-level indicators21: • Increased percentage of primary teachers in targeted inspectorates demonstrating improved teaching practices in the classroom (quality - teaching practice); • Percentage of grade 2 students achieving at least a minimum level of proficiency in reading in beneficiary schools.22 (Percentage) (disaggregated by gender) (quality - learning outcome); • Percentage of grade 2 students achieving at least a minimum level of proficiency in mathematics in beneficiary schools (Percentage) (disaggregated by gender) (quality/learning); • Increased completion rate in general lower-secondary education in targeted areas (disaggregated by gender) (equitable access); and • The National Learning Assessment System (NLAS) is functional (education system management). D. Project Description 15. The proposed Project’s design builds on the lessons learned from the Education and Institutional Strengthening Projects 1 and 2 (PERI 1&2). The proposed Project will seek to achieve its development objectives by implementing the interventions supported under the three components described below. In line with GPE’s financing model, a results-based financing approach will also be employed to address critical gaps identified in the Togolese education sector. At least 30 percent of the GPE funding will be disbursed based on the achievement of these results. Annex 2 provides a more detailed Project description. Component 1: Improving quality of teaching and learning (estimated costs: IDA—US$23.94 million equivalent; GPE—US$11.19) 21 Definitions of PDO-level indicators are included in the Results Framework Section. The indicators will be further defined with the Government during Appraisal and fully captured in the final version of the PAD, as well as the PIM. 22 The proposed Project will support the MEPSTA in carrying out the Early Grade Reading/Mathematics Assessment (EGRA/EGMA) to measure second grade students’ level of proficiency in reading and math ematics. Feb 03, 2021 Page 11 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) 16. To positively impact learning outcome at the primary education level, component 1 aims to strengthen teacher effectiveness by supporting teacher training interventions. Component 1 comprises three sub- components: Sub-component 1.1—Improved teacher training and monitoring system— which aims to: (i) strengthen pre-service and in-service training; (ii) enhance the teacher monitoring system; and (iii) adopt digital learning technologies to improve the quality of teaching and learning; Sub-component 1.2—Curriculum reform and textbook policy—which aims to support curriculum reform and the adoption of a national textbook policy; and Sub-component 1.3 — Provision of school grants and performance-based contracts, which aims to provide grants to targeted schools by the proposed Project. Subcomponent 1.1: Improved teacher training and monitoring system 17. Teacher training. At the pre-service level, based on key recommendations from the Government’s study of the optimal functioning of Teacher Training Schools23 (Ecole Normale d’Instituteurs – ENI)24, the proposed Project will finance: (i) technical assistance for a review and revision of the ENI curriculum ensuring that the curriculum focuses on areas related to GBV/SEA-SH and climate change; (ii) technical assistance for the development of training programs, and (iii) the training of trainers (ENIs instructors) on the newly developed ENI curriculum; (iv) operating costs of teacher training schools (i.e., ENIs, INSE, ENS, and University of Kara Faculty of Science and Technology [FAST-UK]) to ensure optimal functioning of these institutes; and (v) the provision of equipment and pedagogical materials (i.e., laptops, books, and other training materials as needed).25 18. At the in-service level, the proposed Project will finance: (i) initial training for voluntary teachers (using Formation Initial de Rattrapage (FIR) or catch-up training program for voluntary teachers26) to increase their content knowledge and pedagogical skills, including the development and provision of detailed teacher guides/lessons to be used in the classroom; (ii) teacher training to increase pedagogical skills and content knowledge on the newly revised curriculum (grades 4 to 6) in French and mathematics for primary teachers upon completion of the revised grades 4 to 6 curriculum under sub-component 1.2 (including a recycling training for teachers previously trained under PERI-2 for grades 1,2, and 3); (iii) teacher training to improve teacher pedagogical skills in early grades (1 &2) with a focus on French/literacy and Mathematics; and (iv) the development of training modules and teacher training on the evaluation by competence approach (Approche par Competence, APC) for primary and lower-secondary teachers. In addition, the project will finance lower-secondary teachers training in French, mathematics, and physics-chemistry-technology using the same approach27 developed by the French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement-AFD) Secondary Education Support Project (PAREC2) in the three regions not currently covered by the PAREC2 project.28 Furthermore, in 23 Teacher training schools include: primary teacher training or Ecole Nationale des Instituteurs (ENI), lower- secondary teacher training schools or Ecole Normal Supérieur (ENS), and INSE 24 Report on the optimal functioning of ENIs (Jan 2018). 25 Prior to any support the ENIs should set up a clear action plan with key objectives and targets and monitoring system. 26 See more details of this approach in the detailed project description in Annex 2. 27 Didactic and disciplinary training in streamlining programs, in the use of digital resources and in the use of scientific material. 28 Regions not covered by PAREC intervention are Kara, Central and Lomé-Golfe. Feb 03, 2021 Page 12 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) collaboration with development partners (DPs), the proposed Project will finance technical assistance to MEPSTA to set up a harmonized teacher training approach that will capitalize on existing practices and articulate interventions between DF and ENIs. Finally, there will be synergies with the support of UNICEF on the dashboards distributed in all lower secondary schools. 