The World Bank Supporting Youth Inclusive Local Development in Kosovo Integrated Safeguards Data Sheet Identification / Concept Stage (ISDS) Public Disclosure Copy Concept Stage | Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 11-Oct-2018 | Report No: ISDSC23195 Oct 13, 2018 Page 1 of 11 The World Bank Supporting Youth Inclusive Local Development in Kosovo BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Project ID Project Name Environmental Category Country Supporting Youth Inclusive B - Partial Assessment P165485 Local Development in Kosovo (B) Kosovo Team Leader(s) Estimated Date of Approval Managing Unit Financing Instrument Investment Project Gloria La Cava, Ifeta Smajic GSU03 Financing Public Disclosure Copy PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions) SUMMARY -NewFin1 Total Project Cost 0.00 Total Financing 0.00 Financing Gap 0.00 DETAILS -NewFinEnh1 Non-World Bank Group Financing Trust Funds 2.79 Japan Social Development Fund 2.79 B. Project Development Objective(s) 13. The Project Development Objective is to improve the socio-economic inclusion of at least 3,000 disadvantaged youth [7] in vulnerable communities [8] in Kosovo through (i) enhanced soft skills development and volunteering opportunities through youth driven community development, and by (ii) increasing access to youth community infrastructure and services. [9] 14. The proposed project will work through local governments to effectively target vulnerable communities and channel resources for sub-projects identified, prioritized, and designed by disadvantaged youth. Youth participants will benefit from soft skills training and project proposal preparation, building skills that are both valuable for future employers and to lead effective transformations in their communities. By activating disadvantaged youth through positive youth development interventions and services, the project aims to reduce youth’s socio-economic exclusion and disenfranchisement by identifying and finding solutions to youth unmet local needs. [7] Disadvantaged youth refers to NEETs, minorities, persons with disabilities, rural and low-income youth, IDPs, Oct 13, 2018 Page 2 of 11 The World Bank Supporting Youth Inclusive Local Development in Kosovo returnees, and LGBTI. [8] Vulnerable communities include those with: i) high rates of youth inactivity, especially among young women, ii) recent presence of foreign fighter recruits and vulnerability to violence and radicalization, and iii) legacy of ethnically- motivated tensions and mistrust. [9] Municipalities will be identified by Appraisal based on a combination of the following factors: i) high rates of youth inactivity, especially among young women, ii) recent presence of foreign fighter recruits and vulnerability to violence and radicalization, and iii) legacy of ethnically-motivated tensions and mistrust. C. Project Description A. Activities/Components Public Disclosure Copy 16. The proposed project will complement a planned youth operation in Kosovo “Youth Inclusion and Entrepreneurship” (YIEP) focused on increasing economic opportunities for inactive youth through improved access to affordable finance and sustainable entrepreneurship services (see Kosovo Country Partnership Framework FY17-21). YIEP provides supply side solutions intended to support youth economic inclusion in an economy with limited job creation, particularly for disadvantaged youth. The proposed JSDF will complement YIEP inclusion efforts by piloting demand side solutions aimed at addressing youth’s socio-economic needs at community level beyond job creation. Youth activated through the proposed JSDF grant can be directed to entrepreneurship opportunities offered by YEIP to enhance their chances of economic integration. The proposed project is not included in the preparation of YEIP as it represents a new initiative to be piloted by the Government of Kosovo (GoK) prior to scaling in subsequent interventions based on project results. The GoK has expressed interest in streamlining support for youth programing through existing government systems. In particular, the MoLGA will evaluate results from the pilot to integrate support for youth initiatives as part of its future performance-based block grant allocation system. 