REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN SOCIO-ECONOMIC RESILIENCE STRENGTHENING PROJECT Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) March, 2019 1 CONTENT GLOSSARY ........................................................................................................................................ 4 List of Abbreviations & Acronyms...................................................................................................... 6 I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 8 1.1 Purpose of the SEP......................................................................................................................... 8 1.2 About the Project ......................................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Scope and Structure of the SEP................................................................................................. 9 II. DESCRIPTION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE, POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.................................................................................................................................. 10 2.1 Key National Legal Provisions on Social Safeguards and Citizen Engagement ......................... 10 2.2 World Bank Environmental and Social Standard on Stakeholder Engagement .......................... 11 III. BRIEF SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES ........ 13 3.1. Key stakeholder meetings and consultations .............................................................................. 13 3.2 Community Meetings for SEP preparation .................................................................................. 15 3.3 Lessons learned in engaging communities / stakeholders from previous projects ...................... 16 IV. STAKEHOLDER MAPPING, SEGMENTIZATION AND ANALYSIS.................................. 20 4.1 Stakeholder Mapping ................................................................................................................... 20 4.2 Stakeholder Segmentation/ Prioritization ............................................................................... 22 4.3 Stakeholder Analysis ............................................................................................................... 25 V. INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS ................................................................................................... 33 VI. IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND RISK MANAGEMENT .......................................................... 35 VII. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PLAN ............................................................................... 38 VIII. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS FOR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ......... 45 8.1 Implementation Arrangements..................................................................................................... 45 8.2 Roles and Responsibilities ........................................................................................................... 45 8.3. Stakeholder Engagement Methods to be used ............................................................................ 46 8.4 Proposed strategy to incorporate the view of vulnerable groups ................................................. 48 8.5 Information disclosure ................................................................................................................. 48 8.6 Estimated Budget ......................................................................................................................... 48 IX. GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM .................................................................................. 50 9.1 Objectives of the project-based GRM.......................................................................................... 50 9.2 GRM Overview and Structure ..................................................................................................... 50 2 9.4 Grievance Logs ............................................................................................................................ 53 9.5 Monitoring and Reporting on Grievances.................................................................................... 53 9.6 World Bank Grievance Redress System ...................................................................................... 54 X. MONITORING AND REPORTING OF THE SEP ..................................................................... 55 ANNEX 1. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT COMPONENTS .......................................................... 56 ANNEX 2. DETAILS OF STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS.................................................. 60 3 GLOSSARY Consultation: The process of gathering information or advice from stakeholders and taking these views into account when making project decisions and/or setting targets and defining strategies. Dialogue: An exchange of views and opinions to explore different perspectives, needs and alternatives, with a view to fostering mutual understanding, trust and cooperation on a strategy or initiative. Community Based Organisations (CBOs): Organisations that are established by communities and comprise community members. Examples of CBOs include farming cooperatives. Corporate Responsibility (CR): A concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders. Community social investments: Contributions (monetary, staff time or gifts in kind) that are made to stakeholders, and bring benefits to these stakeholders over and above an operation’s core activities. The beneficiaries of these contributions can range from local to national and international stakeholders. These investments are generally aimed at addressing needs within a target community. The scope of these activities could range from donations to charities that link with business needs and strategies, for example capacity building and skills development amongst local residents for employment purposes, and local procurement. Engagement: A process in which a company builds and maintains constructive and sustainable relationships with stakeholders impacted over the life of a project. This is part of a broader “stakeholder engagement” strategy, which also encompasses governments, civil society, employees, suppliers, and others with an interest in the project. Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA): An assessment comprising various social and environmental studies which aim to identify project impacts and design appropriate mitigation measures to manage negative impacts, and to enhance positive project impacts. Feasibility/Pre-Construction phase: The phase of a project which includes the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, and financial and engineering feasibility studies. Jamoat: Refers to the local self-governing body at the sub-district level, administering several villages and functioning based on the Law of the Republic of Tajikistan “On Self-Government Bodies in Towns and Villages” (1994, amended 2009 and 2017). Jamoat Project Commission: The self-governing Jamoats at the subdistrict level will establish Jamoat Project Commissions to implement the subprojects located in the territory administered by the Jamoat. Implementation Partners: Represent local organizations (like Centers for Additional Education or youth and women spaces) to be recruited to deliver youth inclusive services these services during the project implementation period. Livelihoods: The financial and/or subsistence activities undertaken by households to meet their daily needs. Typically rural households undertake multiple livelihood strategies that include subsistence farming and informal trading. 4 Local communities: Refers to groups of people living in close proximity to a project that could potentially be impacted by a project. (“Stakeholders,” in contrast, refers to the broader group of people and organisations with an interest in the project.) Non-Government Organisations (NGOs)/Facilitating Partners: Private organisations, often not-for-profit, that facilitate community development, local capacity building, advocacy, and environmental protection. Partnerships: In the context of engagement, partnerships are defined as collaboration between people and organisations to achieve a common goal and often share resources and competencies, risks and benefits. Pre-Feasibility phase: The phase of a project which includes a Screening Study to identify social and environmental fatal flaws, and a Scoping Study to identify and assess the social and environmental issues of a proposed project and evaluate project design alternatives prior to proceeding to project feasibility. Project: Refers to Social and Economic Resilience Strengthening Project, which is a part of the World Bank Resilience Strengthening Program in Tajikistan. Project Area: A geographical area within which direct and indirect impacts attributable to a project can be expected. Typically a Project Area is (i) unique to a project (ii) larger than the actual footprint of a project; and encompasses socio-economic issues and impacts, as well as issues and impacts associated with other disciplines (e.g. environment, health and safety). Defining the Project Area is used to determine a project’s area of influence and responsibilities. It also provides guidance on the area within which impacts need to be monitored, and managed, and it also assists with defining project stakeholders that should be engaged during an ESIA process. Stakeholder: Refers to individuals or groups who: (a) are affected or likely to be affected by the project (project-affected parties); and (b) may have an interest in the project (other interested parties).Stakeholders are defined as people or entities that are affected or may have an interest in the Project. Stakeholder engagement: It is a continuous process used by the project to engage relevant stakeholders for a clear purpose to achieve accepted outcomes. It includes a range of activities and interactions over the life of the project such as stakeholder identification and analysis, information disclosure, stakeholder consultation, negotiations and partnerships, grievance management, stakeholder involvement in project monitoring, reporting to stakeholders and management functions. Stakeholder Engagement Plan: A plan which assists managers with effectively engaging with stakeholders throughout the life of the project and specifying activities that will be implemented to manage or enhance engagement. Village Project Committee: A committee to be established in target villages to mobilize communities, support community capacity building, and lead the selection and implementation of subproject activities at the community level. 5 List of Abbreviations & Acronyms CEP Committee for Environmental Protection CDD Community-Driven Development DEP Department on Environmental Protection EE Ecological Expertise EHS Environmental, Health and Safety issues ESIA Environmental & Social Impact Assessment ESA Environmental and Social Assessment ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan ESMF Environmental and Social Management Framework ESF Environmental and Social Framework ESS Environmental and Social Standard GBAO Gorno-Badakhshan Automonous Oblast FP Focal Point FPs Facilitating Partners FY Fiscal Year GOT Government of Tajikistan GFP Grievance Focal Point GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism ICT Information and communication technologies IDA International Development Association / World Bank IP Implementation Partner IR Involuntary Resettlement JPC Jamoat Project Commission LMP Labor Management Procedures M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MIS Management information system MoF Ministry of Finance of Tajikistan 6 MSDSP Mountain Societies Development Support Programme NEET Not employed, not in education or training youth NGO Non-Governmental Organization NSIFT National Social Investment Fund of Tajikistan OP Operational Policies (World Bank) O&M Operations & Maintenance PAP Project Affected Person PCR Physical Cultural Resources PDO Project Development Objective PMU Project Management Unit PIU Project Implementation Unit PFI Participating Financial Institution RMR Risk Mitigation Regime RPF Resettlement Policy Framework RAP Resettlement Action Plan RSP Resilience Strengthening Program REDP Rural Energy Development Project SA Social Assessment SEE State Ecological Expertise SERSP Socio-Economic Resilience Strengthening Project SEP Stakeholder Engagement Plan PSC Project Supervision Consultants TA Technical Assistance TOR Terms of Reference VPC Village Project Committee WB World Bank UNICEF United Nations Children Fund UPSHIFT a UNICEF-funded youth social innovation and social entrepreneurship program 7 I. INTRODUCTION The Socio-Economic Resilience Strengthening Project (SERSP), being a part of the Resilience Strengthening Program (RSP), is included in the upcoming World Bank Country Partnership Framework for the Republic of Tajikistan for the period FY19-23. It is expected to contribute to the Risk Mitigation Regime’s (RMR) higher- level objectives of strengthening resilience, defined as a person’s, community’s and/or country’s capacity to adjust or respond to, and recover from, difficulties, adverse impacts, and/or exogenous shocks, reducing perceptions of exclusion, and preventing fragility risks. The project targets Khatlon and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) regions of Tajikistan, which have the highest levels of absolute and relative poverty measures, respectively, and which face fragility risks due to the proximity to unstable parts of Afghanistan, large youth populations, disparities in service delivery outcomes, and legacies of violent conflicts. The project recognizes the significance of, and adopts the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Standards, for identifying and assessing as well as managing the environmental and social (E&S) risks and impacts associated with this investment project. The reviews undertaken by the Bank has classified environmental and social risks as moderate and substantial respectively. As a response, Government of Tajikistan/ National Social Investment Fund of Tajikistan (NSIFT), implementing agency, has developed several key instruments to address the same. One of them is the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP). 1.1 Purpose of the SEP Government of Tajikistan recognizes that the SERSP’s stakeholder profile is quite diverse and heterogeneous and that their expectations and orientation as well as capacity to interface with the project are different. This differential necessitates systematic efforts viz., a Plan- Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) --to enable identify elaborately different stakeholders and develop an approach for reaching each of the sub groups. In simpler terms, it provides an appropriate approach for consultations and disclosure. These in turn are expected to create an atmosphere of understanding that actively involves project-affected people and other interested parties, reaching out to them in a timely manner, and that each sub group is provided opportunities to voice their opinions and concerns. Overall, SEP serves the following purposes: i) stakeholder identification and analysis; (ii) planning engagement modalities viz., effective communication tool for consultations and disclosure; and (iii) enabling platforms for influencing decisions; (iv) defining role and responsibilities of different actors in implementing the Plan; and (iv) grievance redress mechanism (GRM). A brief about the project components of SERSP and proposed interventions are presented in Annex 1 to provide the background/ context in which this SEP is being prepared. 1.2 About the Project The Project Development Objective is to improve socio-economic inclusion of targeted vulnerable communities, and young men and women. The Project consists of three interrelated components. Component 1 provides subgrants to finance local-level socioeconomic infrastructure that addresses priorities identified through a participatory village needs assessment and decision-making process. Component 1 also provides capacity building of jamoat administrations and community-level institutions. There is a focus on supporting mobilization of communities and youth in the target districts, to engage them in decision making about how the sub grants will be used, and to continuously engage them throughout each subproject cycle. Component 2 of the project will offer activities for disadvantage and inactive young men and women to increase their overall resilience to risks of exclusion, inactivity and disaffection. The component will finance youth-inclusive services and the refurbishment of youth spaces, as well as livelihood training and tools and equipment for livelihood activities in the seven target 8 districts in GBAO and Khatlon. Component 3 of the project will finance project management, monitoring and evaluation and capacity building. Support will be provided for implementation capacity of the NSIFT and its regional offices. This component will ensure the regular coordination with national stakeholders as well as support the strengthening of the NSIFT beneficiary feedback mechanism developed under the CASA-1000 CSP. Component 3 will also support monitoring and evaluation activities of the project. The Project areas are 7 target districts, including Farkhor, Hamadoni, Panj, and Kulob districts in Khatlon region and Shughnon, Ishkashim and Vanj districts in GBAO region. These districts have been selected on the basis of the following criteria: (a) a shared border with Afghanistan; (b) relatively large population sizes; (c) a combination of rural and urban areas; and (d) limited coverage by other donor interventions. All 44 jamoats in the 7 target districts will be covered by the project. Approximately 449,944 individuals in the jamaots will benefit. The project is designed as a proof of concept for strengthening socio-economic resilience that can be replicated in other vulnerable districts of Tajikistan, if successful. As such, the Project concentrates resources in a limited number of districts to maximize efficiencies and impact. For more detailed information about the project components, please refer to Annex 1. 