19. Two performance-based conditions (PBCs) will be used to finance activities related to improved teacher quality. PBC1 (US$2.34 million) increased percentage of primary teachers in targeted schools in selected regions demonstrating improved teaching practices in the classroom, incentivizes improvements in teaching quality through training that improves content knowledge and pedagogical practices support under the sub-component as well as reduction in the disparities in the learning environments. PBC2 (US$0.936 million) reduction of the average repetition rate in primary education, also targets improved pedagogical practices for better learning outcomes to support a reduction in repetition. PBC1 and PBC2 will finance technical assistance for developing teaching and learning materials, equipment, teacher training, and capacity training required to support reforms under this sub-component. 20. Teacher monitoring and supervision. The proposed Project will also support the strengthening of the teacher monitoring system to improve teacher effectiveness. To this end, the proposed Project will finance: (i) technical assistance for piloting of a classroom observation tool29 and its use by teacher supervision staff (i.e., school directors, pedagogical advisors, inspectors) to monitor classroom processes; and (ii) provision of training for supervision staff to improve close monitoring of teachers “encadrement de proximité� at the primary and lower-secondary levels. For lower secondary level, the training will be focused in the three regions not covered by the above-mentioned PAREC2 project. 21. Leveraging digital technologies to improve the quality of teaching and learning. To echo the presidency’ initiatives on digitalization in education30, the proposed Project aims to leverage digital technologies to improve the quality of teaching and learning. This effort will also reduce the level of greenhouse emissions because inspectors will make fewer trips to schools. This sub-component will finance: (i) teacher training in the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in teaching, which includes the use of daily lesson plans, scripted lesson, and the like; and (ii) the provision of 48 computers and 48 video projectors for the 48 pedagogical sectors of the Kara, Gulf-Lomé, Central regions. Subcomponent 1.2: Curriculum reform and textbook policy 22. This sub-component will support continued curriculum reform and the establishment of textbook policy. Under the PERI-2 Project (P146294), the curriculum for CP1 to CM2 grades (all primary levels) was revised; textbooks for grades 1-3 were reproduced and distributed, and a study on the development of a textbook policy in Togo was supported. The proposed Project will operationalize the primary level curriculum reform effort for CE2, CM1 and CM2 (grades 4-6) through financing the editing, printing, and distributing of teachers’ guides and 29 There are a number of such tools available for consideration. The World Bank has recently developed a tool known as ‘Teach’. Teach is an open-source tool designed for use in primary classrooms of low- to middle-income countries. It helps track and improve the quality of teaching. The World Bank is also developing a supporting tool called ‘COACH’. Together these could be used by school directors and others to monitor classroom processes and improve upon existing practice. 30 Togo’s vision and approach to enhance the country’s education system, 2019 Ministry of digital and ICT. Feb 03, 2021 Page 13 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) textbooks. Through these activities the project will ensure the inclusion of climate change content in teachers’ manuals and student textbooks. The project will also finance: (i) technical assistance for select activities related to the curriculum revision in lower secondary that include finalizing the revision and validation of math, science, physics and technology textbooks, as well as the editing, and (ii) printing and distributing of technology textbooks. The new curricula will include content on climate change mitigation and adaptation. In addition, building on the recommendation of the study on textbook policy, this sub-component will assist the MEPSTA in the establishment of a national textbook policy including, among others, outsourcing publishing and printing of textbooks to the private sector and technical assistance to implement the key policy options validated. Subcomponent 1.3: Performance-based incentives programs 23. Performance-based incentives for quality supervision and monitoring. Building on existing initiatives that have already been implemented under the PERI-2 Project, this sub-component will finance financial incentives (grants) through a performance-based incentives program to build the capacity of decentralized education authorities. Financial incentives (or grants) will be provided to the six DREs and 69 district inspectorates with the overall objectives of: (i) improving quality at the school level, inter alia, pedagogical support to teachers resulting from classroom visits by school inspectors and pedagogical advisers; (ii) providing incentives for girls’ schooling; (iii) re-organizing the primary cycle into three sub-cycles to reduce repetition rates; and (iv) strengthening the teacher supervision and monitoring system. 24. At the district level, the proposed Project will continue the performance-based incentives program launched under the PERI-2 Project. Contracts will be signed between the DRE and the District Education Inspectorates (Inspection des enseignements prescolaire et primaire—IEPP’s). In these contracts, the DRE, representing the Government, agrees to pay a pre-determined amount of money. In return, the IEPP will commit to improve the performance of the education sector at the district-level and the DRE will provide the resources to finance the IEPP action plans to improve education results. These action plans will include, but will not be limited to, all quality improvement initiatives at the district level, especially in-service teacher training, teacher supervision and monitoring, availability of learning materials, tutoring and remediation courses, learning innovation, students' assessment at school level, enrollment and retention campaigns, classroom observations as a way of tracking curriculum implementation, and follow-up actions after assessment results are available. To sustain this initiative, the IEPP action plans will begin to integrate all resources managed by IEPP. The average amount of the grant will be approximately US$8,000 per year (annual average amount). All inspectorates receiving a grant will be encouraged to prepare a District Improvement Plan (Plan amelioration de la qualité). 