17. The project draws on global experience supporting disadvantaged youth in FCV contexts (e.g., Youth Livelihoods Development in Southern Iraq Project, Kosovo Youth Development Project). In particular, by operating at a local level and employing bottom-up approaches, the proposed project will improve targeting of beneficiaries and support project cost effectiveness. The project also builds on lessons learned from global community driven initiatives, which show that involving beneficiaries in all stages of the project cycle results in better quality service deliver, lower implementation costs, and greater community satisfaction. For example, the Macedonia “Youth Empowerment through Community Development” Project (2009-2014) shows that taking a proactive approach to activating vulnerable youth at the community level through specialized and grassroots organizations is effective in reducing their vulnerabilities. Additionally, the Kosovo Youth Development Project, which supported youth entrepreneurship and provision of business incubators at the local level, showed the potential of improving sustainability of youth services by involving local governments, i.e., incubators that received local government support continued to operate beyond the project duration. Oct 13, 2018 Page 3 of 11 The World Bank Supporting Youth Inclusive Local Development in Kosovo Description Component 1: Youth Driven Community Development Initiatives (US$ 1,697,500) 18. This component will finance youth driven socio-economic initiatives at community level that support youth inclusion and livelihoods. The Ministry of Local Government Administration (MoLGA) will allocate block grants to selected municipalities earmarked for youth initiatives in two annual block grant cycles. This component expects to finance 150 youth driven initiatives by engaging at least 3,000 disadvantaged youth in the identification, prioritization and design of sub-projects. Participating youth will benefit from volunteering opportunities to positively impact their communities and other disadvantaged youth, while also gaining valuable work experience and skills that makes young people more attractive for potential employers. Youth driven community initiatives will benefit about 5,000 youth through greater access to youth related services and community infrastructure. Public Disclosure Copy 19. Partnership with municipalities. The MoLGA will select 10 municipalities by appraisal based on a preliminary needs and mapping assessment, which includes: (i) large demand and limited supply of youth infrastructure services, (ii) high concentration of inactive youth, (iii) limited international donor presence, and (iv) large relative presence of minority ethnic communities (Serbian, Ashkali, Bosniak, Roma, Turkish, Egyptians, Gorani, and Montenegrins).Youth driven activities will be implemented in vulnerable communities within selected municipalities, including those with higher levels of youth inactivity, poverty rate, and limited access to youth related services. 20. Selected municipalities will undergo a capacity assessment to ensure they have the absorption capacity to effectively manage their block grant allocation. This assessment will be based on the MoLGA’s performance- based block grant allocation system, which evaluates municipal performance on a range of financial and management indicators.[10] To be eligible to participate, municipalities must match 15 percent of their block grant allocation in counterpart funding. In addition, municipalities will commit staff to facilitate the implementation and supervision of sub-projects. Municipal contributions will ensure local ownership and sustainability of youth programming by integrating activities to local development plans, and will build greater cooperation and trust between youth and municipal stakeholders. 21. Scope of investments. Youth NGOs and CBOs will be eligible to submit sub-project proposals that address youth socio-economic needs. These proposals will be identified through an inclusive and participatory process, which includes focus group discussions with different youth sub-groups (ethnic minorities, persons with disability, LGBT, women, IDPs and refugees) to ensure that the needs of all youth are properly reflected in sub- project design. Sub-project proposals can include (i) economic services intended to improve youth employability and income generating opportunities (i.e. skills building trainings, access to maker spaces, entrepreneurship trainings, ICT courses, etc), (ii) youth related community infrastructure improvements (i.e. repair of youth centers, parks, classrooms, youth-friendly spaces in health centers, and libraries), (iii) youth cultural and sports activities, or (iv) additional youth volunteering opportunities intended to address a community need. Specific youth driven initiatives cannot be determined a priori as they are demand driven and will respond to disadvantaged youth’s unmet needs at community level. These are some of the activities identified by security Oct 13, 2018 Page 4 of 11 The World Bank Supporting Youth Inclusive Local Development in Kosovo body representatives and experts on prevention of violent extremism (PVE) as lacking in fragile communities. By investing in youth skills, knowledge, and activities, the proposed project will empower disadvantaged youth to become active agents in their communities and decrease their vulnerability to negative influences. 