1.3 Scope and Structure of the SEP Scope of the SEP shall be as outlined in the World Bank’s ESS10. The engagement will be planned as an integral part of the project’s environmental and social assessment and project design and implementation. This document has 10 chapters. The first chapter, viz., this chapter serves as an Introduction. It provides a brief about the project and the context in which the SEP is being prepared. Chapter 2 lists the regulatory framework in Tajikistan which provides a legitimacy for SEP. A summary of the consultations held so far is presented in Chapter 3. All the three chapters serve as a backdrop. Stakeholder Identification, Mapping and Analysis is elaborated in the chapter 4. Institutional analysis and impact assessments are presented in Chapters 5 and 6. Stakeholder Engagement Plan is presented in the next chapter, 7. Implementation Arrangements for executing the SEP is presented in Chapter 8. Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) follows in Chapter 9. Monitoring, documentation and reporting are presented last, in Chapter 10. 9 II. DESCRIPTION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE, POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK The Stakeholder engagement derives its legitimacy through Article 5 and Article 12 of the constitution of Tajikistan which was adopted on 6 November 1994 and amended two times, in September 26, 1999 and June 22, 2003. As the fundamental law of the State, the Constitution defines the structure of the government, basic rights, liberties and responsibilities of its citizens, as well as the powers of the legislative, executive and judicial branches. Article 5 mandates that: The life, the honor, the dignity, and other natural human rights are inviolable. Human rights and freedoms are recognized, observed, and protected by the state. Article 12 guarantees that: The economy of Tajikistan is based on different forms of ownership, freedom of economic and entrepreneurial activity, equality of rights, and legal protection of all forms of ownership, including private property. Other related legislations are as follows: The Law on Environmental Protection (2011, amended 2017) stipulates that Tajikistan's environmental policy should prioritize environmental actions based on scientifically proven principles, and to balance consideration of economic and other activities that have an impact on the environment with that on nature preservation and sustainable use of resources. To secure public and individual rights to a safe and healthy environment, the Law requires that an environmental impact assessment for any activity that could have a negative impact on the environment. It also defines environmental emergencies and ecological disasters and prescribes the order of actions to be taken in such situations, including the obligations of officials and enterprises to prevent and eliminate adverse consequences, and liabilities of the persons or organizations that caused damage to the environment or otherwise violated the Law. The Law also establishes state, ministerial, enterprise and public control over compliance with environmental legislation, which is affected by the Committee for Environment Protection, the Sanitary Inspectorate of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the Inspectorate for Industrial Safety and the Mining Inspectorate. Public control is carried out by public organizations or trade unions and can be exercised with respect to any governmental body, enterprise, entity or individual. Article 12 of the Law on Environmental Protection proclaims the right of citizens to live in a favorable environment and to be protected from negative environmental impacts. Citizens also have the right to environmental information (Article 13), as well as to participate in developing, adopting, and implementing decisions related to environmental impacts (Article 13). The latter is assured by public discussion of drafts of environmentally important decisions and public ecological reviews. Public representative bodies have an obligation to take into consideration citizens’ comments and suggestions. The Water Code (2000, last amendment 2012) stipulates the policies on water management, permitting, dispute resolution, usage planning and cadastre. It promotes rational use and protection of water resources exercised by all beneficiaries and defines the types of water use rights, authority and roles of regional and local governments for water allocations among various users, collection of fees, water use planning, water use rights and dispute resolution. 2.1 Key National Legal Provisions on Social Safeguards and Citizen Engagement Law of the Republic of Tajikistan on Consumers’ Rights Protection provides for adjusting the attitudes arising between consumers and manufacturers, executors, sellers at sale of the goods (performance of works, rendering of services), establishes the rights of consumers to purchase of the goods(works, services) appropriate quality and safe for a life and health, reception of the information on the goods (works, services) and about their manufacturers (executors, sellers), provides the state and public protection of interests of consumers, and also is defined with the mechanism of realization of these rights. 10 Law on Freedom of Information is underpinned by Article 25 of the Constitution, which states that governmental agencies, social associations and officials are required to provide each person with the possibility of receiving and becoming acquainted with documents that affect her or his rights and interests, except in cases anticipated by law. According to the Decree ‘Approval of the Order of costs reimbursements related to provision of information’ adopted on January 1, 2010, all state institutions are enabled to charge fees for providing any kind of information to journalists and public officials. The decree states that one page of information provided should cost up to 35 Somoni (US$8). Per the Law on Public Associations, a public association may be formed in one of the following organizational and legal forms: public organization, public movement, or a body of public initiative. Article 4 of this law establishes the right of citizens to found associations for the protection of common interests and the achievement of common goals. It outlines the voluntary nature of associations and defines citizens’ rights to restrain from joining and withdrawing from an organization. August 2015 amendments to this legislation require NGOs to notify the Ministry of Justice about all funds received from international sources prior to using the funds. Law of Republic of Tajikistan on Appeals of Individuals and Legal Entities (from July 23, 2016, № 1339), contains legal provisions on established information channels for citizens to file their complaints, requests and grievances. Article 14 of the Law sets the timeframes for handling grievances, which is 15 days from the date of receipt that do not require additional study and research, and 30 days for the appeals that need additional study. These legal provisions will be taken into account by the project-based Grievance Redress Mechanism. 2.2 World Bank Environmental and Social Standard on Stakeholder Engagement The World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF)’s Environmental and Social Standard (ESS) 10, “Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure”, recognizes “the importance of open and transparent engagement between the Borrower and project stakeholders as an essential element of good international practice” (World Bank, 2017: 97). Specifically, the requirements set out by ESS10 are the following:  “Borrowers will engage with stakeholders throughout the project life cycle, commencing such engagement as early as possible in the project development process and in a timeframe that enables meaningful consultations with stakeholders on project design. The nature, scope and frequency of stakeholder engagement will be proportionate to the nature and scale of the project and its potential risks and impacts.  Borrowers will engage in meaningful consultations with all stakeholders. Borrowers will provide stakeholders with timely, relevant, understandable and accessible information, and consult with them in a culturally appropriate manner, which is free of manipulation, interference, coercion, discrimination and intimidation.  The process of stakeholder engagement will involve the following, as set out in further detail in this ESS: (i) stakeholder identification and analysis; (ii) planning how the engagement with stakeholders will take place; (iii) disclosure of information; (iv) consultation with stakeholders; (v) addressing and responding to grievances; and (vi) reporting to stakeholders.  The Borrower will maintain and disclose as part of the environmental and social assessment, a documented record of stakeholder engagement, including a description of the stakeholders consulted, a 11 summary of the feedback received and a brief explanation of how the feedback was taken into account, or the reasons why it was not.” (World Bank, 2017: 98). A Stakeholder Engagement Plan proportionate to the nature and scale of the project and its potential risks and impacts needs to be developed by the Borrower. It has to be disclosed as early as possible, and before project appraisal, and the Borrower needs to seek the views of stakeholders on the SEP, including on the identification of stakeholders and the proposals for future engagement. If significant changes are made to the SEP, the Borrower has to disclose the updated SEP (World Bank, 2017: 99). According to ESS10, the Borrower should also propose and implement a grievance mechanism to receive and facilitate the resolution of concerns and grievances of project-affected parties related to the environmental and social performance of the project in a timely manner (World Bank, 2017: 100). For more details on the WB Environmental and Social Standards, please follow the below links: www.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/environmental-and-social-framework/brief/environmental-and- social-standards and http://projects-beta.vsemirnyjbank.org/ru/projects-operations/environmental-and-social- framework/brief/environmental-and-social-standards 12 III. BRIEF SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES The project preparation has been engaging with various project stakeholders since May 2018. The project also had the benefit of drawing upon the consultations conducted for another similar World Bank financed project- CSP. Implementation entity remains the same for both CASA 1000 CSP and for SERSP projects. Four main types of stakeholder engagement activities have taken place to date: - ESMF and RPF public consultations and initial informal meetings; - Community meetings for SEP preparation; - Formal and informal communication with government agencies; and - Communication with local NGOs. 3.1. Key stakeholder meetings and consultations Details about the meetings and consultations are as presented below: Table 3: Stakeholder Consultations Place Date Participants Male Female Key points raised Dushanbe May 31, Ministry of 2 0  Project scope and 2018 Finance officials implementation arrangements January 21,  Project funding modalities 2019 February 1, 2019 Dushanbe May 31, Ministry of the 2 1  Availability of District 2018 Economy officials Development Plans  Role of MEDT in the project implementation  Steering Committee Members Dushanbe January 23, Agency for 1 0  Support in relevant data 2019 Statistics under the collections and availability of President of national and regional statistical Tajikistan reports Dushanbe January 23, Committee for 1 1  Status and conditions of women 2019 Family and centers in rural areas Women’s Affairs RT Dushanbe January 26, Local 4 0  Project implementation 2019 Development arrangements Committee Under  Steering Committee Members the President of RT 13 Dushanbe January 24, State Investment 1 0  Project scope and institutional 2019 Committee arrangements  Role of SIC in project implementation Dushanbe January 21- WB country office 8 4  Project scope and institutional 25, 2019 staff arrangements  Lessons learned Dushanbe May 28–June International 25 8  Project scope and institutional 1, 2018 donors arrangements January 24,  Lessons learned 2019  Donor mapping Dushanbe January 22, NSIFT National 7 3  Project design, sub-grant Bokhtar 23, 25, 26, Office allocation modalities 2019  Implementation arrangements  ESF requirements Dushanbe January 22, Micro loan 3 1  Relevant sub-grant financial 2019 institutions modalities Bokhtar, May 30, Khatlon and 5 0  District targeting Dushanbe 2018 January GBAO 25, 2019 Government Authorities Bokhtar January 25, Regional 6 10  Project scope and 2019 NGOs/CSOs implementation arrangements  Role of NGOs in Stakeholder Engagement  Special focus should be placed on young women self- confidence buildings  Returning migrants could be covered via Adult Training Centers Bokhtar January 25, Regional NSIFT 3 1  Lessons learned 2019 Office Dushanbe, March 19, GBAO key state  Project scope and Khorog 2019 and non-state implementation arrangements stakeholders via  Public consultations on ESF video conference instruments Farkhor March 15, Farkhor khukumat 6 2  Project scope and 2019 and line implementation arrangements departments  Role of local governments in Stakeholder Engagement Kulob February 16 Kulob khukumat 4 1  Project scope and and March and line implementation arrangements 13, 2019 departments  Role of local governments in Stakeholder Engagement 14 Hamadoni February 18 Hamadoni 4 2  Project scope and and March khukumat and line implementation arrangements 16, 2019 departments  Role of local governments in Stakeholder Engagement Panj February 19 Panj khukumat and 4 2  Project scope and and March line departments implementation arrangements 14, 2019  Role of local governments in Stakeholder Engagement Panj March 14, Local youth and 5 4  Project scope and 2019 women centers, implementation arrangements cultural clubs in  Current conditions and needs of Panj facilities  Priority youth space proposed is Cultural Palace in K.Saifuddinov Jamoat and Center for Additional Education Kulob March 13, Local youth and 7 2  Project scope and 2019 women centers, implementation arrangements cultural clubs in  Current conditions and needs of Kulob facilities  Priority youth space proposed is rehabilitation of the Center for Additional Education, installing soft skills programs in Adult Training Center (good conditions) and Women Crisis Center (good conditions) in Kulob Dushanbe May 29–June UNICEF 6 3  UPSHIFT program details 1, 2018  Lessons learned January 21 –  Site visits to installed youth February 1, innovation labs 2019 3.2 Community Meetings for SEP preparation The table below summarizes the location, date and attendance of these community meetings (disaggregated by gender), as well as the key issues that were raised as part of the discussions (see also the attendance sheet included in Annex 2). 