25. At the regional level, the proposed Project will introduce the performance-based incentives program for DREs based on the IEPP model from PERI-2. The DREs play a central role in the global monitoring of the system and quality assurance. Performance-based incentives between the regional authorities and the MEPSTA will therefore focus on targets which strengthen the monitoring mechanism and evaluate progress toward improved learning outcomes and retention. Contracts will be signed between the DREs and the MEPSTA that will focus on targets which strengthen the supervision and monitoring mechanism and evaluate progress toward improved learning outcomes and retention. Each DRE will prepare a detailed action plan that specifies the specific actions which will need to be undertaken in order to achieve agreed upon standards and targets. Annex 2 provides details on how the implementation of the DRE grants will be monitored. To sustain this initiative, the DRE action plans Feb 03, 2021 Page 14 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) will also begin to integrate all resources managed by DRE. The average amount of the grant will be approximately US$12,500 per year (annual average amount). All DREs receiving a grant will be encouraged to prepare a Regional Improvement Plan (Plan Regional d ’amelioration des performances). 26. School grants for quality improvement in primary schools. As part of the PERI-2 Project, performance- based grants were provided annually to selected public primary schools for quality enhancement activities31. Based on this successful experience32, the proposed Project will scale-up and expand the quality improvement grant to all public primary schools.33 Regarding lower secondary schools, the proposed Project will build on other donor supported projects to support the establishment of school improvement plans34. It is expected that 6,095 public primary and lower-secondary schools will receive the school grants under the proposed Project. The school grants will be awarded based on school size, context/location, gender statistics, resources already available and school performance. Lower secondary schools will develop a school improvement plans (projet d’école) that includes all sources of funds. The school grants will be managed by the school-based management committees (Comités de Gestion de l’Ecole Primaire/Secondaire – COGEPs/COGERES) to encourage greater community participation in school management. Annexes 2 and 12 describe: (i) the methods that will be used to calculate the amount of the school grants; (ii) the procedure for allocating and monitoring school grants and sanctions for false statements; (iii) the list of eligible and ineligible materials to be financed under the grant; and (iv) the allowable procurement modalities under the school grants program. Each school will prepare a School Improvement Plan (projet d’école). For the lower secondary level, the approach “projet d’etablissement�35 developed by PAREC2 will be considered. The Project Implementation Manual (PIM) will further describe the processes and protocol for the quality improvement grants disbursed to schools. Component 2: Improve equitable access to basic education (primary and lower-secondary) (estimated costs: IDA—US$11.88 million equivalent; GPE—US$2.87 million) 27. Component 2 aims to improve equitable access to basic education in primary and lower secondary education. Based on issues identified in the sector context section, this component will carry out interventions related to: (i) reducing barriers to girls’ education; (ii) expanding access to basic education; and (iii) supporting the establishment of digitally enabled school environments. Component 2 aims to support the achievement of the outcomes specified in the ‘access and equity’ priority area of the Government’s Education Sector Strategy (2020- 2030). Table 2.1 in the Annex 2 provides an overview of the proposed Project’s multilevel interventions to increase 31 Under PERI-2 project 1,650 schools received grants to improve quality. The size of the grant varied between US$400 and US$1,000 and were used for pedagogical materials, organization of pedagogical activities, needed stationery and medical kits. 32 An evaluation of the school grants was conducted with the Ministry. Results showed great improvement and highlighted key recommendations to better strengthen the process for future operations. 33 Grants will be allocated for an average of US$600 per year per school for a total of approximately US$ 2,11 million per year for all. 34 Under the PAREC2 ($US15 million from AFD) 175 lower secondary schools have benefited from support to develop school action plans. 35 Under PAREC2 low secondary schools in three regions have been granted a subsidy to implement a unique Improvement Plan. Supported activities were about community engagement through COGERES lead, sensitization and girls’ access and retention. Feb 03, 2021 Page 15 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) girls’ participation in primary and lower-secondary education in disadvantaged prefectures where girls’ completion rates are the lowest36. Subcomponent 2.1: Reducing barriers to girls’ education in rural and disadvantaged areas 28. This sub-component aims to increase girl’s participation in schools. The project will support the implementation of a set of multilevel interventions proven to increase girls’ participation in school at the school, community, and institutional levels in order to address challenges surrounding girls’ education in a holistic approach. The proposed Project will finance workshops, capacity building, training materials, communication campaigns, equipment, and consultancies costs related to the implementation of multilevel interventions in targeted primary and general lower-secondary schools. The proposed multilevel interventions include: (i) the establishment and implementation of a Safe School Program (SSP) (i.e., construction of separate latrines and water points [implemented under