22. Selection Criteria. Sub-project proposals will be reviewed against to-be agreed selection criteria, which would assign greater weigh to sub-project that: (i) involve extensive youth participation in the identification and design of the sub-project, (ii) benefit the largest number of youth, (iii) include opportunities for youth employment or apprenticeships during the implementation phase of the sub-project, (iv) are aligned with municipal youth plans, and (v) bring youth from different ethnic backgrounds together, so as to strengthen to inter-ethnic collaborations and bridge the existing social divide. To ensure sub-projects have community support, proposals must be endorsed by at least one community entity (neighborhood councils, religious associations, youth centers, etc.). The size of the sub-grant shall not exceed US$ 30,000. Municipal sub-grants Public Disclosure Copy will be disbursed to youth NGOs and CBOs in several installments following a rigorous system which includes: (i) call for proposals, (ii) training in proposal writing for CBOs, (iii) screening and technical assessment of proposals, (iv) safeguard screening to ensure full compliance with national and World Bank requirements, (v) evaluation of projects by a Grant Approval Committee, (vi) sub-grant agreement, including application of World Bank fiduciary rules; and (vii) sub-grant disbursement and monitoring of eligible expenses. For newly formed youth groups, funds will be managed by the Facilitating Partner NGO(s) in line with the sub-project design developed by youth and approved by the project. Component 2: Youth Stakeholders Training (US$ 807,500) 23. This component will finance: (i) community mobilization and outreach activities, (ii) soft skills training and project preparation/management training for youth in target communities, (iii) technical support for youth NGOs and CBOs who submitted an application pre-selected by municipalities for funding, and (iv) follow up support and supervision throughout sub-project implementation. The MoLGA will competitively select an experienced NGO to implement activities under this component. This component expects to directly benefit 3,000 youth through soft skills and project management training, and indirectly benefit about 5,000 disadvantaged youth by strengthening the technical specifications of sub-projects designed to improve disadvantaged youth’s access to socio-economic services. 24. Community mobilization: the facilitating partner NGO will conduct community outreach campaigns to increase awareness among disadvantaged youth, including youth NGOs and CBOs, of the project activities and encourage them to apply. Outreach activities will include door to door campaigns, meetings with key community stakeholders (neighborhood councils, youth groups, youth centers, local NGOs, and representatives of the religious community), and placement of flyers and posters in strategic locations in the target areas (youth centers, cafes, local authorities’ offices, or other locations where youth congregate). The facilitating partner NGO will also prepare brief community profiles outlining youth needs and existing youth friendly infrastructure services, so as to inform sub-project designs and support youth groups in the prioritization of community objectives. Oct 13, 2018 Page 5 of 11 The World Bank Supporting Youth Inclusive Local Development in Kosovo 25. Soft skills and project management training: the facilitating partner NGOs will provide soft skills training to 3,000 disadvantaged youth focused on leadership skills, tolerance, conflict mediation, communications, and team work. These trainings will increase youth employability by focusing on soft skills valued by potential employer and critical to effectively manage a business, and will also facilitate collaboration in joint community work. Soft skills training will be the entry point for all youth interested in elaborating sub-project proposals under the project. Upon completion of soft skills training, youth beneficiaries can form groups or use existing NGOs to prepare sub-project proposals. Trainings will be targeted to the specific type of organization, and will be focused on community mobilization, sub-project preparation (incl. design, beneficiary targeting, budgeting) and implementation (procurement, financial management, participatory monitoring and evaluation). In addition, sub-projects selected for funding will receive ongoing support to ensure effective sub-project implementation. Component 3: Project Management and Administration, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Knowledge Public Disclosure Copy Dissemination (US$280,000) Project Management 26. The MoLGA will establish a Project Management Unit (PMU) responsible for the overall implementation of the project. The PMU will be comprised of a team of seconded staff from the MoLGA, as well as small team of consultants to support key reporting, fiduciary, and safeguard functions. Specifically, seconded staff from the ministry will include a Project Director, two Component Coordinators (one for each component), Capacity & Performance Officer, and an M&E Officer, while the team of consultants financed by the project will include a Project Coordinator, Financial Management Specialist, a Procurement Specialist, and a Safeguards consultant. In addition, the MoLGA will provide working space, transportation, and cover logistical and administrative expenses. 