15 Table 4. Community Consultations Stakeholder Level Number Number of Including Date of Key issues raised group/sub- of participants women conducting group meetings Community district, 1 43 March 15,  Project scope and members, jamoat, 2019 implementation CBOs and mahalla arrangements NGOs in  Role of local Farkhor governments/jamoats/ mahallas in community mobilization and ESF instruments implementation  Sub-grant allocation procedures Community district, 1 April 2, 2019  Availability of Village members, jamoat, Development Plans CBOs and mahalla  Importance and NGOs in frequency of Panj stakeholder engagement Community district, 1 36 March 13,  Project scope and members, jamoat, 2019 implementation CBOs and mahalla arrangements (CDD NGOs in approach) Kulob  Role of local governments/jamoats/ mahallas in community mobilization and ESF instruments implementation  Sub-grant allocation procedures Community district, 1 April 3, 2019  Availability of Village members, jamoat, Development Plans CBOs and mahalla  Importance and NGOs in frequency of Hamadoni stakeholder engagement 3.3 Lessons learned in engaging communities / stakeholders from previous projects Grant distribution – transparent distribution of project benefits. The design builds on the World Bank’s extensive experience with CDD projects. This includes, for instance, evidence that it is essential to establish fair and transparent methods for allocating resources with effective communication early in the community 16 mobilization. FCV/high-risk contexts – tailoring the CDD design. Because of their ability to deliver services and infrastructure, engage communities and local institutions, and operate even in remote or conflict-affected environments, CDD approaches are increasingly being used in conflict-affected and fragile development contexts. A 2015 IE evaluation found that CDD was the most frequently used operational approach by the Bank in FCV situations.1 The design of the SERSP and selection of GBAO and Khatlon is informed by the Tajikistan RRA, which identified the need for local development platforms in high-risk regions. While CDD does not by itself solve or prevent conflict, it can help address some of the key underlying factors of conflict risks, including: (i) delivering services cost effectively, including in remote and insecure areas; (ii) facilitating community acceptance of the subgrant distribution; and (iii) creating meaningful opportunities for community involvement in service delivery.2 The SERSP has been designed to reflect lessons in managing risk through CDD, e.g. reinforcing the capacity and resilience of Jamoats and Mahallas, engaging youth in community-based activities, innovative social accountability mechanisms, investments in lagging regions and high-risk border areas, and incremental assessment, dialogue, and capacity building activities in border areas. Joint capacity building and division of roles between local government units and community organizations. Lessons from CDD operations also points toward the need for communities to engage at the same time as building capacity for participatory approaches in the context of local governance. The incorporates this experience and specifically includes capacity building of local institutions to foster civic participation and voice, improve local management of investments, and increase accountability. Recent analyses and evaluations of CDD operations underscore the risk of creating parallel community structures through CDD at the expense of building sustainable local governance capacity, 3 and the importance of integrating CDD as part of broader governance and public service delivery reforms.4 In high-risk or FCV settings, experience points to the need for a hybrid of community and local government institutions, with adequate capacity building and empowerment to deliver effective and sustainable CDD interventions. 5 The design for this CSP has taken into account the nascence of administrative and fiscal decentralization in Tajikistan, and the limited capacities, but also the promising potential of Jamoat councils and Mahalla committees to address local development challenges and service delivery issues. They will work hand in hand. Component 3 activities underscore the importance of mobilization and capacity building for JPCs, Mahalla committees, and community members, as well as social accountability mechanisms to enhance transparency and accountability, and build trust. Ensuring capacity in the field – effective facilitation that empowers community actors. Lessons from decades of CDD project implementation point towards the importance of skilled facilitators supporting communities, building their capacity to perform prescribed roles, and ensuring inclusion of those groups that are normally marginalized from public affairs. Moreover, lessons indicate that the process of training and managing community facilitators, and the intensity of their support to communities, are critical ingredients in effective performance of facilitators. Throughout preparation, the project has explored potential avenues for engaging stakeholders with track records in working with communities. The project will ensure there are sufficient facilitators with the time to support processes that empower communities and are inclusive of all, including 1 World Bank, Engagement in Situations of Fragility, Conflict and Violence, Independent Evaluation Group, 2015. 2 World Bank, Guidance Note: Operationalizing the Pathways to Peace Study in Community Driven Development Operations, October 2018. 3 “International Initiative for Impact Evaluation, Community-driven development: Does it build social cohesion or infrastructure? A mixed-method evidence synthesis” Working Paper 30, World Bank, 2018. 4 Wong, Susan and Guggenheim, Scott, “Community Driven Development: Myths and Reality” World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 8435, GSURR, May 2018. 5 de Regt, Jacomina; Majumdar, Shruti; Singh, Janmejay, 2013, Designing community-driven development operations in fragile and conflict-affected situations: lessons from a stocktaking (English), Washington DC, World Bank Group. 17 women and other vulnerable groups, and that these facilitators are well trained and provided with sufficient technical and management support. Specific activities that bring youth to the forefront of these processes will ensure they are centrally positioned and not marginalized. Reducing the vulnerability of young men and women to marginal violence risks requires a combination of soft skills and livelihoods support. Analytical work undertaken by the World Bank on the drivers of radicalization among Tajik’s youth identified the following contributing factors: (i) the presence of a large cohort of young men with limited socio-economic opportunities and a lack of critical thinking skills; and (ii) an increasing number of Tajik migrants who have been deported and/or are banned from (re-)entering Russia, leaving them without livelihood options and, frequently, with difficulty in repaying debts.6 Efforts to address these risks would need to both provide soft skills training and livelihoods support. Sub-Component 2A is building on global experience and evidence which emphasize social, emotional and “soft” skills including “critical thinking” skills as an effective means to reduce violence and radicalization.7 For example, a growing body of evidence from the United States and Africa suggests that cognitive behavioral therapy focused on specific socio-emotional skills, self-control, and planning could be effective at reducing crime and violence.8 A recent IE from a USAID-funded youth program in Kenya found that bring together young men and women of different backgrounds into youth-groups and providing them with a combination of extra-curricular activities (ranging from income-generating opportunities to community service and the arts) and training in leadership, entrepreneurship, and life skills, led to improvements in youth’s self-esteem, self-confidence and relationships with communities.9 It also led to a reduction in post-election violence and protests. Similarly, a World Bank-financed project in Macedonia. Children and Youth Development Project (CYDP), aimed to prevent marginalization and exposure to conflict among youth brought young men and women (aged 15-24) from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The project activities brought together into youth-friendly spaces (i.e., community centers) for training in IT, English language courses and basic livelihood skills. According beneficiary surveys and project monitoring and evaluation system, the project contributed to greater friendships among youth from various ethnic backgrounds and lower youth engagement in violent behavior and crime (i.e., fights, school fights, bullying and harassment). CYPD also contributed to the higher employability levels among the participating youth. Experience from Tajikistan with youth inclusive services suggests that reaching NEETs, especially young women, requires strong outreach, and, in some contexts, the delivery of trainings and services, at the community-level. UNICEF currently operates a youth social innovation and social entrepreneurship program, UPSHIFT, in Tajikistan that Sub-Component 2A is directly building on. UPSHIFT is designed to to build skills and opportunities for disadvantaged young people. The program combines social innovation workshops, mentorship, incubation and seed funding, to equip young people with the skills and resources they need to identify problems in their own communities, such as water-borne illnesses, poor hygiene or a lack of basic digital literacy, and design ICT and non-ICT based solutions for them. UNICEF’s experience to date has shown that limiting the delivery of youth services to urban or peri-urban locations including at universities excludes the most disadvantaged youth who live in rural areas and young women who in many cases require parents to accompany them to the training. To address this lesson, the proposed Youth Inclusive Services component will finance mobile youth centers (i.e., equipped vans) which will deliver services and livelihood activities to remote locations where there is a high percentage of vulnerable young men and women who otherwise could not travel 6 World Bank. Forthcoming, 2019. Tajikistan Social Inclusion and Youth Study.” World Bank. 7 Liht, J., & Savage, S. (2013). Preventing Violent Extremism through Value Complexity: Being Muslim Being British. Journal of Strategic Security, 6(4), 44–66. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.6.4.3; Savage, S., Khan, A., & Liht, J. (2014). Preventing Violent Extremism in Kenya through Value Complexity: Assessment of Being Kenyan Being Muslim. Journal of Strategic Security, 7(3), 1–26. 8 Blattman and Ralston, 2015. 9 USAID. 2014. YES YOUTH CAN! IMPACT EVALUATION. Final Impact Evaluation Report. 18 to the nearest physical youth spaces. The design of Sub-Component 2B is building on the large body of evidence that in fragile states, capital injections (i.e. cash and capital goods) stimulate employment and raise long-term earning potential. In northern Uganda, the Youth Opportunities Program, the government invited men and women aged 18 to 35 to form groups of about 20 and prepare proposals to get vocational training and start individual enterprises. The groups received grants of nearly $8000 (nearly $400 per person). Four years later, an IE showed that hours of work were up to 20% higher and earnings were about 40% higher among members of the groups that received grants.10 A 2011 IE from Ghana finds that (in-kind) capital grants were more effective than cash grants for increasing the profits of micro-enterprises which were initially profitable. Results founds that much of the cash grants were spent on household consumption or transferred outside of the household, especially when given to women whose businesses were very small to begin with. This finding provides additional justification to the explicit design element of Sub-Component 2B to provide in-kind rather than cash grants.11 In Tajikistan, and in GBAO, Mountain Societies Development Support Program (MSDSP) has showed the proof of concept for livelihood activities for vulnerable young men and women.12 Sub-Component 2B is building on the promising findings and curriculum from a randomized control trial which suggests that training focused on developing proactive and ‘entrepreneurial’ mindsets leads to better outcomes including higher earnings compared to traditional business training 13 among self-employed and small entrepreneurs in low income countries. SERSP’s combination of a CDD infrastructure component with youth inclusive services and livelihood activities is not unique and builds on similar approaches in Azerbaijan and Morocco. In the World-Bank financed IDP Living Standards and Livelihoods Project, the government allocated grants for demand-driven community infrastructure projects and livelihood support activities.14 As part of the livelihoods support, the government provided skills training to youth in a given vocation and equipped them with tools to start income generating opportunities. The government also mobilized IDPs into self-help groups and provided in-kind cash grants for groups with viable business proposals. The project’s results have been encouraging. Beneficiaries who are earning an income (graduates of the skills training and members of the Self-Help Groups) saw substantial income increases. Similar results were achieved in a World Bank Strengthening Micro- Entrepreneurship for Disadvantaged Youth Project in Morocco. The intervention targeted disadvantaged youth in rural and urban areas and delivered mentoring and micro entrepreneurship support with benefits accruing especially to women. Among the beneficiaries, 65 percent developed successful entrepreneurship enterprises by either establishing their own business or forming cooperatives with peers. 10 Blattman, C., N. Fiala, and S. Martinez (2014). Generating skilled employment in developing countries: Experimental evidence from Uganda. Quarterly Journal of Economics 129 (2), 697–752. 11 Fafchamps, M., D. J. McKenzie, S. Quinn, and C. Woodruff (2014). When is capital enough to get female microenterprises growing? Evidence from a randomized experiment in Ghana. Journal of Development Economics 106 (1), 211–226. 12 In the second year of a USAID-financed project, Economic and Social Connections: A Multi-Input Area Development Financing Facility for Tajikistan, MSDSP created eight common interest groups with 108 members (79 women) and projected annual profits of $15,200 across Hamadoni, Farkhor, Panj and Jaihun districts of Southern Khatlon, and supported 12 existing groups with 178 members (134 women) and annual profits over $23,000 in Eastern Khatlon and GBAO. 13 Francisco Campos, Michael Frese, Markus Goldstein, Leonardo Iacovone, Hillary C. Johnson, David McKenzie, Mona Mensmann, Teaching Personal Initiative Beats Traditional Training in Boosting Small Business in West Africa’, Science 22 Sep 2017 : 1287-1290. 14 Azerbaijan - IDP Living Standards and Livelihoods Project : additional financing (English). Washington, D.C. : World Bank Group. 19 IV. STAKEHOLDER MAPPING, SEGMENTIZATION AND ANALYSIS For the purpose of the SEP, the term “Project-affected parties” includes “those likely to be affected by the project because of actual impacts or potential risks to their physical environment, health, security, cultural practices, well-being, or livelihoods. These stakeholders may include individuals or groups, including local communities” (World Bank, 2018b). They are the individuals or households most likely to observe changes from environmental and social impacts of the project. The term “Other interested parties” (OIPs) refers to “individuals, groups, or organizations with an interest in the project, which may be because of the project location, its characteristics, its impacts, or matters related to public interest. For example, these parties may include regulators, government officials, the private sector, the scientific community, academics, unions, women’s organizations, other civil society organizations, and cultural groups” (World Bank, 2018b). 4.1 Stakeholder Mapping Stakeholder is defined as an individual/ institution (agency) that can impact upon or get impacted by the project. In order to define a communication process with the stakeholders, several groups that may be interested and/or affected by the project implementation have been identified. There are a number of groups of people and social groups who are interested in the project on different levels. Project recognizes that: stakeholders are not only diverse and heterogeneous but also are housed both vertical and horizontal space. Accordingly, stakeholder mapping is done vertically (across the administrative space) and horizontally (within an individual space). The first step involves in the preparation of an universal mapping. Each stakeholder / group is rated for the relative importance- starting from rating from 1 to 5 stars. Five being high and is to be accorded full scale attention. This helps in assigning importance for further analysis. The Universal mapping and the relative importance are presented below. Table 5. Universal Stakeholder Mapping Sl Level – Administrative Stakeholders Significance Space ***** No 1 National / Country Level Ministry of Finance ***** NSIFT ***** WB ***** Other Donors (EU, USAID, SDC, KFW, UNICEF, ** AKF) Ministry of Economic Development and Trade ***** State Investment Committee ***** Ministry of Education and Science **** Executive Office of the President ***** Consumer Union ** 20 National media (newspapers, television) ** Social Media ** State Statistical Agency ** 2 Provincial Level Governor’s office **** NSIFT **** Line Departments ** Contractors *** NGO Facilitating Partners ***** Other NGOs/CBOs ** Media *** 3 District level NGOs/CSOs (not involved directly in project) * District governments (khukumats, including line *** departments, youth, women, land management, economic, state environmental department) Local NGOs, subcontract to regional NGO **** Facilitating Partners Local media ** Contractors **** Water and energy utilities ** Transport enterprises * Goods, construction material suppliers * Local service providers ** 4 Sub District Jamoat Project Commissions ***** Jamoat Councils *** Youth organizations active in the sub-district ***** 5 Village Village Project Commissions ***** Religious leaders * Labourers ** Traders * Marketers * 6 Mahalla Men/Women ***** Children *** Youth (15-30) ***** 21 NEET Youth ***** Returned migrants ***** HHs dependent on remittances *** FHHs ***** Mahalla leaders and councils **** Community activists **** Labourers *** Elderly people ** Disabled youth *** 4.2 Stakeholder Segmentation/ Prioritization The identified project stakeholders were segregated by their areas of influence. The stakeholders of high and substantial significance are described in the Table below. Table 6. Stakeholder Segmentation No Level – Administrative Stakeholders Area of Influence Space 1 National / Country Level Ministry of Finance Overall project oversight NSIFT Project implementation, oversight, reporting WB Supervision, no objections, implementation support Ministry of