subcomponent 2.2]), implementation of SRGBV/SEA-SH plans, provision and distribution of school uniforms for girls); (ii) developing and establishing school health (SH) packages in targeted schools (i.e., sexual and reproductive Health education and menstrual hygiene management programs); (iii) sensitization campaigns related to girls’ education, early marriage, early pregnancies, and issues related to unequal social norms; and (iv) the optimization of the MEPSTA’s gender focal unit to ensure its functioning (i.e. capacity building, staffing, equipment). The implementation of this sub-component will build on existing approaches developed on the ground by development partners37. Sub-component 2.2: Expanding access in primary and lower-secondary education 29. Evidence shows that bringing basic schools closer to communities through effective geolocation of new primary and lower secondary schools and the addition of lower-secondary in existing primary schools significantly contribute to improving access and equity in basic education.38 Schools’ infrastructure construction will follow a universal design to ensure digital-enabled infrastructures are in place and eliminate architectural barriers for disabled students, teachers and any other person with disabilities accessing school environments. 30. The choice of construction sites will be based on the school mapping strategy and identified education- demand and needs, prioritizing rural and disadvantaged areas. Targeted prefectures will be selected based on “student/classroom ratio�, “school size�, and “classroom condition (i.e., existing schools with high proportion of classrooms built with temporary materials)�. The implementation of this sub-component will build on the community-based approach to school infrastructure construction implemented under PERI-239 as well as existing 36 See Annex 10 for more information on targeting methods. At the primary level: 4 most disadvantaged prefectures have been identified (Dankpen; Keran; Lacs, Kpendjal). At the lower-secondary level: 9 most disadvantaged prefectures have been identified (Dankpen, Keran, Kpendjal, Cinkasse, Oti, Akebou, Moyen Mono, Tchamba). 37 The PAREC2, project financed by the French Development Agency for school improvement plans and UNICEF for WASH and communication for development (C4D) interventions. 38 Bashir et al., 2018, Facing Forward: Schooling for Learning in Africa, IBRD, Washington DC, USA. 39 The construction of school infrastructures will be delegated to communities under the supervision of COGEP/COGERES. COGEP/COGERES will benefit from school grants for the implementation of construction works. The community-based approach to school construction utilized under the previous PERI-2 Project proved to be cost-effective in building classrooms. This approach was successfully implemented under PERI-2 and is seen as a best practice by many West African countries (e.g., Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire and Madagascar). Feb 03, 2021 Page 16 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) approaches developed and successfully implemented by other development partners working in Togo40and the ongoing WBG safety nets project which uses CDD approach to build social infrastructures including classrooms. 31. This sub-component will finance the construction of 540 new primary and lower-secondary classrooms, latrines, 70 water points, and school fencing in targeted prefectures41 and existing primary and lower-secondary schools that are facing a high unmet demand. In addition, the project will finance, where possible, energy-efficient materials and equipment (e.g., installing solar panels, using energy-efficient appliances), to ensure that school are substantially more energy-efficient and take into consideration the realities of climate change. Activities will be carried out with an important gender focus, especially in relation to bringing schools closer to where families live, including the construction of gender-sensitive infrastructures. The proposed Project will also finance training cost, capacity building and workshops related to the implementation of the community-based approach to school infrastructure construction Furthermore, this sub-component will finance operating costs to operationalize the school map. Subcomponent 2.3: Supporting the establishment of digitally enabled school environments 32. Establishment of a multimodal remote learning platform in MEPSTA. Building on the Digital Economy for Africa (DE4A) Country Diagnostic42 and the key lessons learned from the implementation of the Togo COVID-19 Education Response Project (P174166), the proposed Project will support the implementation of a multimodal remote learning platform while mutualizing existing and future efforts such as the DIKSHA program43 of the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology. The proposed Project will finance acquisition of equipment to ensure the implementation of the multimodal remote learning platform. 33. Piloting the establishment of a science and technology cyber-physical lab. As part of MEPSTA’s strategy to increase the quality of scientific education in secondary education, a science and technology centers/lab will be established in a key education hub for ease of access to students in neighboring schools. A cyber-physical lab will allow for students to remotely operate an Avatar robot and carry out scientific and engineering experiments from their schools. This sub-component will finance: (i) the acquisition of one cyber-physical lab in select locations; (ii) technical assistance for the piloting and establishment of the lab; and (iii) equipment to carry out scientific and engineering experiments. (See Annex 2-Detailed Project Description for more information.) Component 3: Strengthening system management and resilience (estimated costs: IDA—US$7.18 million equivalent; GPE—US$1.04 million) 40 The school infrastructure construction approach implemented under PAREC2 integrating a partnership with two NGOs (Aide et Action International and Plan International Togo). 41 The targeting will be informed by the school map. See Annex 10 for details on school sites targeting criteria. 42 Recommendations included: (i) facilitate access to digital tools in the education sector and strengthen access to online resources; (ii) activate the online knowledge sharing system; and (iii) prepare policies and programs based on a comprehensive digital skills framework. 