Liberia Women Empowerment Project (P173677) Technical Support Mission November 4–8, 2024 Aide-Memoire (AM) INTRODUCTION 1. The World Bank (WB) carried out a technical support mission in Monrovia for the Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP) on November 4–8, 2024. The mission’s objectives were to: (i) support the technical review of the Lead Service Provider (LSP) inception report; (ii) agree on updated milestones and timely project implementation of Components 1–3 including the commencement of community-level activities; (iii) support the review of the LSP’s management and information system (MIS); (iv) support the Program Management Unit (PMU) with community selection for Components 1–3 and baseline survey preparation; and (v) follow up on progress on Component 4 (capacity building, sex-disaggregated data generation and analysis, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and policy dialogue). 2. The team thanks the Government of Liberia, including the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP), for their fruitful collaboration (see Annex A for the list of officials met). This AM was discussed at the wrap-up meeting on November 8, 2024 with the PMU; WB management endorsed the final version. PROJECT DATA AND RATINGS Table 1. Key Project Data Project data Amount / date Original project amount US$44.6 million Total disbursement US$4.83 million Disbursement in FY25 US$0 million Closing date June 30, 2027 Note: The PMU agreed to submit a withdrawal application for US$2.1 million by November 30, 2024. Project component Cost (US$ millions) Component 1: Fostering positive social norms and community mobilization 8.0 Component 2: Enhancing basic services in health and education 5.4 Component 3: Promoting resilient livelihoods through community-led approaches 23.6 Component 4: Strengthening public institutions to advance gender equality 4.0 Component 5: Project management and knowledge management 3.6 Component 6: Contingent emergency response 0 Table 2. Project Ratings Ratings as of the last ISR Current rating Name (filed September 27, 2024) Project Development Objective Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Implementation progress Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Unsatisfactory 1 2 IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS AND KEY FINDINGS 3. Project Ratings. The project’s implementation progress rating is currently rated Moderately Unsatisfactory due to the lack of disbursements since April 2024, overall low expenditure and procurement delays. The recent departures of the Project Coordinator and Procurement Specialist and the forthcoming departure of the M&E Specialist in the PMU leave a major gap in the project’s staff arrangements. LWEP’s progress is encouraging, and timely actions as outlined in the Management Letter and AM will allow for improvement in the implementation progress rating. 4. Based on the agreed timelines from the September 2024 technical mission, the LSP for Components 1– 3 (Plan International, Liberia) submitted the inception report for the $18.6M contract on October 24, 2024. The PMU agreed to release the $1.86M payment for the inception report by November 30, 2024 and to submit a withdrawal application for an estimated $2.69M by December 15, 2024, which will bring LWEP’s overall disbursement to 16.9 percent. The disbursement target for FY25 (July 1, 2024 to June 30 2026) is $7.87M. The PMU agreed to begin recruiting for the Project Coordinator, Procurement Specialist, and M&E positions by November 30, 2024. Table 3 summarizes the next steps. 5. Components 1–3. Since the last mission, the LSP has submitted an inception report and, as required by the contract, set up an MIS. The LSP agreed to share a draft plan for the national project launch of Components 1–3 by November 30, 2024. LWEP is on track to launch Subcomponent 1a using the SASA! Together methodology at the community level by December 15, 2024. 6. LSP Recruitment. The LSP has made progress in filling vacant staff positions. The LSP hired a lead Livelihoods Specialist and agreed to finalize the contracts for the lead Social Safeguards Specialist and lead Financial Management (FM) specialist by November 30, 2024. The WB task team reminded the LSP that any replacements of key staff positions require the recruitment of candidates who have equivalent or higher qualifications and the WB’s no objection. The LSP agreed to finalize all contracts with Association members by November 30, 2024. The LSP launched the recruitment of the remaining non-key positions and expects to fill these positions by December 15, 2024. 