27. The PMU’s main responsibilities will include: project coordination, procurement, financial management, safeguards, communication and knowledge management, and monitoring and evaluation. Under component 1, the PMU would be responsible for: (i) assessing municipalities absorption and fiduciary capacity for project implementation based on the Municipal Performance Management System, (ii) managing the allocation and disbursement of project funds, (iii) supervising municipal compliance with project criteria, (iv) providing no- objection for the selection of sub-projects to ensure they comply with safeguards/ fiduciary requirements. For municipalities who meet the criteria outlined in the project description but demonstrate relatively low capacity, the PMU may choose to initiate corrective actions, such as: (i) allocating funds but not providing block grants, (ii) deploying the Capacity & Performance Officer from the MLGA to work directly with municipal officers responsible for opening calls, evaluating proposals, and disbursing funds, and/or (iii) requiring additional/more frequent reporting from municipal officials. For component 2, the MoLGA will procure experienced Facilitating Partner NGO(s) to conduct soft skills training, sub-project proposal writing and management training, and provide technical support to youth NGOs/CBOs throughout the sub-project cycle. 28. The MoLGA will work closely with selected municipalities throughout project implementations. To be eligible to participate, municipalities will commit resource to support project activities. In particular, municipalities Oct 13, 2018 Page 6 of 11 The World Bank Supporting Youth Inclusive Local Development in Kosovo responsibilities will include: (i) chairing the Grant Approval Committees and participating in the selection of sub- projects, (ii) providing 15 percent in matching funds to support youth driven initiatives, (iii) supporting community outreach activities, alongside facilitating partner NGOs, to introduce the project to potential youth beneficiaries, (iii) operations and maintenance for activities related to municipal infrastructure or spaces, and (iv) technical support to youth groups by facilitating municipal engineers for sub-projects requiring technical specifications. Monitoring and Evaluation 29. The PMU will put in place a robust M&E system to track progress and results leveraging existing MoLGA Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools, which allow for real time monitoring of ongoing activities and to evaluate performance over time. The PMU will be backstopped by several MoLGA departments with extensive experience supporting M&E activities and systems for national and donor funded projects. The Public Disclosure Copy Division for Project Development and Management designed a monitoring and evaluation system for municipal capital investment, which includes frequent field visits, on-spot checks, and the completion of pre-payment reporting in coordination with municipal officials. Similarly, the Division for the Advancement of Municipal Performance established the Municipal Performance Management System to measure municipal results against a list of 64 specific and measurable indicators. On the project level, the Division for Cross-Border Cooperation is responsible for M&E activities under the EU-funded IPA I and IPA II cross-border cooperation programs (12.8 million EUR and 25.2 million EUR, respectively) with Albania, Macedonia, and Montenegro. Lastly, the Division for Monitoring and Assessment of Legality recently launched an Online Reporting System, which allows for electronic submission and central-level monitoring of municipal reports and legal acts, as well as a direct online channel for issuing comments, approvals, and calls for revision. This platform will be leveraged in the proposed project to actively monitor ongoing activities and receive monitoring reports from municipal officials regarding youth activities. 30. The PMU will develop the detailed monitoring framework for component 1 and 2. Standard monitoring will include baseline and final beneficiary satisfaction assessment. These assessments will be carried out by independent consultants at critical milestones of project implementation, for example after the first year, at mid-term, or when problems are detected. Students and volunteers, under the supervision of an M&E Officer (seconded from the MoLGA), will also be engaged to conduct spot checks and phone calls to beneficiaries to obtain their feedback on the different project activities. Participatory M&E systems will be used to ensure that the proposed project activities address the needs of the target population. In the selected areas, a Youth M&E Committee will be set up to monitor the beneficiary targeting mechanism for all activities, the use of sub-project grants, the effectiveness of trainings on proposal writing and sub-project implementation, and the overall results of component 1 and 2. 