43 DIKSHA is a unique initiative which leverages existing highly scalable and flexible digital infrastructures, while keeping teachers at the center. Feb 03, 2021 Page 17 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) 34. Component 3 aims to strengthen the management and resilience of the education system by: (i) strengthening systems for better management; (ii) leadership and accountability systems and practices and by building the capacity of COGEPs; and (iii) supporting project management and monitoring and evaluation. Subcomponent 3.1: System strengthening and resilience for effective sector management 35. The specific objectives of the subcomponent are to ensure that: (i) a Human Resources Management Information System (HRMIS) is established and used to inform teachers recruitment and deployment decisions; (ii) an NLAS is functional for better monitoring and evaluation of learning outcomes; (iii) the Education Management Information System (EMIS) is functional and information is available nationwide; and (iv) the education system is resilient and able to anticipate future shocks to the education system. This subcomponent will also support the implementation of the new teacher policy. 36. Human Resources Management Information System. The proposed Project will finance technical assistance to develop and put in place an HRMIS in order to improve teacher recruitment and deployment learning from Senegal experience with MIRADOR44.. To that end, the proposed Project will support a technical audit of the MEPSTA’s teacher management system (at all levels), which will inform the development and establishment of an HRMIS. 37. National Learning Assessment System. The proposed Project will develop and strengthen the National Assessment Unit (NAU) capacity to measure and monitor learning outcomes. This will be achieved largely through the achievement of PBC 3—National Learning Assessment System is operational (US$1.40 million). PBC3 incentivizes the implementation of a robust learning assessment system which is essential for monitoring student learning, diagnosing student learning challenges and ensuring feedback into the system. PBC 3 will finance technical assistance, workshops, training and equipment needed to support (i) capacity building activities for the NAU members on assessment, (ii) the development of a digital classroom assessment system based on the TEACH classroom observation instrument to provide immediate feedback to support teaching and learning, and (iii) the carrying out grade 2 student assessments (i.e., Early Grade Reading Assessment [EGRA]/Early Grade Mathematics Assessment [EGMA]). The proposed Project will also support, through non-PBC financing, the cost of MEPSTA’s participation in a regional assessment (e.g., PASEC). Moreover, the Government will be responsible for ensuring that a budget line is dedicated to the functioning of the National Learning Assessment Unit (ENEAS) to ensure the sustainability of the unit after project closure and its institutionalization within MEPSTA. 38. Education Management Information System. Under this subcomponent, the proposed Project will finance staff training, preparation of monitoring reports, equipment, workshops and consultants to strengthen the EMIS’s capacity to collect and analyze data to inform decision-making which will lead to the three following main objectives: (i) optimization of the ministry unit in charge of data collection and evaluation for the EMIS; (ii) building capacity of ministry staff (i.e., DPEE) to effectively conduct data collection; and (iii) improve the quality of data collected and stored in the EMIS. UNICEF is currently conducting a study on the EMIS in place which will contribute to inform improvement strategies. 44 The new teacher policy identified this as a prior action for Togo and Government is committed to move this forward. In French, MIRADOR is Manangement Integré des ressources axées sur une dotation rationnelle). Feb 03, 2021 Page 18 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) Subcomponent 3.2: Consolidating accountability and capacity building of COGEPs and key stakeholders 39. Enhance COGEPs/COGERES engagement. The subcomponent will finance training costs, workshops, and operating cost to build capacity of the COGEPs/COGERES and enhance their engagement in the management of schools. Currently, school management committees in Togo are some of the most well-established entities and highly functional in the sub-region. COGEPs/COGERES play a central role in the education system by primarily supporting construction supervision, purchase of uniforms for girls, distribution of sanitary kits, management of school grants, and monitoring of overall school activities. Moreover, the community-based approach to school construction utilized under the previous PERI-2 Project proved to be cost-effective in building classrooms. A 2018 study conducted under the PERI-2 underscored the COGEPs’ critical role in promoting improved school performance and gender equity. Building on this evidence and lessons learned, the proposed Project will continue to strengthen the capacity of COGEPs/COGERES to ensure efficient management of school-based activities, including: (i) construction of classrooms with appropriate energy efficient designs; (ii) distribution of school health promoting kits and uniforms for girls; (iii) management of school grants; and (iv) involvement in monitoring of overall school activities (i.e., management of textbooks). Furthermore, the component will include capacity building of key stakeholders, including unions, to strengthen the Project’s overall development impact. Study tours will be supported to ensure unions and key stakeholders learn from best practices. Subcomponent 3.3: Technical assistance, monitoring and evaluation and Project management 40. This sub-component will support proposed Project implementation by strengthening the management capacity of MEPSTA staff as well as regional and municipal education administrators. To achieve this the proposed project will finance technical assistance to improve the selection, evaluation, and preparation of implementation staff as well as financing operational costs for the proposed Project management, monitoring, communication campaigns, equipment, acquisition of vehicles, and salaries of Project Coordination Unit (PCU) staff who are not civil servants. Under this subcomponent, the proposed Project will also finance procurement, financial management, environmental and social risk management, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting for the proposed Project, and operating costs. 