The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Investing in Early Years for Growth and Productivity in Malawi (P164771) Investing in Early Years for Growth and Productivity in Malawi (P164771) EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA | Malawi | IBRD/IDA | Investment Project Financing (IPF) | FY 2019 | Seq No: 15 | Archived on 24-Jan-2025 | ISR02828 Implementing Agencies: Ministry of Gender, Child Development and Community Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development 1. OBJECTIVE 1.1 Development Objective Original Development Objective (Approved as part of Approval package on 19-Dec-2018) The project development objective is to improve coverage and utilization of early childhood development services with focus on nutrition, stimulation and early learning from conception to 59 months in selected districts of Malawi. Has the Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project Objective? No 2. COMPONENTS Name Community-based nutrition and early stimulation interventions:(Cost 25,210,000.00) Center-based early learning, nutrition and health interventions:(Cost 20,970,000.00) Multisectoral coordination, capacity and system strengthening:(Cost 13,820,000.00) Contingent Emergency Response Component:(Cost 0.00) 3. OVERALL RATINGS Name Previous Current Progress towards achievement of PDO Moderately Satisfactory Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP) Moderately Satisfactory Satisfactory Overall Risk Rating Substantial Substantial Jan 24, 2025 Page 1 of 11 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Investing in Early Years for Growth and Productivity in Malawi (P164771) 4. KEY ISSUES & STATUS 4.1 Implementation Status and Key Decisions The project, financed by an International Development Association (IDA) grant of US$50 million equivalent and a grant from the Global Financing Facility (GFF) of US$10 million, was approved by the Bank’s Executive Board on December 19, 2018, and declared effective on July 24, 2019. The project was restructured in April 2024 with a new closing date approved for June 30, 2025. The project supports the Government of Malawi (GoM) to improve coverage and utilization of early childhood development (ECD) services with a focus on nutrition, stimulation, and early learning from conception to 59 months in selected districts of Malawi. The project has contributed to strengthening ECD and nutrition service delivery systems and as of December 31, 2024, has achieved all four of its project development objective (PDO) indicators. Key achievements since the last implementation status and results report include: (i) an increase in the proportion of children receiving Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD) and exclusively breastfed to 23 percent and 70.4 percent respectively; (ii) an increase in the proportion of households practicing Integrated Household Farming (IHF) to 45 percent; (iii) 93 percent of care group cluster leaders had received training on integrated nutrition and early stimulation package; and (iv) 113 out of 150 CBCCs have been completed and handed over to the local community. As of December 31, 2024, the project has disbursed about 93 percent of its total project financing and is expected to fully disburse by the closing of the project. 5. SYSTEMATIC OPERATIONS RISK-RATING TOOL Rating at Approval Last Approved Rating Risk Category Approval Package - ISR Seq. 014 - 23 Jul Proposed Rating 19 Dec 2018 2024 Political and Governance High Substantial Substantial Macroeconomic High High High Sector Strategies and Policies Moderate Moderate Moderate Technical Design of Project or Program Substantial Substantial Substantial Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Moderate Moderate Moderate Sustainability Fiduciary High Substantial Substantial Environment and Social Moderate Moderate Moderate Jan 24, 2025 Page 2 of 11 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Investing