31. The project will also fund an Implementation Completion and Results (ICR) Report that will gather lessons learned for future Bank activities within Kosovo and in other similar settings. The ICR will be developed by an independent consultant with experience working on youth activities. Knowledge Dissemination Oct 13, 2018 Page 7 of 11 The World Bank Supporting Youth Inclusive Local Development in Kosovo 32. Knowledge sharing will take place throughout the project. A knowledge management specialist will be contracted to consolidate lessons learned throughout project implementation. Lessons learned would be disseminated in annual forums, where youth stakeholders and beneficiaries will have an opportunity to present sub-project results. These annual forums will also provide an opportunity for youth to interact with participants from other communities in a safe and guided environment. The forums will be widely documented and the media will be invited so as to strengthen the narrative of youth as positive members of their community. Kosovo government officials, the Government of Japan, and other development partners will be invited in order to raise awareness about the importance of investing in youth local development initiatives. [10] Selected municipalities resulting from this assessment must receive no-objection from the World Bank. Public Disclosure Copy SAFEGUARDS D. Project location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known) The project will target 10 municipalities in Kosovo affected by high levels of youth inactivity, inter-ethnic tensions and recruitment of foreign fighters. The municipalities are likely to be spread across several regions in Kosovo and will vary in size and population density. E. Borrower’s Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies The MoLGA does not have previous experience implementing World Bank-funded operations. The Ministry’s safeguards capacity is therefore assessed as being weak and would need to be strengthened with support of the World Bank Safeguards Specialists as part of Project implementation. Safeguards-specific institutional arrangements will be mainstreamed within the PMU, which will receive direct training from World Bank safeguards specialists. Implementing NGOs will be assisted to fill out and submit screening forms. The PMU will be responsible for reviewing and filing all screening and implementation phase monitoring forms, and the MoLGA Internal Audit Division will be responsible for conducting an "spot-check" audit to ensure that the M&E officer is collecting, reviewing, and filing all project selection/screening and monitoring forms. Currently the MoLGA has a simple e-mail based grievance mechanism operating with legally mandated 30-day response rate. The project will continue to have a central level grievance redress mechanism (GRM) under the responsibility of the MoLGA. Questions/grievances related to the Project will be managed by the PMU directly. The GRM will have two main functions: 1) provide clarifications on sub-project application procedures (e.g., criteria interpretation, deadlines, etc.) and respond to applicants’ appeals; and 2) manage feedback/complaints from primary beneficiaries (disadvantaged youth) and third parties affected by sub- project civil works and externalities (e.g., noise, increased traffic, etc.). Target beneficiaries and affected Oct 13, 2018 Page 8 of 11 The World Bank Supporting Youth Inclusive Local Development in Kosovo communities will be made aware of the GRM through communication material (including project website, flyers at municipal offices), outreach activities and community meetings. F. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists on the Team Bekim Imeri, Social Specialist Esma Kreso Beslagic, Environmental Specialist G. Policies that might apply Safeguard Policies Triggered by the Project Triggered? Explanation (Optional) The activities on infrastructure Public Disclosure Copy reconstruction or construction will more than likely have small-scale and easily mitigatable environmental impacts of dust and noise generation, health and safety, access and waste management. In order to adequately identify the risks and formulate corresponding mitigation measures an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) will be prepared, that will screen the activities within the applications received based on their Environmental Assessment OP/BP 4.01 Yes environmental and social impact and develop Environmental Management Plans (ESMPs) or ESMP Checklists based on the scope