41. Studies and surveys. Under this sub-component, the proposed Project will finance technical assistance for studies and surveys to assess the impact of proposed Project’s interventions, as well as the following thematic studies: (i) an evaluation on school health and gender related activities to assess effectiveness and inform way forward; (ii) an SDI exercise will also be supported under the proposed Project to provide better data on teacher behavior and performance; (iii) a feasibility study on incentives to recruit and support women in the teaching profession aimed at significantly increasing the quota of women in the teaching profession at all levels and promoting their presence as role model in areas where girls’ education in lagging; and (iv) a feasibility study of a mechanism for attracting, retaining and rotating teachers, 45 and (v) a feasibility study to explore public and private partnerships (PPPs) in construction of classrooms and equipment in collaboration with International Finance Corporation (IFC) in order to supplement Government’ resources and contribute to resorb the country gap in school infrastructure (Annex 10 provides more details on the PPPs’ model). The proposed project will also finance communications and an Independent Verification Agent (IVA) to ensure the proposed Project is effectively 45 These actions are among the top priorities identified in the Teacher policy under approbation. The proposed Project will be an opportunity to implement it. Feb 03, 2021 Page 19 of 26 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) implemented aligned with World Bank and GPE requirements. The proposed Project will also explore opportunities to provide technical assistance to develop studies and analysis of the TVET sector with the objective to prepare the ground for other donors’ contribution to the TVET sector. 42. Geo-Enabling for Monitoring and Supervision (GEMS). Given the security context46 in the Northern areas (mainly Savane and Kara regions), a suitable M&E system will be designed and implemented to better monitor the proposed Project activities in remote beneficiary regions. The proposed Project will build on the COVID-19 Education Response Project (P174166) which is currently supporting the MEPSTA to set up a GEMS system. This includes, among others: (i) capacity-building training online or in-country of relevant ministry and PCU staff; (ii) putting in place low-cost technological solutions for real time digital data collection for improved monitoring and supervision in close collaboration with the GEMS team; and (iii) field data collection costs as needed (enumerators’ accommodation, communication costs, transportation). The proposed Project will use data collection tools such as KoBo Toolbox designed to work in difficult conditions. Component 4: Contingency Emergency Response Component (CERC) (estimated costs: IDA US$0.0 million) 43. A CERC will be included under the proposed project in accordance with OP 8.00 of World Bank Investment Project Financing (IPF) Policy to help the Government improve its response time in the event of future situations where urgent assistance is needed. A CERC allows for rapid reallocation of project proceeds in the event of a future natural or man-made disaster or crisis that has caused or is imminently likely to cause a major adverse economic and/or social impact. This includes the increased risk of natural disasters due to climate change. This Component will have no funding allocation initially. In the event of a future emergency, it could be used to draw resources from the unallocated expenditure category and/or allow the Government to request the World Bank to reallocate financing from other project components to cover emergency response and recovery costs, if approved by the World Bank. Disbursements will be made against a list of critical goods or the procurement of works, and consultant services required to support the immediate response and recovery needs. . PIM will reflect the inclusion of CERC. The . Legal Operational Policies Triggered? Projects on International Waterways OP 7.50 No Projects in Disputed Areas OP 7.60 No Summary of Assessment of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts . N/A Note: To view the Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts, please refer to the Appraisal Stage ESRS Document. Please delete this note when finalizing the document. 46 In relation with jihadist attacks in northern Togo. Feb 03, 2021 Page 20 of 26 The World Bank Togo Education Response Project to COVID-19 (P174166) E. Implementation Institutional and Implementation Arrangements 44. The proposed Project’s institutional and implementation arrangements build on the implementation of the PERI-2 (P146294) and ongoing COVID-19 Education Response Project (P174166). The responsible agency will be the MEPSTA. Under the authority of the Secretary General (SG) of the MEPSTA, the Departments that will implement the proposed Project’s various components and sub-components will be clearly identified and each entity’s specific roles and responsibilities will be defined. See Annex 1 for details on the Departments responsible for implementation. It is expected that a PCU will be established under the MEPSTA reporting to the Secretary General. The PCU will be headed by a PCU General Coordinator and will include technical, procurement, financial management staff to provide support to the implementation units. Based on the experience from PERI-2, the PCU will include both a full-time environmental safeguards specialist and a social safeguards specialist to lead the implementation of the environmental and social risk instruments and measures. The support will include, inter alia: (i) reviewing the annual activity plans and procurement plans of the implementing units; (ii) coordinating the implementation of the proposed Project related activities and ensuring timely achievement of agreed upon targets (including the “variable part�); (iii) consolidating financial reports and documenting the use of IDA and GPE funds; (iv) tracking implementation progress and results achieved; (v) coordinating external audit arrangements to fulfill the audit covenants of the proposed Project; (vi) coordinating M&E activities and updating the proposed Project results framework including the �variable part�; (vii) communicating with key stakeholders on the progress and outcomes of the proposed Project; and (viii) liaising on behalf of MEPSTA with international DPs (such as the World Bank, AFD, AfDB) to ensure that all proposed Project activities are well-coordinated. An IVE will also be contracted to verify the achievement of the “variable part� targets. 