Economic Coordination for regional Development and Trade development, including local infrastructure investments State Investment Committee Coordination for investments for IFIs Ministry of Education and Science Line agency responsible for operating and maintaining Centers for Additional Education, which will be a focus of interventions under Component 2 Media Public outreach and awareness at the national level, secure project visibility 2 Provincial Level Governor’s office Responsible for oversight and coordination of activities 22 implemented within the province NSIFT Implementing agency with regionally based staff that will oversee implementation of both components, participate in the procurement of subgrant funded infrastructure projects, etc. , GRM database management and reporting Line Departments Require information and updates on project progress and activities. Water and energy utilities Require information and updates on project progress and activities. NGO Facilitating Partners Coordination, reporting, management of project activities and ESSs implementation at the regional level Media dissemination of project related information, public awareness, outreach 3 District level District governments (khukumats, Have an interest in ensuring that local including line departments, youth, development investments are aligned women, land management, with district development plans. economic, state environmental District-level line agencies and department) utilities have the responsibility for operations and maintenance of subgrant investments in their respective sectors. O&M arrangements are included in subproject design and handover documentation included in the POM. GRM FP Local NGOs, subcontract to Logistical arrangements, regional NGO Facilitating Partners implementation project activities and ESSs implementation at the local level Local media dissemination of project related information, public awareness, outreach Contractors Implementation of civil works in compliance with ESSs 23 4 Sub District Jamoat Project Commissions Oversee the subgrant investment prioritization process; participate in the subproject procurement process; are the focus of project capacity building activities in procurement and FM; GRM FP Jamoat Will take on FM responsibilities for jamoat-level subgrant bank accounts in Year 4 of the project. Youth organizations active in the Youth inclusion into the project sub-district activities, outreach 5 Village Village Project Commissions facilitation of the village development planning process and jamoat-level prioritization process; technical assistance for sub-project design, and promotion of social accountability activities during subgrant implementation, GRM FP Labourers Support in civil works at the village level 6 Mahalla Men/Women Gender balance, women participation in decision-making/governance Youth (15-30) direct beneficiaries, peer-to-peer motivators NEET Youth direct beneficiaries, peer-to-peer motivators Returned migrants direct beneficiaries, peer-to-peer motivators FHHs direct beneficiaries, peer-to-peer motivators Community activists Participation in CDD project prioritization, community monitoring Mahalla leaders and councils serve as liaison between the community members and project staff, VPC, JPC, efficient two-way communication channel 24 4.3 Stakeholder Analysis The stakeholders of high and substantial significance are analyzed in the Table below. Table 7. Stakeholder Analysis National Level 1. Group/ 2. Current Status 3. Concerns and issues raised 4. Expectations from the project 5. Significance 6. Enabling Conditions Subgroup of Risks required Ministry of State budget deficit, MoF has problems with accountability and To fill the gap in state budget moderate Disclosure of draft Finance financial management governance, insufficient number of analysts through foreign grant budgetary documents and shortages and visibility specialists; investments into rehabilitation of analysis of final docs on If any resettlement issues, state budget funds local infrastructure, financial performance are to be allocated to cover RAP Energy project separation from implementation. SERSP NSIFT Has experience in Quality of service delivery, insufficient to improve institutional capacity substantial Project will include CDD projects, but no number of competent staff to manage large- in supervising NGO FPs, to gain capacity building activities experience in youth scale projects and subprojects in the fields, experience in managing large of NSIFT staff in ESSs inclusion programs lack of knowledge about ESSs, hiring scale youth projects implementation, TOTs on implementation additional competent staff to manage the Youth Inclusion project at sub-district level Methodology 25 WB RMR Program Most cross-national indicators of fragility The Risk and Resilience Overall risk Additional competent local funding is available to and conflict place Tajikistan in a category of Assessment (RRA) diagnosis for rating is high. staff with sufficient support to proactively elevated risk Tajikistan clusters risks into four If the Client background and experience target fragility, broad categories: (i) cross- cannot comply is hired; services of reliable conflict and violence cutting political and governance with the WB and competent NGO risks and reinforce challenges; (ii) socio-economic requirements, Facilitating partners in 2 sources of resilience exclusion of youth and women; the funding regions are procured; the (iii) regional and cross-border will be anticorruption measures are challenges; and (iv) economic withdrawn. to introduced in the project risks including high dependence design to avoid fraud on remittances from economic migrants’ high unemployment and the predominance of low- quality jobs in the informal sector. The Project will address each of these risks except for the fourth (economic risks) and will focus its interventions in GBAO and Khatlon. Ministry of Source of information Lack of investments for implementation of To improve local infrastructure Low Cooperation at the regional Economic on regional and development plans, infrastructure and local level Development district development subprojects, low percentage of development and Trade plans plans implementation, necessity to consult with local development plans during subproject prioritization State Overloaded with SIC supported the WB on youth To attract other IFIs funding to Moderate, Establish a national Investment diverse tasks starting entrepreneurship promotion under the WB expand the project coverage and supports the interagency steering Committee from attraction and executed project “Voices of Youth”. impacts; project committee to make (SIC) coordination of To create a success model of informed strategic planning investments with IFIs youth resilience program that and investments within the up to state property could be replicated to other project management districts through attraction of other IFIs 26 Ministry of Poor physical Their major concerns are related to To have rehabilitated facilities Substantial, as A Communication Plan and Education and conditions of Centers accountability and sustainability of youth with new youth programs number of Sustainability Action Plan Science for Additional spaces to be rehabilitated, who will manage enabling them to expand facilities is will be in place to plan and Education (CAE), and finance further activities coverage and diversify services high, project implement youth programs which will be a focus for youth funding on transparent and cost- of interventions under resources are effective basis Component 2 not sufficient to invest in all CAE spaces Province Level 1. Group/ 2. Current Status 3. Concerns and issues raised 4. Expectations from the project 5. Significance 6. Enabling Conditions Subgroup of Risks required Governor’s Responsible for Huge number of deteriorated youth and To include as much as possible High, Informed decision making office oversight of activities cultural spaces, scare state budget funds to subprojects for funding in their process was applied to implemented within rehabilitate infrastructure facilities within provinces, to meet the as expectation select the target districts. the province Khatlon Province, limited youth spaces in community infrastructure needs are high, but To implement justified GBAO project funding selection approach by using resources are prorated-based formula to not sufficient identify subproject grant to meet all areas for villages those expectations NSIFT Understaffed regional Majority of project works under both To improve institutional capacity Substantial Project will include regional offices at the moment, components will be outsourced, regional in monitoring NGO FPs, to gain capacity building activities offices no knowledge of WB staff will require strong M&E skills to ensure experience in implementing of NSIFT regional staff in ESS and policies, no quality of services to be provided by NGO large scale projects ESSs implementation, experience in FPs, require often travels to the sites, M&E and GRM handling implementation of necessity to open an office in GBAO and reporting youth-oriented programs, require capacity building and strong supervision from NSIFT/WB 27 Line Follow national WB ESS requirements will be time and labor to have as much as possible Moderate The project will build the Departments legislation and consuming exercise for the line departments infrastructure facilities local capacity in regulations, not rehabilitated in their particular supervision and familiar with WB sector implementation of CDD standards and subprojects in compliance procedures with WB ESS requirements Water and Currently have Utilities cannot cover their operational costs To have a number of water or Substantial, as CDD approach will be used energy utilities problems with fee dues to water leakages and energy losses, energy infrastructure facilities their to justify selection of collection rates, poor poor quality of services, low level of service rehabilitated under Component expectations subprojects and to meet public awareness on delivery 1A subprojects are high, and community needs increased or project upcoming raise of resources are tariffs limited NGO Sufficient experience Transparency in procurement of FPs; To have sufficient funds to be Moderate Transparent competitive Facilitating in coordination, Anti-corruption measures are to be in place at able to manage implementation selection of FPs and Partners reporting, the project level; of the project activities; anticorruption measure are management of large Limited knowledge on WB ESS requirement To have well defined written well described and projects at the and policies instructions and program followed in accordance regional level reporting templates to comply with the Project with the Employer and Donor Procurement Strategy. requirements POM will be developed and shared with FPs to provide with written guidelines. Media (print Limited resources to Journalists engagement in the project To contribute to media coverage Low Communication and and broadcast) produce quality activities will require reimbursement of their of the project achievements and Outreach Plan of the prints-outs and travel costs and honorarium to arrange for wider outreach on Project will be developed programs, surviving vital issues, journalists and and sufficient budget due to commercial media enterprises will be able to resources will be allocated orders and ads, state make some earnings through for its implementation orders are waived participation in implementation of project-related information campaigns 28 District Level 1. Group/ 2. Current Status 3. Concerns and issues raised 4. Expectations from the project 5. Significance 6. Enabling Conditions Subgroup of Risks required District Follow national Local governments have governance and to have as much as possible Moderate The project will build the governments legislation and local accountability problems, WB ESS infrastructure facilities local capacity in (khukumats, regulations, not requirements will be time and labor rehabilitated in their particular supervision and including line familiar with WB consuming exercise for the line departments district, more investments in implementation of CDD departments, standards and youth development subprojects in compliance youth, women, procedures, no idea of with WB ESS land the new project design requirements, kick-off management, and implementation workshop will be held in economic, arrangements each district to inform the state line departments about the environmental project investment department) procedures and players, their roles and responsibilities Local media Limited resources to Journalists engagement in the project To contribute to media coverage Low Communication and (print and produce quality activities will require reimbursement of their of the project achievements and Outreach Plan of the broadcast) prints-outs and travel costs and honorarium to arrange for wider outreach on Project will be developed programs, surviving vital issues, journalists and and sufficient budget due to commercial media enterprises will be able to resources will be allocated orders and ads, state make some earnings through for its implementation orders are waived participation in implementation of project-related information campaigns Contractors, Limited number of Their major concern is to be excluded by the They are interested in Moderate Tender bidding NGOs/CBOs reliable and project activities, to have sufficient participation and offering quality announcements will be at the district responsible competency meet the NSIFT/FP technical and affordable services to the widely disseminated level contractors, due to and reporting requirements project at the local level through diverse financial crisis many information channels of them closed, NGOs (newspapers, websites, info are donor-driven and boards at the khukumats) mostly rely on donor funding 29 Sub-district and community level 1. Group/ 2. Current Status 3. Concerns and issues raised 4. Expectations from the project 5. Significance 6. Enabling Conditions Subgroup of Risks required Jamoat and There are no JPC Jamoat’s major concern is that besides their to gain experience, to enhance Low The project will build the Jamoat Project established yet, daily work too much voluntary workload will capacity and funding to local capacity in Commissions jamoats have be on their shoulders implement CDD projects monitoring and (JPC) insufficient financial implementation of CDD resources, they even subprojects in compliance have no own budget with WB ESS to arrange for full requirements, kick-off coverage of their workshop will be held in operational costs each jamoat to guide on the project investment procedures, their roles and responsibilities Village and There are no VPCs transparent and informed decision on village to gain experience, to participate Low The project will build the Village Project established yet, selection procedures in implementation, to monitor local capacity in Committee villages report to contractors, to assist with social monitoring and jamoats, have no to avoid or minimize adverse ES impact screening of social impacts implementation of CDD official authority right during constructions subprojects in compliance now with WB ESS requirements Mahalla They are active and Due to a huge number of responsibilities to contribute to community Low Community monitoring and Councils very functional, mutli- assigned by jamoats and khukumats, they are mobilization activities within the social audits will be task implementers, very overloaded, they are not paid, but have project, to gain experience implemented by Mahalla have sufficient waived benefits for utility costs and access to councils and activists experience in social benefits community outreach and mobilization, they are the closest unit to community members 30 Project A large cohort of Increased radicalization recruitment, no other to participate in community- low The community members Affected disadvantaged and options to engage in in-come generating based decision-making, to have will be engaged in CDD People - inactive men and activities access to basic rural implementation, and will Men / Women women with limited infrastructure. have access to local socio-economic capacity building trainings opportunities and grants disconnected from from the state structures PAP -Youth Presence of a large No youth space offering free of charge soft to participate in personal low Youth spaces will be cohort youth with lack skills development development trainings, have rehabilitated and equipped of critical thinking access to modern IT equipment to enable easy access to skills package of training for youth PAP - NEET Limited economic No skills, insufficient knowledge, the only to have equal access to package moderate The project will work to Youth opportunities to option to go for labour migration of soft skills development avoid exclusion of NEET continue education trainings entrepreneurship through diverse range of trainings communication outreach activities and mobile training groups in remote areas PAP - An increasing number No employment, no start-up capital to have access to moderate The number of in-kind Returned of Tajik migrants who entrepreneurship trainings and grants is limited, the project Migrants have been deported in-kind grants to start up small will help them to develop and/or are banned businesses business plans to be from (re-)entering eligible to the Employment Russia, without Agency no-interest credits livelihood options