in Early Years for Growth and Productivity in Malawi (P164771) Stakeholders Moderate Moderate Moderate Overall Substantial Substantial Substantial Jan 24, 2025 Page 3 of 11 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Investing in Early Years for Growth and Productivity in Malawi (P164771) 6. RESULTS 6.1 PDO Indicators by PDO Outcomes Improved coverage of ECD services Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year Children aged 6-23 months 13.00 Feb/2018 23.30 10-Jun-2024 23.30 01-Nov-2024 20.00 Jun/2025 receiving a minimum acceptable diet (Percentage) Children aged 0-6 months 60.00 Feb/2018 70.40 10-Jun-2024 70.40 01-Nov-2024 68.00 Jun/2025 who were exclusively breastfed (Percentage) Project beneficiaries who are 0.00 Aug/2018 2,003,631 10-Jun-2024 3,300,527 01-Nov-2024 2,600,000.00 Jun/2025 children 0-59 months, adolescent girls 10-19 years and pregnant women (Number) Improved utilization of ECD services Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year Children aged 36-59 months 0.00 Aug/2018 87.10 10-Jun-2024 87.10 01-Nov-2024 50.00 Jun/2025 who completed at least one year of early learning in CBCCs (Percentage) Jan 24, 2025 Page 4 of 11 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Investing in Early Years for Growth and Productivity in Malawi (P164771) 6.2 Intermediate Results Indicators by Components Community-based nutrition and early stimulation interventions Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year Households practicing 28.00 Feb/2018 45.20 03-Jun-2024 45.20 01-Nov-2024 38.00 Jun/2025 integrated homestead farming (Percentage) Children aged 6-24 months 5.00 Feb/2018 14.40 03-Jun-2024 14.40 01-Nov-2024 50.00 Jun/2025 who received micronutrient powder supplementation (Percentage) Pregnancies registered in the 0.00 Jul/2018 0.00 03-Jun-2004 0.00 01-Nov-2004 75.00 Jun/2025 community (Percentage) Adolescent girls aged 10-19 0.00 Aug/2018 936,199 03-Jun-2024 2,014,840 01-Nov-2024 1,700,000.00 Jun/2025 who received iron-folate supplementation (Number) Care group cluster leaders 0.00 Aug/2018 93.90 03-Jun-2024 93.90 01-Nov-2024 80.00 Jun/2025 and promoters who received an integrated training package (Percentage) PBC People who have received 0.00 Jun/2019 1,279,040.00 03-Jun-2024 1,279,040.00 01-Nov-2024 2,600,000.00 Jun/2025 essential health, nutrition, and population (HNP) services (Number) Number of women and 0.00 Nov/2021 1,279,040.00 03-Jun-2024 1,279,040.00 01-Nov-2024 2,600,000.00 Jun/2025 children who have received basic nutrition services (Number) Jan 24, 2025 Page 5 of 11 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Investing in Early Years for Growth and Productivity in Malawi (P164771) Center-based early learning, nutrition and health interventions Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year Model CBCCs upgraded and 0.00 Sep/2018 76 03-Jun-2024 113 01-Nov-2024 150.00 Jun/2025 equipped (Number) Model CBCCs in target 0.00 Jul/2018 150.00 03-Jun-2024 150.00 01-Nov-2024 150.00 Jun/2025 communities engaged in VSL activities (Number) Children aged 48-59 months 17.00 Aug/2018 31.50 03-Jun-2024 31.50 01-Nov-2024 30.00 Jun/2025 achieved at least 30% score on literacy and numeracy components of the MDAT (Percentage) CBCC caregivers and mentors 0.00 Jun/2022 83.60 03-Jun-2024 83.60 01-Nov-2024 80.00 Jun/2025 that received an integrated training package (Percentage) PBC Households where children 43.00 Feb/2018 55.50 03-Jun-2024 55.50 01-Nov-2024 58.00 Jun/2025 0-36 months play with toys made from locally available materials (Percentage) Multisectoral coordination, capacity and system strengthening Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year Councils that receive a 0.00 Jul/2018 8.00 03-Jun-2024 8.00 01-Nov-2024 13.00 Jun/2025 satisfactory rating from Comments on This indicator will be updated once the results of the beneficiary satisfaction survey results women and caregivers