45. Under the authority of the SG of the MEPSTA, the Departments implementing the proposed Project’s components and sub-components are described in Annex 1. The DEP will be responsible for: (i) developing and implementing the new curricula; (ii) developing and implementing the teacher training policy; and (iii) implementing the school grants and research activities for quality improvement. The Director of Education Planning and Evaluation (DPEE) is responsible for: (i) developing the education sector strategy, including the update of school construction strategy; (ii) implementing the MEPSTA’ policy; (iii) coordinating, planning, M&E activities, including the school mapping; and (iv) developing the EMIS. The proposed Project will strengthen the MEPSTA departments by funding: (i) on-site TA to support the DEP in all pedagogical aspects of the proposed Project; and (ii) a full-time civil works engineer and a part-time Grassroots Management Training expert to support the DPEE in the implementation of school construction. The new organization of the DPEE will include a Division of Community Development and Environment (Division du développement communautaire et environnement – DDCE) that was recently established by the Government. 46. A Project Steering Committee (PSC), chaired by the Secretary-General of the MEPSTA, will meet at least two times per year to supervise the proposed Project. The PSC Committee, chaired by the SG of the MEPSTA, will be composed of: (i) the fiduciary members of the PCU, (ii) specific directors of the MEPSTA (Director of Financial Affairs, Director of Training, Director of Pre-Primary and Primary Education, Director of Educational Planning and Evaluation, and Director of Human Resources, Director of Secondary Education, and all Regional Directors of Education) and the Director of Literacy and Non-Formal Education within the Ministry of Social Action and Promotion of Women and Literacy (Ministère de l’Action Sociale, de la promotion de la femme et de l’alphabétisation – MASPFA); and (iii) two NGO project partners (Aide et Action and Plan Togo). The PSC will: (i) validate planned activities budgets for the coming year and progress reports of the proposed Project; (ii) provide support and advice to the proposed Project team on the implementation of Project activities; (iii) ensure the participation of all partners in the proposed Project; (iv) facilitate exchanges with related Page 21 of 125 The World Bank Togo Education Response Project to COVID-19 (P174166) development activities to those of the proposed Project; (v) issue a technical opinion on the action plan to safeguard educational resources developed by the proposed Project; and (vi) ensure systematic M&E of the proposed Project’s activities and results achieved. 47. In each of the six regions, proposed Project’s activities will be coordinated by the DREs under the supervision of the Secretary General of the MEPSTA. The School Inspectorates, under the supervision of the DRE, will be the key entities overseeing the proposed Project’s activities and compiling the data supplied by the schools for M&E. 48. At the school level, the school head will be responsible for all of the activities taking place at the school level, including the procurement of teaching materials, girls’ uniforms, and sanitary under the school grants program. At the community level, the COGEPs, composed of representatives of parents, school staff and local resource persons will be responsible for the implementation of the school projects. More specifically, the COGEPs will be responsible for managing the corresponding grants to implement the school construction sub-projects. In addition, they will be responsible for supporting schools to deliver the agreed results, and to monitor and report on the functioning of schools. Results Monitoring and Evaluation Arrangements 49. The guiding principle of the proposed Project’s M&E system will be to further strengthen, and subsequently utilize, the established Government systems. The M&E indicators agreed with the other donors include some of the indicators of the Education Sector Plan (Plan Sectoriel de l’Education) (PSE) and indicators specific to the IQEBE Project (see Annex 1). Although not included in Annex 1, the percentage of female teachers will be monitored in the whole country by the MEPSTA to assess progress made towards achievement of this high-level goal outlined in the National Teacher Policy Report. The improvement of statistical databases supported by the proposed Project will enable the production of higher quality statistical yearbooks under the responsibility of the DPEE. The latter will also be responsible for collecting the data and monitoring the indicators of the proposed Project, which will be carried out in close collaboration with the M&E specialists in the PCU. An IVE will also be recruited to independently verify the achievement of results-based (i.e., “variable part�) targets. 50. The existing Permanent Technical Secretariat (Secrétaire Technique Permanent—STP) composed of full-time civil servants and four resident experts financed by PERI 2 will continue the coordination and M&E of the activities of the PSE. A joint annual review organized by the STP, involving all donor partners and NGOs active in the education sector, will be asked to take stock of the achievements of the previous school year and jointly assess and evaluate the technical and financial performance of the PSE, the implementation of education policies and provide recommendations for improved implementation. A consolidated performance report will focus on the extent to which objectives and outcomes have been successfully achieved. 