The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation Project (P168961) Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation Project (P168961) SOUTH ASIA | Bangladesh | IBRD/IDA | Investment Project Financing (IPF) | FY 2021 | Seq No: 7 | Archived on 30-Oct-2024 | ISR00936 Implementing Agencies: University Grants Commission, Ministry of Education Bangladesh 1. OBJECTIVE 1.1 Development Objective Original Development Objective (Approved as part of Approval package on 23-Jun-2021) The PDOs are: (i) to strengthen the COVID-19 response in higher education, improve connectivity and quality of higher education for women, and (ii) to enhance higher education’s governance, resilience to emergencies, and graduate employability; and (iii) in caseof an Eligible Crisis or Emergency, respond promptly and effectively to it. Has the Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project Objective? Yes Current Development Objective (Approved as part of Restructuring package Seq. 1 on 13-Apr-2022) The PDOs are: (i) to strengthen the COVID-19 response in higher education, improve connectivity and quality of higher education for women, and (ii) to enhance higher education’s governance, resilience to emergencies, and graduate employability; and (iii) in caseof an Eligible Crisis or Emergency, respond promptly and effectively to it. 2. COMPONENTS Name 1: South-Asian Harmonious Area for Research and Education:(Cost 90,000,000.00) 2: Transforming Higher Education in Bangladesh:(Cost 359,000,000.00) 3: Enhancing Project Management, Results Monitoring and Communication:(Cost 42,000,000.00) 4: ??????????????????????Contingent Emergency Response Component:(Cost 0.00) 3. OVERALL RATINGS Name Previous Current Progress towards achievement of PDO Moderately Unsatisfactory Moderately Unsatisfactory Oct 30, 2024 Page 1 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation Project (P168961) Overall Implementation Progress (IP) Moderately Unsatisfactory Moderately Unsatisfactory Overall Risk Rating Substantial Substantial 4. KEY ISSUES & STATUS 4.1 Implementation Status and Key Decisions Project became effective on July 2, 2023. The government has successfully appointed a full time Project Director and completed authorization of signatory for the project. Project Management Unit (PMU) deployment of staff has been partially completed. The establishment of the Project Steering Committee (PSC), Project Implementation Committee (PIC), have been completed through approval of the Development Project Proforma (DPP). Academic transformation fund (ATF) manual have been drafted and submitted to Ministry of Education (MoE) for approval. Program has disbursed USD 16.8 million equivalent as an advance. The Bank team and government is expected to closely work together and make progress on project activities through a dedicated implementation plan. The project's closing date is December 31, 2027 5. SYSTEMATIC OPERATIONS RISK-RATING TOOL Rating at Approval Last Approved Rating Risk Category Approval Package - ISR Seq. 06 - 10 Apr Proposed Rating 24 Jun 2021 2024 Political and Governance Substantial Substantial Substantial Macroeconomic Moderate Moderate Moderate Sector Strategies and Policies Low Low Low Technical Design of Project or Program Moderate Substantial Substantial Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Moderate Moderate Moderate Sustainability Fiduciary Substantial Substantial Moderate Environment and Social Substantial Substantial Substantial Stakeholders Moderate Moderate Moderate Other Substantial Low Low Oct 30, 2024 Page 2 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation Project (P168961) Overall Substantial Substantial Substantial Oct 30, 2024 Page 3 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation Project (P168961) 6. RESULTS 6.1 PDO Indicators by PDO Outcomes Strengthen COVID-19 response in HE improve connectivity and quality of HE for women Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year Share of universities in 0.00 May/2020 0.00 05-Mar-2024 0.00 02-Oct-2024 40.00 Dec/2027 Bangladesh implementing Comments on Target is likely to be reduced. Data likely to be available after restructuring Emergency Response and achieving targets Recovery Plans (%) (Percentage) Network institutions in 0.00 Dec/2020 0.00 05-Mar-2024 0.00 02-Oct-2024 20.00 Dec/2027 Bangladesh implementing a Comments on Wording will be revised in the upcoming restructuring as there is no global or regional teaching and learning achieving targets interventions in this project packages for targeting female students. (Number) Improved Governance in Bangladesh Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year No. of programs newly 0.00 May/2019 0.00 05-Mar-2024 0.00 02-Oct-2024 20.00 Dec/2027 accredited in universities Comments on 8 applications received by BAC to initiate program accreditation process. under the Bangladesh achieving targets Accreditation Council Target is likely to be reduced from 30 to 20 considering the remaining period of the project (Number) and potential repurposing Enhance Resilience in Bangladesh Page 4 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation Project (P168961) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year Share of students enrolled in 0.00 Apr/2020 0.00 05-Mar-2024 0.00 02-Oct-2024 30.00 Dec/2027 remote learning (Percentage) Comments on BdREN prepared technical specification for LMI/LMS. The updated data is likely to be available (Percentage) achieving targets after the additional universities are connected to the BdREN network Graduate Employability in Bangladesh Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year To be Dec/2023 Nil 05-Mar-2024 Nil 02-Oct-2024 5% increase Dec/2027 determined over baseline using baseline Graduate Employability Index survey (Text) Comments on technical note has been drafted for the index. initial discussion with BIDS conducted to achieving targets establish the baseline. PDO