The World Bank COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN HOW IS MY SCHOOL DOING PROJECT (P167958) Appraisal Environmental and Social Review Summary Appraisal Stage (ESRS Appraisal Stage) Public Disclosure Date Prepared/Updated: 07/16/2019 | Report No: ESRSA00226 Jul 26, 2019 Page 1 of 9 The World Bank COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN HOW IS MY SCHOOL DOING PROJECT (P167958) BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country Region Project ID Parent Project ID (if any) Dominican Republic LATIN AMERICA AND P167958 CARIBBEAN Project Name COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN HOW IS MY SCHOOL DOING PROJECT Practice Area (Lead) Financing Instrument Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Governance Investment Project 7/31/2019 Financing Borrower(s) Implementing Agency(ies) World Vision Dominican World Vision Dominican Republic Republic Proposed Development Objective(s) Public Disclosure The PDO is to support effective community participation and the generation of systematic feedback on the quality of education through a collaborative social accountability mechanism between the school community and the Ministry of Education within the “How Is My School Doing” initiative. Financing (in USD Million) Amount Total Project Cost 0.60 B. Is the project being prepared in a Situation of Urgent Need of Assistance or Capacity Constraints, as per Bank IPF Policy, para. 12? No C. Summary Description of Proposed Project [including overview of Country, Sectoral & Institutional Contexts and Relationship to CPF] The project aims at facilitating citizens’ engagement in providing feedback to authorities regarding the quality of education services. It is a RETF to be executed by a civil society organization, World Vision Dominican Republic, and is framed within the Coalition Building Facility for Participatory Governance Reform (P159392), which aims to generate actionable and relevant information to improve service delivery in education, justice and citizen security, by means of enhancing citizen engagement, fostering coalition building initiatives and developing smart data collection mechanisms. Jul 26, 2019 Page 2 of 9 The World Bank COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN HOW IS MY SCHOOL DOING PROJECT (P167958) D. Environmental and Social Overview D.1. Project location(s) and salient characteristics relevant to the ES assessment [geographic, environmental, social] The project will operate in the Dominican Republic (DR), and will specifically focus on school districts through out the DR. The project will support the testing and institutionalization of new methods for engaging parents, students and the community in assessing their schools' conditions, identifying priority actions and monitoring progress. Given that the project will focus only on capacity building activities, with no financing for construction or renovation, an ESMF/ESMP or other environmental assessment will not be required. D. 2. Borrower’s Institutional Capacity The implementing agency is World Vision Dominican Republic (WVDR). WVDR works together with schools and the Ministry of Education for quality education in the Dominican Republic. WVDR Works in 15 provinces of the Dominican Republic: Distrito Nacional, Bahoruco, Dajabón, El Seibo, Espaillat, Independencia, La Vega, Monseñor Nouel, Puerto Plata, San Cristóbal, Sánchez Ramírez, Santiago, Santiago Rodríguez, Santo Domingo and Valverde. The Implementing Agency has experience in participatory and consultation methodologies throughout the provinces but little experience with World Bank Environmental and Social Standards. However, given that there are no physical works to be done, this lack of capacity in terms of environment is not a significant detriment to the implementation of the project. In terms of managing the social aspects of the project, the implementation agency does have the appropriate and relevant capacity. II. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (ES) RISKS AND IMPACTS Public Disclosure A. Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) Low Environmental Risk Rating Low The environmental risk classification is low, because the project is a capacity building project -It will not finance any works. Instead, the project focuses on supporting effective community participation, and the generation of systematic feedback on the quality of education. This will be done through a collaborative social accountability mechanism, between the school community, and the Ministry of Education within the “How Is My School Doing” initiative. The classification considers the technical assistance nature of project’s activities which are not expected to generate environmental risks. Social Risk Rating Low The social risk classification for the Project is Low under the World Bank ESF because the project is expected to have significant social benefits and limited and manageable adverse social impacts. Potential adverse social risks to and impacts on human populations and/or the environment, are likely to be minimal or negligible. Impacts on physical, cultural, and/or archeological sites; Economic displacement, land acquisition or resettlement are not expected. The main risk is that project may not address all vulnerable people among which, are the poorest living in isolated areas, slums, people with disabilities. This screening suggests that the project should address the World Bank Group Commitments on Disability-Inclusive Development; as well as including in its design element to minimize risks of exclusion, this in part in the design and implementation of the stakeholder engagement plan. Jul 26, 2019 Page 3 of 9 The World Bank COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN HOW IS MY SCHOOL DOING PROJECT (P167958) B. Environment and Social Standards (ESSs) that Apply to the Activities Being Considered B.1. General Assessment ESS1 Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts Overview of the relevance of the Standard for the Project: From an environmental standpoint, the standard has limited relevance and applicability because the 'Cómo Va Mi escuela -CVME-" project will not