and, frequently, with difficulty in repaying debts 31 PAP - FHHs Find themselves left No –self confidence, no profession, no to participate in the local moderate The number of in-kind alone and competency to apply for jobs capacity building workshops, to grants is limited, and the impoverished, entirely have access to grants project mostly covers the dependent on help young women up to the age from family, relatives 30. The project will help and friends them to develop business plans to be eligible to the Employment Agency no- interest credits 32 V. INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS The engaged institutions have been analyzed in the below Table. Table 8. Institutional Analysis Sl Level Sub Current Role Change/ Rationale No group/agency (we can copy as Adjustments suggested designed for KfW and/ or CSP) 1 National NSIFT Project NSIFT will become Large-scale infrastructure Implementation PMU and procure investments in diverse Unit consulting services to locations, limited number implement Component of competent staff in-house, 1B and Component 2 lack of youth program related specialists make the NSIFT in position to source out some of the subcomponents, and serve as a management unit. 2 Province Regional NGO were not engaged To issue two regional Manage large-scale contracts for 2 NGOs to investments will be facilitate complicated due to regional implementation of the specifics (mountainous and project activities in the border areas). Regional district and sub district NGOs will supervise and levels manage smaller NGOs in each district 3 Province NSIFT regional Currently New office will be Due to diverse geographic offices functioning opened in GBAO to location of target districts regional offices in manage and cover the (mountainous and Afghan Bokhtar, Kulob projects activities in 3 border areas), the proposed and Rasht GBAO districts, Kulob adjustments to the current office will cover 3 NSIFT administrative set districts in western up are recommended Khatlon, Bokhtar district will cover only Panj district in eastern Khatlon 4 District Local NGO Were contracted Local NGOs or their Local NGOs are better and/or their staff by NSIFT/FP to staff members will be placed to provide do a small scale subcontracted by community mobilization, mobilization and regional NGOs to outreach, capacity building educational implement project and monitoring services activities activities 33 5 Sub Jamoat Liaison between will create Jamoat JPC will serve as an district/jamoat local government Project Commission efficient instrument to and mahalla (JPC) further sustain rehabilitated leaders facilities. JPC will develop subproject design, including addressing any safeguards requirements 4 Village Village None will create Village Participatory village needs Committee Project Committee assessment and subproject (VPC) prioritization will be organized by VPC. 5 Mahalla Mahalla Councils Liaison between The mahalla councils Mahalla councils will jamoat and will conduct periodical implement social audits, community monitoring of arrange for community members, tool of subprojects monitoring and secure community implementation of under sustainability of the outreach and Component 1. subprojects mobilization Mahalla committee will be mobilized to form O&M committee to secure regular maintenance of community-based subprojects upon the civil works completion. 34 VI. IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND RISK MANAGEMENT The role and responsibilities of different (key) actors are listed at different levels. Please note impacts, as of now are ‘potential’. Sl Level Positive Impacts Negative Risk Mitigatory No Impacts Measures (may include enlisting NGOs, capacity support , capacity building etc) 1 National The project will finance None Staff rotation at the The capacity of interventions for preventive national institutions, national institutions support aimed at addressing incompetency of local and structures will be fragiliy, conflict and staff, new recruitments build to develop, plan violence risks that have may hinder smooth and implement FCV constrained development implementation of the risk mitigation progress in Tajikistan project projects 2 Provincial i. improved socio- None Complicated lines of Advanced notice and economic inclusion communication between planning will be of targeted fragile the national, province and required to keep the regions; district governments may respective ii. improved access to delay project government basic rural implementation structures informed infrastructure in and timely follow- target border ups with line districts of the departments will be regions needed 35 3 District Investments in improved Some local Governance and anti- The project will build infrastructure and income- infrastructure corruption risk at the local the capacity of generating opportunities will subprojects may level. community and local contribute to improvement in cause access government living standards in the target restrictions to Most local government institutions to districts. homes, land actors have no experience identify, plan for, and plots or other of CDD projects, which take actions needed private or public will cause a risk of poor to mitigate the risks property. management of of natural disasters on Construction investments in districts local development and /or (participatory planning, investments, and to rehabilitation of project management and operate and maintain public buildings oversight). (O&M) CDD local such as schools infrastructure assets, might also thereby ensuring the trigger some sustainability of inconvenience investments. to the public. The project will also support efforts to establish good governance in the project and in local governance. The actions will include the training of local stakeholders on the principles and practice of local governance. 4 Jamoat The adoption of a Environmental The environmental risks The environmental participatory, community impacts are expected to be typical impacts can be easily demand-driven approach associated with for small scale mitigated by would result in jamoats noise, dust, air construction/rehabilitation JPC/VPC empowered to manage their and water works or for various supervising the own resources in a more pollution, solid energy supply or energy contractors to apply efficient manner. waste efficiency activities, best construction management, temporary by nature and and/or energy supply biodiversity site specific or energy efficiency degradation, practices and relevant health hazards mitigation measures and labor safety highlighted in the issues, etc. Mitigation Plan. 36 5 Mahalla Strengthening the capacity of Land High expectations on Social impacts will community-level acquisitions and upcoming investments be avoided and/or institutions, including voluntary land could lead to social mitigated through mahalla committees, to donations could tensions and resentment capacity building in engage with citizens, and to have adverse when benefit sharing does development and deliver services efficiently, impact on the not materialize.The project impelmentation of fairly and in response to communities. will not be able to make RAP/ARAP. The community’s needs. investments in all villages social tensions be and mahallas within each mitigated through jamoat. engaging local NGOs to arrange communications and awareness-raising activities that clearly communicate subproject eligibility criteria to stakeholders within Project areas 6 Communit The project will improve Temporary Social tensions and Negative social y members access to improved basic limited access to resentment due to benefit impacts will be rural infrastructure, youth some public sharing exclusion, avoided by the inclusive services and infrastructure competitive communications and livelihood activities facilities to be implementation of awareness-raising rehabilitated. livelihood activities activities that clearly Some communicate households may subproject eligibility lose lands in the criteria and process of implementation creating arrangements to infrastructure. stakeholders within Choices of Project areas. some other External facilitation households may will be provided to not receive ensure that all the attention. households are informed of the project’s rules and regulations and enable informed decision making. 37 VII. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PLAN The table below presents roles and responsibilities of key actors in stakeholder engagement to be conducted under the project. Detailed methods of consultations to be conducted are provided in Section IX below. Subgroup Levels of Project Channels Venue Frequency Instrumen Purpose Responsibl Engagem Phases of ts e party ent Engageme nt Generic Level Ministry Notificati Implementa Written virtual, As needed Progress To keep NSIFT PIU of Finance on tion requests via visits, reports, informed official official official the letters and meetings requests Financial e-mails and letters Guarantee of the GoT World Interactiv Planning, E-mails, virtual, Quarterly Aide To keep NSIFT PIU Bank e Implementa preparation site visits reports, Memories, informed Collabora tion , to the biannual monitoring about the tion implementa target missions, reports, due project tion districts, regular diligence implementa support and VCs monitoring reports tion supervision visits by progress, missions, the CMU challenges prior as needed faced and review of seek for bids, mid- approvals term for the review project transactions and procuremen ts Ministry Informati Implementa Official NSIFT biannual PSC To keep NSIFT PIU of on tion written national meetings informed Economic invitations office or about the Developm SIC project ent and achievemen Trade ts and seek for advise on strategic decisions State Informati Implementa e-version virtual, quarterly progress To keep NSIFT PIU Investmen on tion, post of the official reports informed t implementa progress meetings about the Committe tion reports project e achievemen ts 38 Governor’ Informati Implementa e-version virtual, quarterly progress To keep NSIFT PIU s office on tion, post of the official reports informed Regional implementa progress meetings about the Coordinator tion reports project achievemen ts District Informati Implementa face-to- khukuma as needed progress To keep NSIFT PIU administra on tion, post face t office reports informed Regional tion and implementa meetings, about the Corodinator lines tion workshops project departmen achievemen ts ts Subproject level - Level of Engagement for Component 1 Subgroup Levels of Project Channels Venue Frequency Instrumen Purpose Responsibl Engagem Phases of ts e Party(- ent Engageme ies) nt Mahalla Consultati Planning Face to Commun Once Participator To share Facilitating councils on Face al spaces y selection local Partner Workshops at the of ownership village community for and and youth upcoming Jamoat representati project levels ves, investments formation of Village Project Committee s and Jamoat Project Commissio ns Village Consultati Planning FGD, Commun Once per Participator To make Facilitating Project on public al spaces cycle y village sure youth Partner Committe meetings at the needs and women es (VPC) village assessment priorities and and are Jamoat subproject addressed levels prioritizatio in n. PIU field subproject reports on selection needs assessment and subproject prioritizatio n 39 Jamoat Interactiv Implementa Face to Jamoat Once per Subproject To share NSIFT Project e tion face Project subproject developme local regional Commissi collaborat meetings Commiss proposal nt, PIU ownership offices, FPs on ion and email ion preparation and offices of tender responsibilit and packages y for NSIFT subprojects regional planning offices and implementa tion Village Interactiv Implementa Face to Village Once per Monitoring To ensure JPCs Project e tion face Project subproject reports and participator Committe collaborat meetings Committ procureme y es and ion and email ees and nt implementa Jamoat Jamoat information tion, Project Project procuremen Commissi Commiss t and on ion subproject offices managemen t NGO Consultati Implementa Face to Village Once per PIU to NSIFT FP/NSIFT on tion face commun subproject monitoring implement PIUs, FPs PIUs meetings al spaces reports participator and in- and which will y person subproje feed into monitoring assessment ct sites the Results s of the Framework sub- projects JPC Interactiv Implementa Face to Village A few PIU Participator JPC, NSIFT e tion face commun times per monitoring y PIUs collaborat meetings al spaces, subproject reports Operations ion subproje implementa which will and ct sites, tion and feed into Maintenanc and JPC post the Results e Offices subproject Framework implementa tion Mahalla Interactiv Implementa Face to Village Twice a Handouts to Mahalla councils e tion face commun year of key implement councils collaborat community al spaces documents; social ion meetings PIU audits of (public monitoring subproject forums) reports documentati which will on feed into the Results Framework 40 Local Interactiv Implementa FGDs Village Twice a Scorecards Community Contracted independe e tion among commun year results will scorecards NGOs nt NGOs collaborat youth al spaces be ion, presented consultati at the on Communit y Check Meetings and uploaded into the MIS VPC, JPC, Informati Implementa Online and Email, Ongoing The to ensure VPC, JPC, Khukumat on tion off-line Website throughout complaints beneficiarie NSIFT GRC and systems and the Project will be s are PIUs NSIFT/PI Complai Cycle logged into informed Us nts boxes the MIS about the at the and the project village Project will level GRM level track the number of complaints it resolves. 41 Subproject level - Level of Engagement for Component 2 Subgroup Levels of Project Channels Venue Frequenc Instrument Purpose Responsibl Engagemen Phases of y s e Party(- t Engagemen ies) t Consultati Consultatio Planning virtual, e- VCs, Once Competitive To prepare NSIFT PIUs ve Service n mails NSIFT selection of youth provider office service training provider packages on soft skills; psycho- social support, gender- based violence prevention training; and digital literacy skills. Implement Information Implementatio Through public on regular leaflets, ads, to arrange ing partner n media, meetings, basis brochures, for wide Implementin mahalla ads at the hand-outs outreach to g Partner councils mahallas the target members, and audience Jamoats, schools, Parent websites Teacher Association s, and other community members Governors Consultatio Planning Face to face Governors’ Once The To create NSIFT PIUs offices of n meetings offices of inventory an GBAO and email GBAO and sheet inventory and Khatlon, template of pre- Khatlon, NSIFT and existing Education, screening spaces that Youth and criteria youth and Culture women can Line utilize Departme under this nts component 42 District Consultatio Planning Face-to-face khukumat as needed The PIU To select NSIFT PIUs administra n meetings offices report on eligible tions, line selected youth departmen youth spaces for ts spaces per rehabilitati district on Local Interactive Implementatio Workshops contractors as needed the To meet NSIFT PIUs contractor collaboratio n offices, contractor’s the WB s n NSIFT PIU ESMP ESS offices developed requiremen ts Local Interactive Planning FGD, khukumat before a MOU to develop NSIFT PIUs khukumat/ collaboratio workshops office rehabilitat signed and sign line n ion of a MOU departmen youth t, space implement ing partner and NSIFT Local Interactive Implementatio FGD, khukumat after a to develop NSIFT PIUs khukumat/ collaboratio n workshops office rehabilitat sustainabilit a line n ion of a y Plan sustainabili departmen youth developed ty plan t, space for each implement rehabilitated ing partner youth space and NSIFT Implement Information Implementatio e-mails, virtual, quarterly progress to have Implementin ing partner n hard copies hard copy report clear g partner picture on the project achieveme nts, challenges NSIFT Consultatio Implementatio Face to face Youth On PIU to NSIFT PIUs PIUs n n meetings spaces quarterly monitoring implement and in- basis per reports participator person subproject which will y assessments feed into the monitoring of the sub- Results projects Framework 43 NSIFT Information Implementatio e-mails, NSIFT as needed Tender To inform NSIFT PMU PMU n websites, procuremen documents the local ads in t unit and on vendors on newspapers PR procuremen bidding department t of the opportuniti livelihood es for the tools and procureme equipment nt of livelihood tools and equipment Youth Consultatio Implementatio Face to face Youth A few PIU Participator IPs space n and n meetings spaces times per monitoring y manager Interactive subproject reports Operations and IP collaboratio implemen and n tation and Maintenan post ce subproject implemen tation VPC, JPC, Information Implementatio Online and Email, Ongoing The to ensure VPC, JPC, Khukumat n off-line Website throughou complaints beneficiari Khukumat GRC and systems and t the will be es are GRC and NSIFT/PI Complaints Project logged into informed NSIFT/PIUs Us boxes at the Cycle the MIS and about the village the Project project level will track level GRM the number of complaints it resolves. 44 VIII. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS FOR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT 8.1 Implementation Arrangements The material resources that NSIFT will mobilize are – (i) a Project specific area on the NSIFT website; (ii) an electronic grievance database; (iii) a stakeholder engagement register; (iv) printed documents (manuals, brochures, posters, etc.) that will be used, based on the needs of the SEP. 8.2 Roles and Responsibilities A core Community Liaison Team (CLT)comprised of NSIFT staff from the Community Project Department, the Technical Supervision Department and the Public Relations Department will take responsibility for and lead all aspects of the stakeholder engagement. The CLT will consist of at least 3 members at the national level and 3 NSIFT PIU staff and 3 NGO Facilitating partners, total of 9 people with sufficient communication and public relations skills to coordinate and implement various activities envisaged in the SEP. The Community Liaison Team will need to closely coordinate with other key stakeholders – other national and local government departments/agencies, NSIFT departments and regional branches, the Supervision and ESIA/RAP consultants, the contractor along with sub-contractors, affected municipalities and PAPs. The roles and responsibilities of these actors/stakeholders are summarized in the Table below. Table 9: Responsibilities of key actors/stakeholders in SEP Implementation Actor/Stakeholder Responsibilities NSIFT  Planning and implementation of the SEP;  Leading stakeholder engagement activities;  Management and resolution of grievances;  Coordination/supervision of contractors on SEP activities;  Supervision/monitoring of RAP and Implementation Consultants;  Monitoring of and reporting on environmental and social performance to GOT and the World Bank Implementation Support  Supervision/monitoring of Contractor; Organizations  Management of engagement activities during the construction phase Contractors/sub-contractors  Inform NSIFT of any issues related to their engagement with stakeholders;  Transmit and resolve complaints caused by the construction activities in close collaboration with and as directed by NSIFT by participating in the local Grievance Resolution Committee;  Prepare, disclose and implement various plans (e.g. C-ESMP, Labor Management Plan, etc.);  Inform local communities of any environmental monitoring e.g. noise, vibration, water quality monitoring;  Announce important construction activities (such as road closures and available alternatives); 45 National Government  Monitor Project compliance with Tajik legislation; Departments  Participate in the implementation of some activities in the ESMP/RPF and SEP;  Participate in the implementation of the Land Acquisition process;  Make available and engage with the public on the Scoping and EIA Reports. Districts  Transfer all complaints to the NSIFT GRM Focal Point;  Participate in the local Grievance Resolution Committee (see Section X. Grievance Mechanism);  Make available the disclosed ESIA documents; Project affected people  Invited to engage and ask questions about the Project at Project Meetings and through discussions with Community Liaison Officers where it is of interest or of relevance to them;  Lodge their grievances using the Grievance Resolution Mechanism defined in the SEP (Section X. Grievance Mechanism);  Help the Project to define mitigation measures; Other Project developers  Engage with NSIFT regarding project design;  Share ESMF information and documentation with NSIFT to enable the assessment of cumulative impacts 8.3. Stakeholder Engagement Methods to be used 8.3.1 Participatory engagement methods - Community Driven Development The full “subgrant implementation cycle”consists of the following participatory community driven development activities: Step 1: Outreach and orientation; Step 2: Participatory village needs assessment and subproject prioritization; Step 3: Subproject development; Step 4: Participatory implementation, procurement, and subproject management; Step 5: Participatory Monitoring; and Step 6: Participatory O&M. Under Project component 1 Inclusive Local Development Initiatives, trained facilitators will conduct outreach and orientation meetings to ensure vulnerable populations incl. young men and women, can engage meaningfully in the project. During Project implementation, communities will carry out participatory needs assessments and engage in participatory decision-making processes to prepare subprojects that are prioritized and relevant. Facilitating partners (contracted by NSIFT) will facilitate and support the communities, incl. Jamoat and mahalla committees, in the process. The project will train youth to conduct social audits and report back to the target communities on the year’s progress on subproject implementation, the breakdown of expenditures, and any financial and technical audit findings. These events will provide a public forum for communities and their representatives to present problems and express any grievances or other issues they may have with the project. Under component 2, Youth Inclusion and Livelihoods, the project will convene dialogue with youth and other stakeholders throughout its duration, put in place a feedback mechanism for beneficiaries and others to submit complaints, suggestions, or requests for information, and develop innovative approaches to reflect on project activities with beneficiary groups. Indicators will be included in the results framework to measure the perceptions of the effectiveness of these engagement processes and project investments. The core 46 of the participatory engagement work at the local level forms an integral part of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan. 8.3.2 Mass/social media communication A social media expert (from NSIFT’s Public Relations Department or an external consultant) will be engaged on the Project for 6 months/year in order to post information on the dedicated project and NSIFT Facebook page, and to communicate with the local population via social media campaigns or tools like WhatsApp throughout the project’s lifecycle. Social media channels will be used as much as possible to disseminate information as rates of social media use (especially Facebook) appear to be high across users of different age and background in project affected communities. 8.3.3 Communication materials Written information will be disclosed to the public via a variety of communication materials including brochures, flyers, posters, etc. A public relations kit will be designed specifically and distributed both in print and online form. NSIFT will also update its website regularly (at least on a quarterly basis) with key project updates and reports on the project’s environmental and social performance both in English and Tajik. The website will also provide information about the grievance mechanism for the project (see next sub-section). 8.3.4 Grievance redress mechanism In compliance with the World Bank’s ESS10 requirement, a specific grievance mechanism will be set-up for the project. Dedicated communication materials (GRM pamphlets, posters) will be created to help local residents familiarize themselves with the grievance redress channels and procedures. A GRM guidebook/manual will also be developed and suggestion boxes installed in each affected municipality and village. In order to capture and track grievances received under the project, a dedicated GRM Management Information System/database is planned. GRM committees at the municipal level will benefit from training on how to receive, respond to, address and close grievances in line with best international practices. Internal GRM training will also take place for NSIFT and contractor staff. The NSIFT’s website will include clear information on how feedback, questions, comments, concerns and grievances can be submitted by any stakeholder and will include the possibility to submit grievances electronically. It will also provide information on the way the GRM committee works, both in terms of process and deadlines. 8.3.5 Information Desks Information Desks in each district will provide local residents with information on stakeholder engagement activities, construction updates, contact details of the FPs etc. FPs in turn will set up these information desks, either in their offices or other easily accessible places where they can meet and share information about the project with PAPs and other stakeholders. Brochures and fliers on various project related social and environmental issues will be made available at these information desks. 8.3.6 Citizen/PAP perception survey A perception survey examining citizen’s experience and feedback about the project will be carried out twice during the project’s lifecycle: once around the mid-implementation phase, and once towards the end of the project’s implementation. 47 8.3.7 Trainings, workshops Finally, trainings on a variety of social and environmental issues will be provided to NSIFT and contractor staff and possibly relevant government or non-government service providers. Issues covered will include a sensitization to gender-based violence risks. 8.4 Proposed strategy to incorporate the view of vulnerable groups The project will take special measures to ensure that disadvantaged and vulnerable groups have equal opportunity to access information, provide feedback, or submit grievances. The deployment of focal points will help to ensure proactive outreach to all population groups. Training and awareness raising sessions will be conducted in villages rather than municipal centers to ensure higher participation of targeted population. Skilled facilitators will conduct outreach, orientation and facilitation throughout Project implementation. The NSIFT will ensure that all the individual community development advisors, are skilled at reaching the Project’s target group of vulnerable populations and young men and women. Within the target districts, the project will use the following criteria to target beneficiaries for participation in the youth-inclusive services and livelihood activities: low-income, peri-urban, and rural youth ranging in age from 15 to 30 who are: (1) underemployed; (2) NEET; (3) returning migrants, especially those with reentry bans; and (4) the head of female-headed households. The project will target a minimum of 50 percent female beneficiaries across all activities under component 2. Local representatives at the mahalla and jamoat level and participants of student councils, parent-teacher associations, and local volunteer groups will participate in the outreach and identification of potential beneficiaries, followed by a detailed validation process conducted by implementing partners. Clear eligibility criteria and a transparent selection process will ensure that only identified vulnerable male and female segments will benefit from project activities. 8.5 Information disclosure The current website (www.nsift.tj ) is being used to disclose project documents, including those on environmental and social performance in both Tajik and English. NSIFT will create a webpage on the Project on its existing website. All future project related environmental and social monitoring reports, listed in the above sections will be disclosed on this webpage. Project updates (including news on construction activities and relevant environmental and social data) will also be posted on the homepage of NSIFT’s website. An easy-to- understand guide to the terminology used in the environmental and social reports or documents will also be provided on the website. All information brochures/fliers will be posted on the website. Details about the Project Grievance Resolution Mechanism will be posted on the website. An electronic grievance submission form will also be made available on NSIFT’s website. Contact details of the Community Liaison Team and headquarters and all Community Liaison Officers at the Municipality level will also be made available on the website. NSIFT will update and maintain the website regularly (at least once a quarterly basis). 8.6 Estimated Budget A tentative budget for implementing the stakeholder engagement plan over five years is attached in Table 8. The stakeholder engagement activities featured below cover a variety of environmental, social and expropriation issues, which may be part of other project documents, so it is possible that they have also been budgeted in other plans. However, the table below summarizes all the stakeholder engagement activities in one place for better coordination and monitoring. NSIFT will review this plan every six months to determine if any changes to stakeholder classification or engagement are required. If so, the plan will be updated, and a new revision distributed. The budget will be revised accordingly. 48 Table 10: Stakeholder Engagement Plan - Estimated Budget (4 Years) # of Total cost Stakeholder Engagement Activities years (USD) Project component 1 Stakeholder engagement for community (and youth) and local government mobilization and capacity building. Costs of facilitators, meetings, trainings, participatory social audits, feedback mechanism. 4 2.791.436 Project Component 2 Stakeholder engagement for youth inclusive services and livelihoods at local level. Costs of pre-launch outreach. 4 154.400 Project Component 3 Stakeholder engagement related to Project implementation. Costs of communication strategy and knowledge sharing meetings. 4 177.055 Total 3.122.891 49 IX. GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM The project stakeholders and citizens can submit complaints regarding the SERSP through the project-based Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) and the World Bank Grievance Redress Service (GRS). Communities and individuals who believe that they are adversely affected by a World Bank-supported project may submit complaints to existing project-level grievance-redress mechanism or the to the World Bank’s Grievance Redress Service (GRS). The GRS ensures that complaints received are promptly reviewed in order to address project-related concerns. Project-affected communities and individuals may submit their complaint to the World Bank’s independent Inspection Panel which determines whether harm occurred, or could occur, as a result of World Bank noncompliance with its policies and procedures. Complaints may be submitted at any time after concerns have been brought directly to the World Bank's attention, and Bank Management has been given an opportunity to respond. For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank’s GRS, please visit http://www.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/products-and-services/grievance-redress-service. For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank Inspection Panel, please visit www.inspectionpanel.org. 9.1 Objectives of the project-based GRM The GRM in SESRP is incorporated into a broader beneficiary feedback mechanism to be established by NSIFT at the central and local levels of the institution. The project-based GRM is intended to serve as a mechanism to:  Allow for the identification and impartial, timely and effective resolution of issues affecting the project;  Strengthen accountability to beneficiaries, including project affected people, and provide channels for project stakeholders and citizens at all levels to provide feedback and raise concerns. Having an effective GRM in place will also serve the objectives of: reducing conflicts and risks such as external interference, corruption, social exclusion or mismanagement; improving the quality of project activities and results; and serving as an important feedback and learning mechanism for project management regarding the strengths and weaknesses of project procedures and implementation processes. 9.2 GRM Overview and Structure Who can communicate grievances and provide feedback? The GRM will be accessible to a broad range of Project stakeholders who are likely to be affected directly or indirectly by the project. These will include beneficiaries, community members, project implementers/contractors, civil society, media—all of who will be encouraged to refer their grievances and feedback to the GRM. What types of grievance/feedback will this GRM address? The GRM can be used to submit complaints, feedback, queries, suggestions or compliments related to the overall management and implementation of the SERSP, as well as issues pertaining to sub projects that are being financed and supported by the SERSP, including:  Mismanagement, misuse of Project Funds or corrupt practices.  Violation of Project policies, guidelines, or procedures, including those related to child labor, health and safety of community/contract workers and gender violence.  Disputes relating to resource use restrictions that may arise between or among affected communities. 50  Grievances that may arise from members of communities who are dissatisfied with the eligibility criteria, community planning measures, or actual implementation of community energy investments or socio- economic infrastructure.  