7. Community selection. The LSP will decide whether implementation will begin in two or three counties by November 30, 2024. The mission agreed on the criteria and methodology for selecting districts and communities for Components 1–3. All rural communities are eligible for selection except those that the LSP considers too difficult to access. The LSP will document their justification for determining that a community cannot be accessed. With support from independent J-PAL researchers, the project will randomly select 750 communities (referred to as populated places in the census) from the six counties by November 30, 2024. While the LWEP requested the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo- Information Services (LISGIS) to share the list of populated places from the 2022 census, the LWEP has only been able to access the list from 2008 Census and will use this data until it receives an updated list. 8. Component 1 (Fostering positive social norms and community mobilization). To prepare for Subcomponent 1a, the LSP began recruiting six gender SASA! officers. Raising Voices, a member of the LSP Association and founder of SASA!, launched its technical assistance to the LSP. The mission agreed that the LSP will ensure gender-based violence (GBV) referral pathways are set up before it commences Phase 1 of SASA! 3 9. Component 2 (Enhancing basic services in health and education). During a technical discussion with the PMU and the LSP on October 23, 2024, the WB provided detailed feedback on the inception report. The LSP agreed to address the WB’s comments in a revised report, including the following: • Incorporate the Ministry of Health’s existing curriculum into the proposed GBV Core Concepts Curriculum • Elaborate on the plans to strengthen the referral system for GBV survivors, integrate GBV and adolescent, sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) services into health facilities and at the community level, and collaborate with community-based organizations and agents • Define the criteria for determining facility readiness to provide GBV and ASRH services • Elaborate on the proposed ASRH services and economic empowerment study • Define the criteria for selecting schools and elaborate on the “Keeping Girls in School” pilot • Explicitly consider complementarities among the proposed health- and education-related activities and other current and forthcoming government projects and programs including the WB-financed Excellence in Learning in Liberia 10. Component 3 (Promoting resilient livelihoods through community-led approaches). To prepare for the launch of Component 3, the LWEP will launch a mapping of Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), livelihood collectives, producer/farmer groups, initial list of relevant value chains, and climate smart activities by December 15, 2024, and complete the mapping by January 31, 2024. As a next step, the LSP and PMU will develop a detailed roadmap to guide the implementation of Component 3, including the recruitment of Community-Based Agents, by December 15, 2024. The LSP and PMU/MGCSP will finalize the standard operations manual for the livelihoods support by December 31, 2024. The LSP is required to develop the process for Micro Investment Planning (MIP) and needs to identify 300 VSLAs ready to absorb the project grant fund using the assessment template. The task team’s Livelihoods Specialist from the Food and Agricultural Organization will travel to Liberia to work with the PMU in January 2025 to finalize the project cycle at the community level, including the training modules, establish the assessment criteria for fund disbursement, identify key activities or commodities in the local area with significant growth potential, and outline the value chain study using a climate-focused approach to identify relevant technologies and interventions to support these initiatives. The LSP also agreed to develop a comprehensive strategy for VSLA operations by January 31, 2025, as VSLAs will be provided with a long-term grant intended to function as a revolving fund, to extend its utility beyond the annual savings and share-out cycles. 