whose achieving targets are available. children received nutrition interventions and early Jan 24, 2025 Page 6 of 11 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Investing in Early Years for Growth and Productivity in Malawi (P164771) learning and stimulation services (Number) Percentage of districts 0.00 Jul/2018 2.10 03-Jun-2024 2.10 01-Nov-2024 10.00 Jun/2025 budget allocated for nutrition Comments on This indicator will be updated once assessment of district budgets is completed in early and early learning in the achieving targets 2025. project districts (Percentage) Councils that submitted a 0.00 Sep/2018 90.00 03-Jun-2024 90.00 01-Nov-2024 90.00 Jun/2025 monthly report into the nutrition database on time (Percentage) Staff completed short and 0.00 Feb/2019 70 03-Jun-2024 70 01-Nov-2024 100.00 Jun/2025 long term courses including diploma and master programs (Number) PBC Councils incorporated and 0.00 Sep/2018 13.00 03-Jun-2024 13.00 01-Nov-2024 13.00 Jun/2025 implemented DIPs with ECD and nutrition (Number) PBC 6.3 Performance Based Conditions (PBC) Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) PBC Name Baseline Closing Period Value Date Value Date 1:Care group cluster Value 0.00 93.90 93.90 leaders and promoters who Allocated 10-Jun-2024 10-Jun-2024 received an 0.00 0.00 0.00 Amount integrated training Jan 24, 2025 Page 7 of 11 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Investing in Early Years for Growth and Productivity in Malawi (P164771) package (Percentage) Achieved PBC allocation 6,214,000.00 2:CBCC caregivers Value 0.00 83.60 83.60 and mentors that received an integrated training Allocated 10-Jun-2024 10-Jun-2024 package 0.00 0.00 0.00 Amount (Percentage) Achieved PBC allocation 2,660,000.00 3:Councils Value 0.00 13.00 13.00 incorporated and implemented DIPs Allocated 15-Apr-2024 15-Apr-2024 with ECD and 0.00 0.00 0.00 nutrition (Number) Amount Achieved PBC allocation 1,060,000.00 4:Councils Value 0.00 13.00 13.00 incorporated and implemented DIPs Allocated 15-Apr-2024 15-Apr-2024 with ECD and 0.00 0.00 0.00 nutrition (Number) Amount Achieved PBC allocation 860,000.00 Value 0.00 70 10-Jun-2024 70 10-Jun-2024 Jan 24, 2025 Page 8 of 11 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Investing in Early Years for Growth and Productivity in Malawi (P164771) 5:Staff completed short and long term courses including Allocated 0.00 0.00 0.00 diploma and master Amount programs (Number) Not Due PBC allocation 1,200,000.00 6:Staff completed Value 0.00 70 70 short and long term courses including Allocated 10-Jun-2024 10-Jun-2024 diploma and master 0.00 0.00 0.00 programs (Number) Amount Not Due PBC allocation 900,000.00 Jan 24, 2025 Page 9 of 11 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Investing in Early Years for Growth and Productivity in Malawi (P164771) 7. DATA ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE 7.1 Cumulative Disbursements 7.2 Disbursements (by loan) Loan/Credit/TF Status Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed % Disbursed IDA-D4000 Effective 50.00 46.71 0.00 46.64 2.07 95.75% TF-A8736 Effective 10.00 10.00 0.00 9.74 0.26 97.41% 7.3 Key Dates (by loan) Loan/Credit/TF Status Approval Signing Effectiveness Orig. Closing Rev. Closing IDA-D4000 Effective 19-Dec-2018 14-Mar-2019 24-Jul-2019 28-Jun-2024 30-Jun-2025 Jan 24, 2025 Page 10 of 11 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Investing in Early Years for Growth and Productivity in Malawi (P164771) TF-A8736 Effective 19-Dec-2018 14-Mar-2019 24-Jul-2019 28-Jun-2024 30-Jun-2025 8. KEY DATES Key Events Planned Actual Approval 19-Dec-2018 19-Dec-2018 Effectiveness 24-Jul-2019 24-Jul-2019 Mid-Term Review No. 01 25-Jul-2022 25-Jul-2022 Operation Closing/Cancellation 30-Jun-2025 9. RESTRUCTURING HISTORY Restructuring Level 2 Approved on 06-Mar-2024 10. ASSOCIATED OPERATION(S) There are no associated operations Jan 24, 2025 Page 11 of 11