Issues with land donations, asset acquisition or resettlement specifically for SERSP supported sub projects. The GRM for the SERSP will be based on the Laws of the Republic of Tajikistan “On Citizens’ Appeals” and “On Civil Service” as well as the Instructions of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan “On the Procedures of Records Management on the Appeals of Citizens”. The GRM’s functions will be based on the principles of transparency, accessibility, inclusiveness, fairness and impartiality and responsiveness. Standards. The SERSP GRM will establish clearly defined timelines for acknowledgment, update and final feedback to the complainant. To enhance accountability, these timelines will be disseminated widely to Project stakeholders. The timeframe for acknowledging receipt of a feedback will not exceed 7 days from the time that it was originally received; if an issue is still pending by the end of 30 days the complainant will be provided with an update regarding the status of the grievance and the estimated time by which it will be resolved; and all grievances will be resolved within 45 days of receipt. Structure. The structure of the Feedback system/GRM for the SERSP will be comprised of four levels, from the level of the mahalla through the central PMU level. Village Level. To ensure that the GRM is accessible to people at the community level, they will have the option to report their complaint/feedback to VPC designated member who will also serve as the grievance focal point (GFP) at the village level. Community members are entitled to contact JPC directly to file a complaint. Jamoat Level. The JPC Grievance Management Committee will be established to address complaint/feedback within 15 days of being apprised of the issue. JPC GMC, represented by Jamoat Head, Jamoat Secretary mahalla leaders and jamoat activists, will be responsible for maintaining logs of the feedback received, as well as issues that have been resolved and those which are pending. If the issue cannot be resolved at the jamoat level, then the JPC GMC will immediately escalate it to a higher level, i.e. either to the GMP at the district level and/or to the NSIFT branch office and or directly to the NSIFT central office. District Level. Grievance Management Committee will be established in each district administration (khukumat) to address and resolve complaints in collaboration with JPC GMC and NSIFT regional offices within 30 days of receiving complaints. NSIFT regional GFPs will be responsible for maintaining feedback logs, and if needed, for liaising with other local government structures. If the issue cannot be resolved by GFPs at the NSIFT regional offices, then it will be escalated to the central NSIFT GFP. Central/PMU Level. If there is a situation in which there is no response from the jamoat/district level GFPs, or the NSIFT GFPs at the branch offices, or if the response is not satisfactory then complainants and feedback providers have the option to contact the NSIFT/PMU directly to follow up on the issue. The NSIFT/PMU GFP will be responsible for complaints and issues related to all districts and components. The NSIFT Director will make a final decision after a thorough review of the investigation and verification findings. The timeline for complaint resolution at the central NSIFT level will be 15 days upon receipt of the complaint. The complainant will be informed of the outcome immediately and at the latest within 5 days of the decision. 51 Appeal Mechanism. If the complaint is still not resolved, the complainant may escalate/appeal to a higher level of GRM within the project at the central level. If s/he is not satisfied with the decision, then s/he can submit his/her complaint to the appropriate court of law. 9.3 GRM Communication & Process Communication. Information about the SESRP’s GRM will be publicized as part of the initial feedback consultations in the participating jamoats and villages. Brochures will be distributed during consultations and public meetings, and posters will be displayed in public places such as in government offices, project offices, village notice boards, community centers, etc. Information about the GRM will also be posted online on the NSIFT website (http:/www.nsift.tj). Process. The overall process for the GRM will be comprised of 6 steps: (1) uptake (2) sorting and processing (3) acknowledgment and follow up (4) verification, investigation and action (5) monitoring and evaluation and (6) feedback (see figure 2). Figure 2. Feedback and GRM Process Source: Agarwal, Sanjay and Post, David. 2009. Feedback Matters: Designing Effective Grievance Redress Mechanisms for Bank-Financed Projects – Part I. SDV. World Bank. Step 1: Uptake. Project stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide feedback and report complaints through several channels (in-person, mail, telephone, project website) at different levels (jamoat, district, NSIFT branch offices and the NSIFT/PMU). Step 2: Sorting and Processing. To consolidate, monitor and report on information related to grievances, complaints and feedback related to the SESRP will be documented upon receipt/communication at each level of the GRM, and will be classified and prioritized in order to manage the grievance redress process more effectively. Feedback/complaints regarding environmental or social issues related to the SERSP activities will be logged and documented. Step 3: Acknowledgement and Follow-Up. Within 15 days of receiving complaint/feedback, the GFP will inform the complainant about the timeframe and the likely course of action. At the 30-day mark, if a complaint/question is still pending, the GFP in charge of the complaint at that point should provide an update about the status of complaint/question to the person who submitted it and provide an estimate of how long it will take to resolve the grievance or respond to the query. Step 4: Verification, Investigation & Action. Verification and investigation involves gathering information about the grievance to determine its validity and to generate a clear picture of the circumstances surrounding the issue under consideration. This process normally includes site visits, document reviews, a meeting with the 52 complainant (if known and willing to engage) and meetings with individuals and/or entities who can assist with resolving the issue. Potential actions include responding to a query or comment, providing users with a status update, imposing sanctions, or referring the grievance to another level of the system for further action. Step 5: Monitoring & Evaluation. Monitoring refers to the process of tracking grievances and assessing the extent to which progress is being made to resolve them. Ultimately, the NSIFT PMU will be responsible for consolidating, monitoring and reporting on the total number of complaints, enquiries and other feedback for the SERSP that has been received, resolved and that is pending at the jamoat and district levels, as well as feedback pertaining to the NSIFT. Information collected by GFPs from VPC, JPC and District level GMCs will be compiled by the NSIFT PIUs and entered into the MIS to be used by NSIFT PMU for reporting on progress on grievance indicators included in the Project Results Framework, and to compile information for semi-annual reporting. Step 6: Providing Feedback. This step entails informing GRM users and the public at large about the results of investigations and the actions taken. GFPs will provide feedback by contacting the complainant directly within a 30-day period of receiving the feedback/complaint. The NSIFT will make quarterly reports available to the World Bank team on the implementation of the Project GRM. In addition, data on grievances and/or original grievance logs will be made available to World Bank missions upon request. 9.4 Grievance Logs The Grievance Focal Points will maintain local grievance logs to ensure that each complaint has an individual reference number and is appropriately tracked and recorded actions are completed. When receiving feedback, including grievances, the following is defined: - Type of appeal - Category of appeal - People responsible for the study and execution of the appeal - Deadline of resolving the appeal. - Agreed action plan The Project Social Development Specialists (one in each NSIFT branches in Kulob, Bokhtar and Khorog) will ensure that each complaint has an individual reference number and is appropriately tracked and recorded actions are completed. The log should contain the following information:  Name of the PAP, his/her location and details of his / her complaint.  Date of reporting by the complaint.  Date when the Grievance Log was uploaded onto the project database.  Details of corrective action proposed, name of the approval authority.  Date when the proposed corrective action was sent to the complainant (if appropriate).  Details of the Grievance Committee meeting (if appropriate).  Date when the complaint was closed out.  Date when the response was sent to the complainant. 9.5 Monitoring and Reporting on Grievances The NSIFT social development specialists will be responsible for: 53 o Collecting and analyzing the qualitative data from GFPs on the number, substance and status of complaints and uploading them into the single project database; o Monitoring outstanding issues and proposing measures to resolve them; o Submitting quarterly reports on GRM mechanisms to the NSIFT M&E Specialist at PMU. Quarterly reports to be submitted by NSIFT shall include Section related to GRM which provides updated information on the following:  Status of GRM implementation (procedures, training, public awareness campaigns, budgeting etc.);  Qualitative data on number of received grievances \ (applications, suggestions, complaints, requests, positive feedback), highlighting those grievances related to the WB ESS on Involuntary Resettlement and number of resolved grievances;  Quantitative data on the type of grievances and responses, issues provided and grievances that remain unresolved;  Level of satisfaction by the measures (response) taken;  Any correction measures taken. 9.6 World Bank Grievance Redress System Communities and individuals who believe that they are adversely affected by a World Bank (WB) supported project may submit complaints to existing project-level grievance redress mechanisms or the WB’s Grievance Redress Service (GRS). The GRS ensures that complaints received are promptly reviewed in order to address project-related concerns. Project affected communities and individuals may submit their complaint to the WB’s independent Inspection Panel which determines whether harm occurred, or could occur, as a result of WB non- compliance with its policies and procedures. Complaints may be submitted at any time after concerns have been brought directly to the World Bank’s attention, and Bank Management has been given an opportunity to respond. For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank’s corporate Grievance Redress Service (GRS), please visit http://www.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/products-and-services/grievance- redress-service. For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank Inspection Panel, please visit www.inspectionpanel.org. 54 X. MONITORING AND REPORTING OF THE SEP Component 3 of the Project will support monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities to track, document, and communicate the progress and results of the project, including monitoring of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan. An M&E team within NSIFT will be responsible for overall compilation of progress and results. This component will also finance an MIS, which NSIFT will establish and utilize for project monitoring, automatic generation of project reports, project transparency (subproject information will be publicized on maps), and citizen feedback. While community monitoring will be supported under subcomponent 1b, the NSIFT M&E team will monitor the quality of the community mobilization and other inclusion, voice and agency activities with communities as measured through community scorecards, which will be discussed and verified along with financial records and project implementation records in social audit meetings. Feedback and grievances received through the beneficiary feedback mechanism will also be included in the semiannual reporting. NSIFT’s M&E team will collate and analyze these outcome assessments and perception-based results, enter them into the MIS, and include them in semiannual reports. Community scorecard activities will provide an opportunity for quick and simple feedback on project implementation (project processes and outcomes). The village project committee and jamoat project commission will independently facilitate the scorecard process, with support from the cadre of youth selected for monitoring and oversight roles. The annual scorecard will be conducted, and results collated prior to the community check meeting to promote feedback and discussion at the meeting and to identify any areas to improve during the following cycle. The scorecard will provide results (included in the results framework) that will be used to monitor project outcomes. All results will be disaggregated to identify any gender bias, and corrective actions will be included in the gender action plan. 55 ANNEX 1. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT COMPONENTS Component 1: Inclusive Local Development Initiatives. The proposed component will provide subgrants to finance local-level climate-resilient socio-economic infrastructure, including youth-led initiatives, that address priorities identified through a participatory village needs assessment and decision-making process as part of a project cycle to be defined in the Project Operations Manual (POM). The component will also build the capacity of jamoat administrations and community-level institutions, including mahalla committees, to engage with citizens, and to deliver services efficiently, fairly and in response to citizens’ needs, including those of youth and women. Finally, the component will build the capacity of community and local government institutions to identify, plan for, and take actions needed to mitigate the risks of natural disasters on local development investments, and to operate and maintain (O&M) local infrastructure assets, thereby ensuring the sustainability of investments. The component will consist of the following activities: Sub-component 1a: Subgrants for local development initiatives would support investments in basic infrastructure and services in villages in targeted districts based on a participatory needs assessment at the village level, the results of which are prioritized and incorporated into Jamoat-level development plan. Where possible, local development initiatives will leverage opportunities created by the complementary investments in electricity access made under the RSP-EE project. Subgrant allocation. The jamoat grant distribution formula (for each of the two cycles of CDD investment) will be based on two criteria: (i) district poverty levels; and (ii) jamoat population size. 15 The distribution formula will also ensure that sufficient resources are allocated to ensure that the investments can have impact. Within jamoats, there will be a process for individual villages to apply for subgrants or to coalesce and apply for a larger subgrant for a joint project (e.g., inter-village roads) that benefits multiple villages. Scope of investments. Village subprojects will be selected from an open menu of small-scale social and economic infrastructure and facilities. The investments will focus on the domains for which jamoat administrations are responsible, namely local roads improvement and maintenance, maintenance of water resources and water supply networks, waste disposal, and other investments that improve local living conditions, including those related to social infrastructure. The types of works may involve new construction, improvement/upgrading, rehabilitation, demolition, retrofitting, or maintenance of small scale infrastructure. Eligible sub-projects may include, but are not limited to, rehabilitation of village-level water supply and sanitation systems, 16 rehabilitation of on-farm irrigation systems, rehabilitation of schools and local health clinics, expansion or construction of kindergartens on existing premises, and rehabilitation of tertiary roads. Where possible, energy efficiency measures will be financed to strengthen community resilience in the face of seasonal energy shortages. This will include: (i) insulated doors and windows of public facilities, and (ii) energy efficient water pumps for public buildings (e.g. schools, kindergartens, health units, community centers). The Project will not finance productive infrastructure, such as small-scale storage and processing facilities for horticultural products, as these will be financed under the RSP-REDP (Rural Energy Development Project). It is intended that 50 percent of subprojects demonstrate benefits for youth and 50 percent for women. The Project will encourage contractors to employ local youth in the infrastructure sub-projects. A negative list is included in the Environmental and Social Management Framework and in the Subgrants Operations Manual (SGM). 15 Where possible, Tajikistan Statistical Office Census Data for 2018 will be used. 16 The proposed project will seek to collaborate closely with the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project (P162637) that is currently under discussion with government, to align technical approaches to design, and operations and maintenance. 