11. Component 4 (Strengthening Government Institutions to Advance Gender Equality) • M&E. Since the last mission in September, the Ministry has conducted four additional in-depth trainings and workshops. Two trainings focused on M&E system assessment and the development of policies and procedures for project-based M&E plans with various ministries (19 and 29 participants, respectively). The MGCSP also completed a training for county coordinators and participating ministries on sex-disaggregated data collection on November 20–22, 2024. The Ministry conducted a workshop to support the development of a comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning knowledge and management (MEALKM) plan and strategy on November 13–14, 2024. • Gender-Based Information Management System (GBIMS). The MGCSP has developed a budget for Phase I of the GBIMS to include GBV reports from the counties, Liberia state reports, and key gender indicators. The Ministry has finalized the budget breakdown for activities to strengthen M&E and GBIMS capacity, including the procurement of software and equipment for the M&E division. The MGCSP will finalize its approach to the GBIMS and the draft Terms of Reference (ToR) by December 4 6, 2024. The MGCSP will also conduct a knowledge-sharing workshop highlighting best practices and lessons learned for national operational MIS on December 6, 2024. Key priorities for M&E for 2025 include development and implementation of MEALKM strategy/plan, finalization of GBIMS model for the MGCSP and its rollout, and M&E capacity strengthening training for the staff. • Capacity Strengthening. The PMU developed and advertised the ToR for a capacity assessment of Ministry functions in June 2024 and began evaluating firms’ proposals in July 2024. The mission highlighted the delay in finalizing the evaluation process and the PMU has agreed to finalize the contracting process by December 15, 2024. The Ministry recruited a Capacity-Building/Strengthening Consultant on September 20, 2024. The consultant is developing a workplan and facilitating trainings for MGCSP, Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, and others on topics including gender equality, GBV, gender integration in agriculture, and gender- responsive budgeting. The MGCSP is planning three trainings through December 2024 to cover these themes. • Agriculture Study. The PMU developed and advertised the ToR for an agriculture survey to enhance the availability of sex-disaggregated data in coordination with the MoA and plans to issue the contract to the consulting firm by January 3, 2025. • Policy Dialogue Platform. During its first policy dialogue platform meeting on May 30, 2024, the MGCSP prioritized the following reforms for the next 3 years: the Legal Aid Bill, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Prohibition Bill and associated regulations, and an amendment to the new elections law to ensure greater representation of women in the legislature. The MGCSP conducted several follow-up meetings/consultations with relevant ministries and development partners to finalize the draft Legal Aid Bill, which will improve the access of vulnerable groups (including women) to free legal aid services. The Ministry submitted the draft bill to the legislature on October 14, 2024 for adoption. MGCSP plans to conduct the next meeting of the policy dialogue platform on November 28, 2024, which will focus on FGM legal reforms in the country. • National Call Center and Mapping of GBV Service Providers. The MGCSP updated the Concept Note to activate the national GBV call center/helpline to provide psychosocial counselling and referral services support to GBV survivors in Liberia. The MGCSP is currently finalizing the solar assessment for the call center in coordination with the Rural Renewable Energy Agency and plans to launch the helpline by November 30, 2024. The PMU finalized and advertised the ToR for a mapping of GBV service providers in nine counties that will support the development of referral mechanisms for the national call center and strengthen the Ministry’s GBV response. The mapping will complement the LSP’s service providers mapping in its project counties. • 16 days of activism and other women’s empowerment events. Since the last mission, the Ministry invited 200 rural women representing rural women networks from all counties to celebrate International Rural Women’s Day on October 15, 2024 in Nimba County. The MGCSP also