engage in any physical works. Instead, the project will finance, through TA, capacity building activities that focus on building a collaborative approach to engage parents, students and the community to assess their school's conditions, identify priority actions for improvement and monitor success. The key area of relevance is related to climate change- the DR is a country that is vulnerable to climate change. While the project will not directly address that threat in its activities, it could initiate discussions on how to include climate change education as part of a holistic approach of Education for Sustainable Development- however, only if this is seen to be a priority for the communities. ESS1 is relevant particularly for the social impacts of this project. The project will operate in a context where poverty and social disparities across regions remain high across regions and between rural and urban areas; Discrimination is a factor and in regions along the Haitian borders; Poor public-sector management and poor quality of institutions are correlated with a high degree of political favoritism, corruption and insufficient human capital, which compromises the quality of outcomes in service delivery, and so on. While the project cannot directly change this status quo, the project will address theses various gaps by engaging with, and providing sufficient information to stakeholders throughout the life cycle of the project, in a manner appropriate to their interest and Public Disclosure vulnerabilities. CVME does not include a GBV component as it refers to feedback regarding schools’ conditions, particularly in terms of infrastructure and learning outcomes. GBV issues have not come up in the initial piloting and further implementation of CVME in 300 schools. The implementing agency (World Vision Dominican Republic) will work in 60 schools (of the universe of 300 schools involved in the CVME project, within the 15 municipalities). Because the Risk Classification of this project is Low, it is suggested that, beyond this initial Environmental and Risk Screening, no further Environmental and Social Impact Assessment is needed. This is therefore directed to review and clearance by the respective GPSURR and GENDR practice managers. ESS10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure The main stakeholders are students and teachers, parents, community leaders, Ministry of Education (MINRED), World Vision, Non-governmental organizations and private sector, that contribute to education in the framework of public – private – partnership. Through a collaborative approach with the National Education Pact’s Oversight Committee, and with other organizations from civil society and the private sector, the project is expected to: (i) enable the testing and institutionalization of new forms of engaging parents, students and the community around schools in assessing their schools’ conditions, identifying priority actions for improvement, and monitoring progress, (ii) support MINERD in aggregating, analyzing and acting upon the information generated by CVME to improve decision-making and education management, and (iii) use school-generated information to assess progress against the goals established by the national Education Pact. WVDR will prepare a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) that outlines a) who the key stakeholders are; b) how they are to be engaged; c) how often the engagement will occur throughout the project; d) how feedback will be solicited, recorded and monitored over the project; e) who will be charged/responsible with this engagement; f) timeline for this engagement; g) budget and human resources, among Jul 26, 2019 Page 4 of 9 The World Bank COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN HOW IS MY SCHOOL DOING PROJECT (P167958) other details. To avoid or minimize the risk of leaving certain vulnerable groups behind, the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) will describe the measures that will be used to remove obstacles to participation, and how the views of differently affected groups will be captured. Where applicable, the SEP will include differentiated measures to allow the effective participation of those identified as disadvantaged or vulnerable. Dedicated approaches and an increased level of resources may be needed for communication with such differently affected groups so that they can obtain the information they need regarding the issues that will potentially affect (positively or negatively) them. Initial screening suggests that the consultation process addresses the need for a policy and or good practices to promote inclusive education for children with disabilities and in accordance with the Bank commitment in the London Summit (July 2018) -ensures that all WB-financed education programs and projects are disability-inclusive by 2025. The stakeholder engagement process will begin as early as possible and will guide the project through preparation and continue into implementation. Prior to appraisal, the following measures will be implemented: i) stakeholder identification and analysis, ii) planning how the engagement with stakeholders will happen, iii) consultation with stakeholders and other groups not listed that might be relevant, and iv) the disclosure of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan. The Borrower will propose and implement a Grievance Mechanism to receive and facilitate resolution of concerns and grievances. B.2. Specific Risks and Impacts A brief description of the potential environmental and social risks and impacts relevant to the Project. ESS2 Labor and Working Conditions The Standard is relevant given that the project may hire skilled workers to carry out the work of the project. These Public Disclosure may include: i) Direct workers; and ii) Community workers such as Social Facilitators engaged in facilitating the work in the different provinces. The project does not intend to be engaged with primary supply workers. It is also not expected to have government civil servants working in connection with the project, whether full-time or part-time. Few foreign workers, if any, might be hired. Labor influx