56 Component 1b: Community (and youth) and local government mobilization and capacity building will support the mobilization of communities, and youth, and local capacity building in the target districts. This will include the financing of activities that support participatory needs assessment, planning and prioritization, implementation and monitoring of communities, targeted support for youth engagement, innovative social accountability mechanisms as well as capacity building for good local governance. NSIFT will procure consulting services, a Facilitating Partner (FP), to implement the community-level outreach and capacity building. Subcomponent 1b will ensure that village investment decisions (funded under Subcomponent 1a) directly involve and are inclusive of all community members (women, youth, young and old) and are responsive to their needs. Scope of activity. The annual cycle of activities financed by this subcomponent will include participatory needs assessment, participatory planning and prioritization/selection of village investments, participatory management, oversight and monitoring, and participatory O&M. Communities will be engaged in all stages of the subproject cycle, structured around the seven steps below, particular attention will be paid to empowering women to play an active role, and roles will be created for youth Operations, maintenance and sustainability. Component 1 will be designed and implemented with measures to ensure that subgrant-financed investments deliver sustainable benefits to communities and local governments. Subproject designs and implementation arrangements will build on existing local institutions (e.g. water users associations) and apply appropriate technical designs that are disaster resilient. Communities and jamoat administrations will receive capacity building support to prepare appropriately designed and funded operations and maintenance (O&M) plans as a precondition for subproject approval. The O&M plans will clearly describe: (i) the activities and measures envisaged for O&M of the subproject, (ii) roles and responsibilities for carrying out each measure, (iii) the frequency of the activities, and (iv) the proposed mechanism for covering O&M costs. Component 2: Youth Inclusion and Livelihoods. This component will offer two sets of inter-related activities for estimate of 5,000 disadvantaged and inactive young men and women aged 16 to 30 years old, to increase their overall resilience to risks of exclusion, inactivity, and disaffection. It will finance youth inclusive services and the refurbishment of youth and communal spaces (Sub-Component 2A), as well as livelihoods trainings and tools and equipment for livelihood activities (Sub-Component 2B) in the seven target districts in GBAO and Khatlon. Specifically, it will finance trainings (i.e. consulting services), tools and equipment (i.e. goods) and small rehabilitation of existing buildings (i.e. works). Sub-component 2a: Youth Inclusive Services will finance a training package to give the target youth access to experiential learning, such as the development of soft skills (i.e. teamwork, communication, critical thinking, decision making, conflict resolution, and problem solving); psycho-social support, gender-based violence prevention training; and digital literacy skills. Overall, these extra-curricular activities aim to: increase the time young men and women spend in interactive activities; help them to gain new soft and digital literacy skills complementary to those learned through formal school curricula; and increase their resilience. Service providers will also offer trainings to secondary school teachers, parents, and staff of local public facilities, such as Centers for Additional Education or youth spaces (i.e., physical facilities with dedicated space for extra-curricular activities and trainings for youth), on violence prevention. These trainings are meant to raise awareness among teachers, parents and community leaders about preventive approaches to reducing risks related to radicalization and gender-based violence. The PIU will procure consultancy services, Implementing 57 Partners (IPs), to deliver these youth inclusive services during the project implementation period. This component will also finance the refurbishment of youth and communal jamoat spaces, and mobile (i.e., retrofitted) vans, as needed, and the purchase of equipment, such as furniture, computer and printers, for these spaces. Sub-component 2b: Youth Livelihoods aims to increase basic livelihoods opportunities for disadvantaged young women and men who would not otherwise qualify for more capital-intensive entrepreneurship support. This component will finance trainings and provide in kind tools and equipment for youth to start basic economic activities. While the FPs will focus its outreach for the livelihood activities on youth who are participating in the inclusive services (Sub-Component 2A), completing youth inclusive services is not a prerequisite for participating in the livelihood activities. The IPs will deliver the business development and entrepreneurial trainings at the youth inclusive and communal spaces in jamoats. The IPs will then: encourage youth to form groups and submit business development proposals; carry out market analyses to ensure that demand for products/services exists and that sufficient net income is possible for the participating beneficiaries; evaluate the business development proposals based on criteria established in the POM; deliver livelihood tools and equipment to the successful youth livelihood groups; and provide continued support to the groups through mentors. The central PIU will procure the livelihood tools and equipment. This sub-component will not finance matching grants for entrepreneurship as most young beneficiaries in the pre-identified vulnerable categories will not be able to provide matching contributions due to lack of savings or cash, particularly in Khatlon region. By providing tools and equipment, the project will ensure that vulnerable youth not only receive access to training but also actual livelihood opportunities. By ensuring coverage of excluded youth, this sub-component complements the private sector development activities supported by the RSP-REDP which is targeting entrepreneurs who have higher amounts of capital. Sub-component 2b aims to increase basic livelihoods opportunities for disadvantaged young women and men who would not otherwise qualify for more capital-intensive entrepreneurship support. Specifically, the subcomponent will include the following: Livelihoods development training will provide tailored outreach and boot camp training (i.e. basic, short- duration training) for vulnerable young men and women, as well as tailored livelihood support services (i.e. entrepreneurial mindset training, local market analysis, basic accounting, support for business plan preparation, follow up mentoring, and training on how to include climate change mitigation in livelihoods activities). The IPs will be responsible for delivering this training; In-kind tools and equipment will be provided for promising youth to facilitate their access to small in-kind capital. Following successful completion of the livelihoods trainings, participants with viable proposals will be offered tools and/or equipment. The IPs will submit a detailed inventory of the requested tools and equipment that the central PIU will procure and deliver to the IPs, who will then distribute the tools to the livelihood groups. Component 3: Project Management and Capacity Building will finance the incremental costs, including contracting staff, technical assistance, and training, of the implementing agency for overall project coordination, management and supervision of implementation, procurement, financial management, including project audits, monitoring evaluation and the Management Information System (MIS), and climate change mitigation and adaptation training. This component will fund a dedicated project management team (which will include experts in community driven development, youth inclusion and livelihoods, citizen engagement and social accountability, civil engineering, project management, communication, procurement, financial management, and monitoring and evaluation), that will prepare annual workplans and budgets, and ensure the design and 58 implementation of the Project Operations Manual (POM), including terms of reference (ToR) for all staff and consultants, and training manuals. The proposed Project will also support the implementation capacity of the National Social Investment Fund of Tajikistan (NSIFT) and that of Regional Governors’ offices with respect to their strategic planning, donor coordination, and results monitoring functions. This component will also ensure the regular coordination with a number of national stakeholders, namely, the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, and the regional administrations of Khatlon and GBAO, as well as with the implementation structures of the RMR-RE and RMR-REDP projects. The component will finance a Beneficiary Feedback Mechanism (BFM), which will include a Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM). The BFM will provide a formal channel for feedback from communities on any matter concerning the Project, and specifically collect, process and address safeguards complaints. Regular meetings will be held to ensure responsiveness and accountability regarding beneficiary feedback. The staffing and the operationalization of the BFM will be covered and clearly allocated under this Component. While community monitoring will be supported under Subcomponent 1B, the NSIFT M&E team will quality of the community mobilization and other inclusion, voice, and agency activities with communities will be measured through community scorecards, which will be discussed and verified, along with financial records and project implementation records, in social audit meetings. Feedback and grievances received through the BFM will also be included in the semi-annual reporting. NSIFT’s M&E team will collate and analyze these semi- annual assessments of outcomes and perception-based results and enter them into the MIS and include them in semi-annual reports. 59 ANNEX 2. DETAILS OF STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS Social and Economic Resilience Strengthening Project (SERSP) Minutes of the Public Consultation with NGOs 25 January, 2019, Bokhtar City After the welcoming remarks made by the host organization, NGO Fidokor, the floor was given to the WB mission to brief on the SERSP objectives and the purpose of the consultation (explore the local CSO capacity in providing services to project beneficiaries, including youth, vulnerable women and returning migrants). First introduction of the NGO previous experience with the target groups was made by the Board Member of NGO Fidokor, Dilbar Khalilova. This NGO serves as an umbrella organization to build the capacity of CSOs, CBOs, jamoats and communities to address social and economic challenges through mobilization of resources and implementation of socially oriented projects. Fidokor has over 20-year experience in direct implementation of large projects (over 20 projects) in mobilization and addressing problems of vulnerable groups. It has previous partnership experience with NSIFT and completed the poverty assessment in over 60 jamoats in 10 districts of Khatlon district in 2002, and submitted social assessment reports on each jamoat. Worked with UNFPA to prevent HIV among drug users, especially young generation. Worked with UN Women on women self sustainability and facilitated establishment and capacity building on women self-support groups (WSGs) on PDV, family budgeting, community project designing and small business planning, awarded 18 grants to WSGs to start-up their small businesses and to implement community projects. The organizational profile is enclosed in Annex 2. NGO Bonuvoni Khatlon (Ladies of Khatlon), works with wide range of women to promote entrepreneurship, farming, water resource management, child protection, disabled inclusion, employment. The organizational profile is enclosed in Annex 3. NGO Akhtari Bakht works with returning migrants in Bokhtar, Balkhi and Kushoniyon. It is funded by the IOM project “Dignity and Law”. They provide legal consultations and social reintegration, including business planning capacity building. They also support them to prepare business project proposals to apply for grants to be allocated by IOM. After grant receipt, NGO provides start-up support and monitors the migrants for 3 years. NGO Chashma, Shaartuz based organization, also works with returning migrants in Shaartuz, and Qubodiyon under the IOM-funded project “Dignity and Law”. They provide legal consultations and social reintegration, including business planning capacity building. They also support them to prepare business project proposals to apply for grants to be allocated by IOM. After grant receipt, NGO provides start-up support and monitors the migrants for 3 years. Chashma also works with women to build their business skills, supports to start up and connects the women handicrafts with the Association of Handicrafts to sell their products. NGO Sudmand, Kulob-based organization, works with non-registered drug users to rehabilitate and prevent further dissemination among youth. They create youth initiative and support groups to work with young vulnerable or at risk groups. Sudmand applies peer-to-peer approach. Also arranges youth 60 forums, advocacy campaigns. Works with the local govern to build the capacity of the Youth Center to expand youth services, like computer classes, leadership skills, conflict resolution and tolerance skills (mini educational sessions). Sudmand also works with disabled youth. Recently it held a fall camp for 55 disabled youth from southern districts of Khatlon. NGO Parvozi Parastu works with parents with disabled children to build social and economic resilience of the target group. NGO Bonuvoni Panj (Ladies of Panj) established a Training Center to provide young girls, vulnerable women them with vocational skills. It promotes self employment and small businesses development, for example arranged sewing shop, wool processing workshop, fruit processing shops. It also has English courses. Bonuvoni Panj also works on prevention of HIV/AID and healthy lifestyle promotion among vulnerable groups, youth, women, returning. It implemented a youth summer camp and mobile theatre on conflict prevention. Implemented a project on youth initiatives under Soros Foundation support, and established 2 sports grounds, 4 forum theatres, 4 public debates to develop their public presentation skills. Under the UNDP/LITACA project, worked with 20 women to create jobs; 50 women completed vocational courses held by the Employment Agency, created a sewing shop for women and established a Women Employment Center in Panj. NGO Dilafruz works with violence affected women victims, disabled women and abandoned women. They received support and equipment from JICA. Dilafruz offers psychological and medical support to their target groups. They work in Bokhtar and Kulob. They are supported by GOPA/SDC Project on PDV. NGO Sapeda is experienced in needs assessment and capacity building of women, providing legal trainings. They promote women human rights. NGO Imron, Kulob-based organization, established in 2013. The mission is to promote healthy lifestyle among youth, to improve educational level of youth and their active participation in the life of the society. Imron implemented 7 youth-oriented projects on HIV prevention among the families of migrants; family planning for young girls and boys; drug addiction prevention through employment opportunities; TB prevention among large population; medical support and legal consultations; contests of the best essay and the best picture on healthy lifestyle. NGO practices mini educational sessions for their beneficiaries and public information campaigns. NGO Nakukori works with youth at the village level in Kushoniyon district. It mobilized community resources to establish a Youth Vocational Training Center. They also worked with low-income housholds in 37 villages to promote self-employment through development of their vocational skills. They established 1400 biofilters, low-energy stoves for low-income families. NGO Taqviyat and Tavonoi, works with community-based saving groups, HIV/AIDS prevention among youth, access to drinking water, WUAs capacity building. To the questions what the community priority needs in infrastructure, the NGO leaders mentioned kindergartens, access to drinking water, public baths. The list of people attended is enlosed. 61 The list of participants attended NGO Consultation under the SERSP Preparation Mission Bokhtar, January 25, 2019 1. Asrorzoda Madina, NGO Dilafruz (psycological support) 2. Makhsudkhojaeva Gulbahor, NGO Bonuvoni Khatlon (women issues) 3. Shohnazarova Mokhiniso, NGO Akhtari Bakht (returning migrants) 4. Sharipova Mushkiniso, NGO Parvozi Parastu (disabled people) 5. Imomnazarova Sanovbar, NGO Chashma (returning migrants) 6. Saidaliev Tolibjon, NGO Sudmand, Kulob (advocacy, youth) 7. Farrukhshoev Muhabbatshoh, NGO Imron (healthy lifestyle for youth) 8. Tuichiev Yusuf, NGO “Takhviyat va Tavonoi” (community saving funds groups) 9. Usmonova Kunduzoi, NGO Bonuvoni Panj (women, vocational skills for youth) 10. Nurmatova Dilbar, NGO Sapeda (women rights) 11. Sokhibova Sohiba, NGO Fidokor (community mobilization, entrepreneurship skills, advocacy, networking, CSO capacity building) 12. Khalilova Dilbar, NGO Fidokor (community mobilization, entrepreneurship skills, advocacy, networking, CSO capacity building) 13. Bobnazarov Salim, NGO school of Volunteers (youth) 14. Sulaimonov Salim, NGO Nakukori (vocational skills for youth) 15. Bahriddinov Rustam, NGO Fidokor (community mobilization, entrepreneurship skills, advocacy, networking, CSO capacity building) 16. Jumaeva Rano, NGO Tomiris (youth capacity building, soft skills) 17. Gloria La Cava, WB 18. Alisher Rajabov, WB 19. Audrey Sacks, WB 20. Barbara Weber, WB 21. Satish Saranyarayan, WB 22. Nassim Jawad, WB 23. Gulru Azamova, WB 24. Khasan Karimov, NSIFT 25. Abdulkhosim Kotibov, NSIFT 26. Nurullo Nazarov , NSIFT 27. Raupov Nodir, NSIFT 28. Tuichiev Yusuf, NSIFT 29. Berdieva Guljahon, NSIFT 30. Khakimova Sanovbar, NSIFT 31. Khojiev Khushbakht, UNICEF 62