conducted multiple events between October 7 and 18, 2024 to raise awareness of the rights of adolescent girls and their empowerment including sexual and reproductive health and career guidance as part of International Day of the Girl Child celebrations; 500 stakeholders participated in the LWEP-supported event. The MGCSP plans to conduct various events during 16 days of activism to create awareness of GBV prevention and response. LWEP will help organize the main event on November 25, 2024, in Monrovia. The MGCSP will organize a series of events to engage men and boys in its GBV prevention and response interventions and plans to conduct a male allies conference between 16 days of activism. • Study Tour. The Ministry conducted a study tour to Rwanda to learn about implementing programs and policies on GBV response and prevention and women’s empowerment on November 17–24, 2024. PMU will share the lessons from the visit to develop ideas on national program on women’s empowerment in Liberia by MGCSP. 5 12. Component 5: Project Management. M&E. LWEP’s procurement of the baseline survey is very delayed. During the last mission, the PMU agreed to finalize the contract for the baseline survey by October 31, 2024. The PMU informed the task team that it expects to finalize the survey by December 10, 2024 and is on track to launch by January 30, 2025. In preparation for the project’s launch at the community level, the PMU agreed to support the LSP on the following tasks: • Agreeing on joint LSP/PMU monitoring timelines by December 15, 2024 • Finalizing data collection forms and monitoring tools for the results framework by December 15, 2024 • Finalizing the M&E Manual with the MGCSP’s inputs by December 15, 2024 13. E&S Risk Management. Since the last mission, the PMU has developed a roadmap to establish a fully functional national-level GRM. Based on this roadmap, the PMU agreed to set up the national-level Grievance Redress Committee (GRC) by November 30, 2024. With the support of the LSP, the PMU will begin to roll out the GRM and establish community- and county-level GRCs by December 15, 2024. The project’s legal covenants stipulate that a fully functional GRM with trained GRC members must be in place and operational before project activities begin and be maintained throughout implementation. The mission advised the PMU to ensure that at least 50 percent of the GRC members are women. The PMU will also collaborate with the LSP to deliver E&S training to LSP hires by December 15, 2024. 14. Procurement. The Procurement Risk rating is Substantial. The mission expressed concerns about the quality of procurement documentation, delays in completing evaluation reports and recommendations, as well as the correct application of procurement regulations. The vacant Procurement Specialist position leaves the project at risk of further delays. The mission agreed that, with the WB’s support, the Procurement Assistant has been granted access to STEP, and will continue to submit procurement requests on behalf of the project, until the position is competitively filled with an experienced procurement specialist who has adequate World Bank procurement experience. The mission advised that the replacement of procurement specialist should be prioritized. The Bank will continue to provide the necessary procurement support to the project. 15. FM. The FM risk rating is Substantial, which indicates there are areas for improvement in FM. Disbursements remain low (11 percent). The 2025 Annual Workplan and Budget (AWPB) 2025 was due on October 31, 2024 and is delayed. The PMU agreed to submit the 2025 AWPB by November 30, 2024. The team is advised to learn from the 2024 budget, prepare a realistic budget, and be ready to revise it every quarter to reduce the huge variances. 