may be reworded considering the changed circumstances. Updated data will be available after BIDS completes baseline To be Jan/2025 Nil 31-Jul-2024 5% increase Dec/2027 Graduate Employability determined over baseline Index (Female) (Text) using baseline survey 6.2 Intermediate Results Indicators by Components 1: Strengthening Regional and Global Partnerships in Higher Education Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year Page 5 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation Project (P168961) Number of additional 0.00 Dec/2020 0.00 05-Mar-2024 0.00 02-Oct-2024 40.00 Dec/2027 universities connected to Comments on Number will be tracked after completion of procurement of BdREN equipment to support Research and Education achieving targets connectivity Networks (Number) 2: Transforming Higher Education in Bangladesh Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year Number of universities 0.00 May/2020 0.00 05-Mar-2024 0.00 02-Oct-2024 15.00 Dec/2027 brought under the Learning Comments on Likely to be deleted since the data is already being captured through another PDO Management Infrastructure achieving targets (Number) 0.00 May/2021 0.00 05-Mar-2024 0 02-Oct-2024 450,000.00 Dec/2027 Students Supported with Comments on EOP to be revised considering the remaining project period. Data will be available towards the Better Education (Number) achieving targets end of this fiscal year % Female (Percentage) 0 Jul/2024 0.00 31-Jul-2024 30% Dec/2027 0.00 May/2020 0.00 05-Mar-2024 0.00 02-Oct-2024 20.00 Dec/2027 Number of university-industry Comments on EOI for competitive grants expected to be floated by December 2024. EOP to be revised research collaborations achieving targets considering the remaining project period. Updated data is expected to be reported after completed (Number) awarding of grants is completed Number of academic 0.00 May/2020 0.00 05-Mar-2024 0.00 02-Oct-2024 150.00 Dec/2027 publications produced by Comments on EOI for competitive grants expected to be floated by December 2024. EOP to be revised beneficiaries of research achieving targets considering the remaining project period. Updated data is expected to be reported after grants (Number) awarding of grants is completed Number of faculty member 0 Jun/2021 0 31-Jul-2024 3,000 Dec/2027 received training (of which % of women) (Number, Custom) (Number) Student Satisfaction Regular Aug/2019 Nil 05-Mar-2024 Nil 02-Oct-2024 2 (two) student Jun/2027 Page 6 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation Project (P168961) Survey/Citizen Engagement student feedback (Text) feedback is not surveys in place conducted and disseminated Comments on BIDS is expected to be onboard by January to conduct the CE survey. Number of survey rounds achieving targets will be reduced during the proposed restructuring. Data will be reported after completion of survey Number of newly established 69.00 May/2020 0.00 05-Mar-2024 0.00 02-Oct-2024 130.00 Dec/2027 IQAC in universities have Comments on EOP to be revised considering the remaining project period. Will be measured by checking the produced and published at achieving targets number of Institutional Quality Assurance Cells (IQAC) newly established in universities and least one self-assessment have produced and published at least one Self-Assessment Report, which includes feedback report, including beneficiary from students. Updated data is likely to be available by December 2025 after activation of feedback (Number) IQACs. No Dec/2020 Nil 05-Mar-2024 Regulations for 02-Oct-2024 Evaluation of Dec/2027 performance the PBF has the pilot and based funding been drafted action plan for Establishment of Performance exists and now PBF prepared Based Funding in the public awaits universities in Bangladesh approval from (Text) MoE Comments on Updated data has been reported in this ISR. Approval by MoE expected anytime achieving targets 3: Enhancing Project Management, Results Monitoring and Communication Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Date Value Month/Year No Aug/2019 No 05-Mar-2024 No 02-Oct-2024 Yes Jun/2027 HEAT TA is fully functional Comments on This is on track since 11 positions have been advertised and will be onboard soon. Deployment (Yes/No) achieving targets of 15 additional positions in PMU awaits final approval. Bank is now receiving regular IFRs. Team will consider this fully complied once the hiring of the consultants and deployment of Page 7 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation Project (P168961) PMU is completed. This is likely to happen before the next ISR 3 out of 4 indicators are met: (1) 90% of project staffing , including procurement, FM, M&E. (2) At least 70% of reports published (employer's survey, tracer studies, satisfaction survey, research bibliometric survey) (4) IFR completed. Page 8 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation Project (P168961) 7. DATA ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE 7.1 Cumulative Disbursements 7.2 Disbursements (by loan) Loan/Credit/TF Status Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed % Disbursed Historical Disbursed IDA-D8610 Closed 18.00 0.27 17.73 0.00 0.00 0% 18.00 IDA-69390 Effective 191.00 191.00 0.00 16.81 159.32 8.80% 191.00 7.3 Key Dates (by loan) Loan/Credit/TF Status Approval Signing Effectiveness Orig. Closing Rev. Closing IDA-69390 Effective 24-Jun-2021 13-Jun-2023 02-Jul-2023 31-Dec-2026 31-Dec-2027 Oct 30, 2024 Page 7 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation Project (P168961) IDA-D8610 Closed 24-Jun-2021 07-Aug-2021 31-Dec-2026 05-Nov-2021 8. KEY DATES Key Events Planned Actual Approval 24-Jun-2021 24-Jun-2021 Effectiveness 02-Jul-2023 02-Jul-2023 Mid-Term Review No. 01 31-Aug-2025 Operation Closing/Cancellation 31-Dec-2027 9. RESTRUCTURING HISTORY Restructuring Level 2 Approved on 17-Feb-2022 10. ASSOCIATED OPERATION(S) There are no associated operations Oct 30, 2024 Page 8 of 8