51. The proposed Project will finance capacity building activities for the NAU to carry out a learning assessment and monitor progress on learning achievement. In addition, other analyses will be financed under the proposed Project and carried out periodically to better measure the Project’s impact on beneficiaries and service delivery efficiency, including baseline and impact surveys for teachers’ performance before and after in-service training. Thematic studies will also be supported in order to further improve the effectiveness of the activities supported under the proposed Project. Page 22 of 125 The World Bank Togo Education Response Project to COVID-19 (P174166) 52. With respect to the activities related to girls’ schooling and school grants, it will be necessary to ensure that resources are available at the school level on time and communities are informed of the resource availability. In this regard, the phone numbers of two members of each COGEP will be collected in order to enable the PCU to perform random checks in each school Inspectorate. It is expected that an agreement will be reached with the local radios to publish, in a timely manner, in each district, the amount of the grants to be provided to each school. In addition, the proposed Project’s results framework comprises indicators to monitor gender disaggregated data analysis and assess gender impact. All proposed PDO-level indicators will be disaggregated by gender as relevant. Sustainability 53. The strong links between the proposed Project and the PSE for 2020-2030 may enhance the prospects for its technical and financial sustainability, keeping in mind that the larger plan and the sector itself will continue to face significant financial constraints during the foreseeable future. The proposed Project is well aligned with national priorities and benefits from strong government ownership, which is critical to its long-term sustainability. The PDO and proposed Project’s activities are consistent with national strategies, including the NDP and the PSE 2020-2030. The proposed Project benefits from strong commitment of the Government which has demonstrated that improving the quality of its education system and learning outcomes is a key priority. The preparation of the proposed Project has been highly collaborative, with significant donor participation and a proactive role played by the MEP and MES in the proposed Project’s preparation committee. Furthermore, the background papers, including the 2019 RESEN, the financial simulation model for PSE, and the financial framework note prepared and endorsed by the Government, also provide a strong technical basis on which the proposed Project was developed. 54. The design and choice of proposed Project’s activities was informed by international and national evidence of good practices, which ensures its technical viability. The technical contents of the proposed Project took into consideration capacity constraints and lessons learned from previous operations in Togo, particularly the GPE-PERI-2, and were supported by analytical work, such as the WDR 2018, the recent validated Teacher Policy and ENIs optimal functioning report, the Digital Economy for Africa Country Diagnostic. Furthermore, results from the Togo Public Expenditure Review (P171688) and AFCF2 Human Capital Project (P172250) Analytical Work and the ICR of the WBG Education and Institutional Strengthening Projects (closed on September 30, 2019) also informed the proposed Project design. 55. The proposed Project’s design and implementation arrangements explicitly promote long -term sustainability by focusing on institution development and capacity building. The proposed Project contributes to improving the Government’s capacity to better manage human and fiscal resources by introducing performance-based management at all level of the education system and by supporting the new HR strategy aiming at a better management and deployment of teacher across the country. The proposed Project also supports the development of planning and M&E capacity within MEPSTA, including through the modernization of EMIS and efficient use of ICT tools. The activity to train teachers to improve teaching practices in the classroom is likely to be maintained and positively impact the system beyond the life of the proposed Project. 56. Consistency with the current WBG engagement to support the development of the digital sector . Since 2013, the WBG has been successfully engaged with the Togolese Government to place the digital sector at the heart of its national strategy in order to accelerate the development of priority business sectors and modernize their administration. Page 23 of 125 The World Bank Togo Education Response Project to COVID-19 (P174166) Advances in this domain have been possible through the establishment of an active sectoral policy dialogue group. In addition to its active participation in the sectoral group, the WBG has also supported the development of the digital sector in Togo through a series of Bank-managed operations, including: The West Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Project (WARCIP) (P123093) and a series of Development Policy Operations (DPOs) with ICT components Togo Fiscal Reform Credit (P159844), Togo Second Fiscal Management & Infrastructure Reform DPO (P166739). The WARCIP aims at strengthening the connectivity of the territory by building new digital infrastructure, thereby reducing the costs of access to telecommunications services and improving the quality of the network while updating the ICT regulatory framework. Page 24 of 125 The World Bank Togo Education Response Project to COVID-19 (P174166) . CONTACT POINT World Bank Mouhamadou Moustapha Lo Education Specialist Borrower/Client/Recipient Ministry of Economy and Finance Implementing Agencies Ministry of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education and Handicraft - MEPSTA Marie-France Titora Secretaire General MEPS mfrtitora@yahoo.fr FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Mouhamadou Moustapha Lo Approved By Practice Manager/Manager: Page 25 of 125 The World Bank TOGO - Improving Quality and Equity of Basic Education Project (P172674) Country Director: Coralie Gevers 29-Jun-2021 Feb 03, 2021 Page 26 of 26