6 Table 3. Next Steps and Agreed Actions # Action Responsible Due Date Components 1–3 1 Share a draft plan for the national LSP November 30, 2024 project launch of Components 1– 3 2 Finalize contracts for the lead LSP November 30, 2024 Social Safeguards Specialist and lead FM specialist 3 Release payment of $1.86M to PMU/PFMU November 30, 2024 LSP 4 Finalize all contracts with LSP November 30, 2024 Association members 5 Develop a detailed roadmap to LSP/PMU December 15, 2024 guide the implementation of Component 3, including the recruitment of Community-Based Agents 6 Submit withdrawal application for PMU December 15, 2024 $2.69M 7 Fill remaining non-key positions LSP December 15, 2024 at central and county levels 8 Launch Subcomponent 1a using LWEP December 15, 2024 the SASA! Together methodology at the community level 9 Finalize the standard operations LSP and December 31, 2024 manual for the livelihoods support PMU/MGCSP to VSLAs, producer groups, livelihood collectives, and income-generating activities for individual enterprises 10 Finalize the project cycle at the LSP January 20, 2025 community or village level 11 Finalize the training modules LSP January 31, 2025 12 Establish the assessment criteria LSP January 20, 2025 for fund disbursement 13 Develop strategy for VSLA LSP January 31, 2025 operations for long-term utilization of grant fund 14 Identify key activities or LSP February 15, 2025 commodities in the local area with significant growth potential 7 15 Outline the value chain study LSP February 15, 2025 using a climate-focused approach 16 Identify relevant climate-resilient LSP February 15, 2025 technologies and interventions to support different commodity/ value chain initiatives 17 Finalize the process and template LSP February 15, 2025 for MIP 18 Complete identification, LSP March 15, 2025 assessment and application development for 300 VSLAs for project grant financing 19 Finance 300 VSLAs LSP March 31, 2025 Component 4 20 Conduct training on gender MGCSP December 10–13, 2024 integration in agriculture and gender-responsive extension services for MoA and MGCSP 21 Conduct 16 days of activism MGCSP November 25, 2024 activities event 22 Conduct male allies conference MGCSP December 15, 2024 for engaging men and boys on GBV prevention interventions 23 Conduct study tour to Rwanda to MGCSP November 17–24, 2024- learn about models of GBV Completed prevention and response, women’s empowerment and gender responsive budgeting 24 Conduct workshop with MGCSP Completed on November stakeholders to develop MEAL 13-14, 2024 plan and MEALKM strategy for the ministry 25 Launch national GBV call MGCSP November 30, 2024 center/helpline 26 Conduct Program Partnership and MGCSP December 15, 2024 Resource Mobilization Workshop with MGCSP Component 5 27 Set up national-level GRC PMU November 30, 2024 28 Finalize randomization for PMU/WB November 30, 2024 community selection 8 29 Agree on joint LSP/PMU LSP/PMU December 15, 2024 monitoring timelines 30 Begin to roll out the GRM and LSP/PMU December 15, 2024 establish community- and county- level GRCs 31 Finalize MIS-related data LSP December 15, 2024 collection forms and monitoring tools for the results framework 32 Finalize the M&E Manual with PMU December 15, 2024 MGCSP’s inputs Table 4: Actions from Previous Mission (September 2024) Action Responsible Due Date Status/Comment Components 1–3 1. LSP feedback on the LGM LSP/PMU October 15, 2024 Completed 2. Submit draft template for community PMU October 15, 2024 November 30, mapping 2024 3. Institute a biweekly meeting among PMU Biweekly from Ongoing PMU, MGCSP, LSP, and WB October 17, 2024 4. LSP to launch a mapping of VSLAs, LSP/PMU November 15, 2024 December 15, livelihood collectives and 2024 producer/farmer groups with LSP and long list of climate-smart activities 5. Complete mapping of VSLAs, LSP/PMU January 31, 2025 livelihood collectives and producer/farmer groups 6. PMU to share a directory of PMU October 15, 2024 Completed Community Facilitators and Community Agricultural Technicians with LSP 7. Direct account opened for LSP in LSP/PMU/PFMU October 15, 2024 Completed client connection 8. National project launch LSP/PMU October 31, 2024 December 31, 2024 9. LSP Inception Report LSP/PMU October 20, 2024 Completed 10. Begin recruitment of Lead Social LSP with October 31, 2024 November 30, Specialist and Lead FM Specialist PMU/WB no 2024 objection 11. Obtain data from LISGIS for PMU October 15, 2024 Ongoing community selection 12. Finalize community selection approach PMU/LSP October 31, 2024 November 30, (whether it will proceed in two or three 2024 counties 13. Develop checklist of items needed for PMU/LSP October 15, 2024 November 30, community mapping exercise 2024 9 14. LSP will develop a functioning MIS LSP October 20, 2024 Completed system 15. Finalize ToR for interest-based PMU/WB October 15, 2024 Completed negotiations curriculum and training of trainers Component 4 16. Finalize the GBIMS ToR MGCSP October 31, 2024 December 6, 2024 17. Conduct gender-responsive budgeting