of works and associated risks. The screening will be mandatory for all applications and will screen out Category A projects, projects with implications that may trigger additional safeguards policies and will set forth a framework that meets the World Bank safeguards requirements as well as the Kosovar environmental legislation. The ESMF shall ensure that there are no Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 No activities in natural habitats. The ESMF shall ensure that there are no Forests OP/BP 4.36 No activities impacting forests. The scope of activities does not imply any Pest Management OP 4.09 No pest management issues. Physical Cultural Resources OP/BP 4.11 No No works on physical cultural resources will be financed under the project. Oct 13, 2018 Page 9 of 11 The World Bank Supporting Youth Inclusive Local Development in Kosovo There are no indigenous peoples in the Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 No project area. The project does not anticipate any new construction of infrastructure under component 1 that may lead to expropriation. Any land requirements (temporary or permanent) for civil works (rehabilitation of existing facilities) to be financed under the sub-projects will be met through available lands that are publicly owned and not under use, including by informal occupants. Sub-projects that may Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP 4.12 No trigger the World Bank Policy OP 4.12 will Public Disclosure Copy be excluded by means of a screening process defined in the ESMF. Thereby, sub- projects that involve relocation of households, temporary or permanent land take, and impacts on livelihoods that may occur through restriction of access to resources will be excluded. Given the public nature of youth infrastructure/facilities, the project does not anticipate voluntary land transactions. Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 No This policy is not triggered. Projects on International Waterways OP/BP 7.50 No This policy is not triggered. Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP 7.60 No This policy is not triggered. H. Safeguard Preparation Plan Appraisal stage ISDS required? Yes SafeguardAppraisalStage a) Tentative target date for disclosing the appraisal stage ISDS 14-Nov-2018 b) Time frame for launching and completing the safeguard-related studies that may be needed. An ESMF will be prepared and disclosed in-country by Appraisal. The ESMF, with call for comments, will be disclosed on the MoLGA website for at least 14 days, along a printed version that will be made available at the Ministry’s premises. The disclosure of the document will be announced via local media channels (newspapers and radio) and invitations to consultations on the document will be sent directly to relevant stakeholders (e.g., Kosovo Youth Centers’ Network, environmental NGOs, DPOs). In parallel, the call for public consultations meeting for the ESMF will be issued with the venue details. Upon the meeting, the ESMF will address all relevant comments and will be finalized only when including minutes of the meetings. The Oct 13, 2018 Page 10 of 11 The World Bank Supporting Youth Inclusive Local Development in Kosovo finalized ESMF will be re-disclosed on MoLGA web site. As needed, based on the environmental risk categorization (screening), ESMPs and ESMP Checklists will be prepared and consulted for sub-projects prior to contract signature. The WB Environmental Specialist approved ESMPs and ESMP Checklists will become an integral part of bidding and contracting documentation. The Project design and activities has been informed by consultations with local governments, youth NGOs and representatives from the private sector as part of a regional workshop on “Youth in Local Development” organized by the Municipality of Gjilan on July 20, 2017. Participants emphasized the limited budget allocations for youth programming, lack of expertise at the municipality level on youth activation interventions and participation of youth in the decision-making and delivery of services aimed at them. Based on these inputs, the project will incorporate a participatory approach to identifying, prioritizing, designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating youth activities. The participatory process will include focus groups with youth sub-groups (minorities, disabled, women) to ensure that the needs of all youth are properly reflected in sub-project design. Public Disclosure Copy APPROVALS Team Leader(s): Gloria La Cava Approved By Safeguards Advisor: Nina Chee 10-Oct-2018 Practice Manager/Manager: Nina Bhatt 11-Oct-2018 1Reminder: The Bank's Disclosure Policy requires that safeguard-related documents be disclosed before appraisal (i) by the Bank and (ii) in country by the Borrower/Recipient, at publicly accessible locations and in a form and language that are accessible to potentially affected persons. Oct 13, 2018 Page 11 of 11