related impacts are not expected. Number of workers is not known at this time. The Borrower will develop and implement written labor management procedures applicable to the project once the Grant is signed. The Borrower will provide TORs for workers to be hired as well as expected number of workers that will be employed by the project. The project will promote transparency in terms and conditions of employment, nondiscrimination and equal opportunity. The WBG team will review the specific HR processes and practices for the project in line with due requirements. ESS3 Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management The standard is not relevant. The Project’s activities are limited to capacity building and therefore are not expected to generate any pollution. In addition, the project will not make use of any resources because there will be no works. The project will, however, positively, include “go green practices” as part of the planning for priority actions for improvement in schools. These planning actions are to help schools to think about how to reduce their paper and plastic waste. ESS4 Community Health and Safety Jul 26, 2019 Page 5 of 9 The World Bank COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN HOW IS MY SCHOOL DOING PROJECT (P167958) The standard is not relevant. Project activities are not expected to increase community exposure to risks and impacts primarily because there will be no associated works. ESS5 Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement The standard is currently not relevant. No project-related land acquisition, resettlement or restrictions on land use will take place. The project’s focus is to improve transparency and access to information in the Education Sector at the subnational level in selected schools in the Dominican Republic. The project is not expected to generate any physical infrastructure (e.g. the construction of buildings), therefore impacts on the following are not expected: i) Cross sensitive or critical natural areas, ii) Physical, cultural, and/or archeological sites, and iii) Displacement, resettlement or involuntary deprivation of lands. Relevance of this ESS will be further assessed as detailed project description is available or if the initial project design changes. ESS6 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources The standard is currently not relevant. Project’s activities are not expected to have any direct negative impact on the biodiversity and the sustainable management of living resources. School planning activities focus on building a collaborative communication and engagement framework and this will not have any impact on biodiversity, or sustainable management of living natural resources. ESS7 Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities Public Disclosure The standard is currently not relevant. Previous safeguards assessment for this initiative concluded that there are no Indigenous Peoples in the intended project area, and that fulfill the four characteristics indicated under this ESS. ESS8 Cultural Heritage The standard is currently not relevant. Project activities are not expected to have negative impact on cultural heritage, whether in its tangible and intangible forms. Relevance of this ESS will be further assessed as detailed project description is available or if the initial project design changes. ESS9 Financial Intermediaries The standard is not relevant. FI's are not part of this project B.3 Other Relevant Project Risks No other environmental or social impacts are envisioned. C. Legal Operational Policies that Apply OP 7.50 Projects on International Waterways No Jul 26, 2019 Page 6 of 9 The World Bank COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN HOW IS MY SCHOOL DOING PROJECT (P167958) OP 7.60 Projects in Disputed Areas No III. BORROWER’S ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) DELIVERABLES against MEASURES AND ACTIONs IDENTIFIED TIMELINE ESS 1 Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts Environmental and Social screening in ESRS ESS 10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure SEP PREPARATION: Prepare and disclose a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP). 03/2019 SEP IMPLEMENTATION: Implement the SEP. 05/2019 PROJECT GRIEVANCE MECHANISM: Develop and implement the arrangements for the grievance 05/2019 mechanism. ESS 2 Labor and Working Conditions Public Disclosure LABOR MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES: Develop labor management procedures. 07/2019 ESS 3 Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management ESS 4 Community Health and Safety ESS 5 Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement ESS 6 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources ESS 7 Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities ESS 8 Cultural Heritage Jul 26, 2019 Page 7 of 9 The World Bank COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN HOW IS MY SCHOOL DOING PROJECT (P167958) ESS 9 Financial Intermediaries B.3. Reliance on Borrower’s policy, legal and institutional framework, relevant to the Project risks and impacts Is this project being prepared for use of Borrower Framework? No Areas where “Use of Borrower Framework” is being considered: This is not applicable. The project will not use the Borrower's framework. IV. CONTACT POINTS World Bank Contact: Josef S. Trommer Title: Senior Operations Officer Telephone No: 5220+36242 / Email: jtrommer@worldbank.org Contact: Daniela Veronica Felcman Title: Public Sector Specialist Public Disclosure Telephone No: 458-0040 Email: dfelcman@worldbank.org Borrower/Client/Recipient Borrower: World Vision Dominican Republic Implementing Agency(ies) Implementing Agency: World Vision Dominican Republic V. 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 VI. APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Josef S. Trommer, Daniela Veronica Felcman Practice Manager (ENR/Social) Valerie Hickey Cleared on 16-Jul-2019 at 22:30:26 EDT Jul 26, 2019 Page 8 of 9 The World Bank COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN HOW IS MY SCHOOL DOING PROJECT (P167958) Public Disclosure Jul 26, 2019 Page 9 of 9