MGCSP December 5, 2024 Completed training for Ministry of Finance & November 18–22, Development Planning and other 2024 Gender Social Inclusion Unit 18. Conduct training on women’s MGCSP November 13, 2024 December 3-5 empowerment and gender-based violence for the MGCSP and other ministries 19. Conduct knowledge exchange MGCSP October 31, 2024 December 6, 2024 workshop on GBIMS for MGCSP 20. Conduct training on GBIMS and sex- MGCSP November 14, 2024 Completed disaggregated data collection for the MGCSP, MoA other ministries, and county coordinators 21. Develop MEAL Plan/ MEALKM MGCSP November 8,2024 December 6, 2024 Strategy for the Ministry 22. Conduct Policy Dialogue Platform MGCSP November 28, 2024 Meeting 23. Finalize the contracting process for a PMU November 15, 2024 December 15, capacity assessment of MGCSP 2024 functions 24. Submit revised ToR for GBV service October 15, 2024 Completed mapping 25. Finalize contract to consulting firm to PMU November 15 January 3, 2025 conduct agriculture survey to enhance the availability of sex-disaggregated data 26. Finalize the budget breakdown for October 15 Completed activities to strengthen M&E and GBIMS capacity 27. Conduct mapping of GBV service December 6, 2024 January 15, 20245 providers mapping Component 5 28. Draft template for quarterly report and PMU October 15, 2024 Completed share it with PLAN 29. Baseline survey contract finalization PMU October 31, 2024 December 10, 2024 30. Baseline survey data collection launch PMU January 30, 2025 10 31. Draft MIS forms completed and PMU October 15, 2024 December 15, submitted to LSP 2024 32. Select ministry focal person to shadow PMU October 15, 2024 December 31, the Impact Evaluation 2024 Financial Management 33. Submit the 2025 AWPB PMU October 31, 2024 November 30, 2024 34. Submit the audit recommendation and PMU October 1, 2024 implementation plan 35. Submit Q3 interim financial report PMU November 14, 2024 LSP Procurement 36. Inception report   PMU July 14, 2024 Completed 37. Payment on submission of inception PMU/PFMU July 21, 2024 November 30, report  2024 38. Establish a strategy and processes to PMU October 15, 2024 Completed monitor LSP contract implementation 39. Agree on times for submission of PMU October 31, 2024 Completed deliverables by LSP; review and approval of deliverables and payment of invoices 40. Submit a withdrawal application for an December 15, 2024 estimated $2.69M E&S Risk Management 41. Establish GRM and train GRM PMU June 30, 2024 In progress operators 42. Submit a monitoring budget October 15, 2024 Competed 43. Roadmap to make GRM functional October 31, 2024 Completed (including training for GRM operators) 44. Training for LSP on E&S November 30, 2024 December 15, 2024 45. Site-specific E&S screening December 8, 2024 Not yet due 11 ANNEX A: List of Officials Met and Composition of WB Team Organization Name and Position Ministry of Gender, Ms. Gbeme Horace-Kollie, Minister, MGCSP Children, and Social Mr. Ebenezer Zonoe, Director of Policy, Planning and Resource Mobilization Protection Mr. Robert Taylor, Director of M&E Ms. Grace Kortu, Director of Women Empowerment Division Mr. Stephen Yekeh, Assistant Director, Women Empowerment Division PLAN International Mr. Spatteco Smith, MIS Specialist Ms. Fiona Kaiken, Gender Specialist Mr. Abdulai Sherif, Team Lead PMU Team Mr. Isaac H. Attiogbe, Financial Management Officer Ms. Evelyn Barry, Gender Specialist, Officer In-charge Ms. Lisa Diasey, Communication and Engagement Officer/GRM Mr. Oliver M. Lavelah, Agriculture and Livelihoods Specialist Mr. Edward P. Borloh, M&E Specialist Mr. D. Enoch Foday, Environmental Specialist Mr. Jutomue Flomo, Social Specialist Ms. Cerue Garlo, Capacity Building/Strengthening Consultant, Component 4 Ms. Milica Radivojevic, M&E Consultant, Component 4 World Bank LWEP Ms. Audrey Sacks, Senior Social Development Specialist, Task Team Leader Team (TTL) Ms. Uzma Quresh, Senior Social Development Specialist, co-TTL Mr. Oyewole Oluyemi Afuye, Senior Procurement Specialist Mr. MacDonald Nyazvigo, Senior Financial Management Specialist Mr. Zephaniah Smith, Financial Management Specialist Mr. Stephen Winkler, Social Development Specialist Ms. Ann-Sofie Jesperen, Senior Social Development Specialist Mr. Guy Grossman, Senior Impact Evaluation Consultant Ms. Alexandra Hartman, Senior Impact Evaluation Consultant Ms. Molly Offer-Westeort, Senior Statistician Consultant 12